Background
Horsfall was born in Liverpool, the son of Howard Douglas Horsfall and was educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford.
Horsfall was born in Liverpool, the son of Howard Douglas Horsfall and was educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford.
Magdalen College; Eton College.
He arrived at Oxford with an outstanding reputation as a rower and in 1912 was in the winning Oxford boat in the Boat Race. However Oxford lost in 1914, when Horsfall rowed at number four. At the outbreak of the First World War, Horsfall joined the Rifle Brigade but later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps.
He qualified as a pilot on 31 December 1914, and reached the rank of squadron leader.
After the war, he returned to Oxford to help re-establish rowing at the University. In 1947 Horsfall was elected a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta and the following year he was manager of the British Olympic Rowing team
Horsfall married Myra Downing Fullerton, daughter of Frederick Downing Fullerton in 1923.
At the age of 20, he was the youngest member of the crew.