Tributes have poured in for a popular stable owner and one of Bermuda’s most respected farriers.

Norman Terceira passed away last Thursday at the age of 79.

Mr Terceira owned stables in Smith’s and then The Forge in Devonshire, and was responsible for running carriage horses along Front Street for many decades.

He also operated a two horse-drawn bus service for visitors between the Bermudiana Hotel and Elbow Beach in the 1960s.

His niece, Brenda Cardoza, told The Royal Gazette that her uncle was an authority on anything to do with horses.

“He was an extremely knowledgeable man when it came to horses and his work as a farrier is perhaps what he is best known for in Bermuda,” she said.

“But he knew a great deal about many different animals.

“As a young man he lived in Canada where he worked in Ontario shipping show cattle all over the world. He would take them to Italy and Spain and in that time he learned a great deal about cows.”

Ms Cardoza added: “I still have fond memories of him sneaking me out of school on a Thursday and taking me to the Shelly Bay races.

“He taught most of the carriage drivers that ferried tourists from Front Street.

“He knew everything there was to know about horses, he did not need a vet.”

John Flood, who worked as a driver for Mr Terceira for nearly 40 years, described him as a “father figure”.

He said: “I learned everything I know from Norman.

“I was eight or nine when I started going around with him and learning the profession.

“He was just an excellent man who knew everything there was to know about horses and carriage horses.

“We are all going to miss him. There will never be another like him.”

Samantha Hayward, who worked with Mr Terceira for many years, said he had a reputation for having the most beautiful horses and carriages.

She added: “I had known Norman all my life. He was one of the most influential people in my life growing up.

“I kept a pony at his stables and he taught me all the fundamentals about looking after horses.

“Norman was incredibly strong, both physically and mentally, and he was hugely passionate about animals.

“Some of the horse community will know him for his work as a farrier, while the equestrian family will know him for his carriage work.

“But Norman’s work and his influence in Bermuda was much broader.”

Long-time friend David Lopes had known Mr Terceira since the mid-1960s through their work with animals.

He said: “Norman was a man after my own heart.

“He loved to hitch up his horses and go for a drive.

“Norman was an excellent farrier, one of the best in the business, and he was a good down to earth guy.”

Mr Terceira will be buried at Emmanuel Methodist Church in Southampton at 11am today.