Another busy summer is nearly over for us and the first few winter horses have come back in from their holiday. The girls have been busy pressure washing and painting the yard ready for the new season and we will have Equine Bio Genie in to do a final disinfect soon! All the staff have had their well deserved breaks and it will soon be full steam ahead with a yard full of horses and several weeks of road work and steady cantering in preparation for another exciting season ahead. 

Kayley and Lauren have been busy restocking for next season and we have gained some lovely form horses as well as some beautiful stores. The last Store Sale of the season is this week in Ireland, so hopefully we can add another to the team for 2025/26. So far stores have been purchased by Getaway, Passing Glance and Free Eagle. We have a couple homebred 3 year olds that are joining the team and we are very excited about getting to know them all in the autumn. 

A couple of exciting form horses that have been purchased include Beacon Edge and Electric Jet. Beacon Edge has a CV that speaks for itself. A winner of a Grade 1 and 2 in Ireland when trained by Noel Meade and Gordon Elliot in the famous Gigginstown silks. He won a hurdle race the day before heading to the Sales back in May and has joined us to go Hunter Chasing. After watching Jet Smart win impressively for the 2nd time in two runs at Upcott in May, a quick look into his family found the full brother, Electric Jet, at Charlie Longsdon’s and he still remains a Maiden. After a quick road trip for Lauren to go and try him, he was back in the yard a couple days later and is a very exciting prospect going forward. He finished 2nd over fences at Ludlow for Charlie and looks to have plenty of ability to switch to the Points. 

The team thoroughly enjoyed attending the National Point to Point Awards at Cheltenham Racecourse. Josh picked up the Trainers Trophy at Nationals and Zena Williamson was one of three finalists for Equine Products Stable Employee Of The Year. At the Devon and Cornwall Awards, at Exeter Hotel and Golf Course, Josh collected Leading Yard and Leading Male Jockey. Hannah Morgan won Leading Lady Novice Jockey and the Keagan Kirkby Shield, which is presented to an up and coming jockey who is progressive and hardworking in the area. Clondaw Drake won the Devon and Cornwall Leading Horse and Leading Novice Horse and his owners, John and Sonia Gardener, took home leading owners for the season. At the Wessex Awards, Hannah won the Rising Star Award which was brilliant for her. 

In other news, we will have a new office for this coming season! If you’ve been to the yard on a cold winter’s day, you will know how exciting this is! The old office had done us well but it was most definitely time for a new one!