Lucy Thomson

Status
Business Owner

Equestrian Qualifications
BHSI (Sm) & List 3 Dressage Judge

Brief
Lucy has extensive experience in both business and equestrian sectors.  Using the former to finance the latter she was able to receive coaching from some of the world’s best trainers.  The Training the Teachers of Tomorrow Trust and Captain Mark Phillips are both of particular influence, and it is their classical, internationally recognised methods, that are applied in our riding school today.

With this training Lucy successfully competed in all three of the main affiliated disciplines: three-day eventing, dressage and show jumping and her daughter Amelia is now following in her footsteps. 

All of Lucy’s family have been influential in developing Lavant House Stables.  Her son Charlie is employed full-time as Groundsman, whilst Tony, Lucy’s husband of 30+ years is always around carrying out a wide variety of tasks which includes all of our IT and telecommunications, as well as repairing everything the horses seem able to damage on a regular basis!

Trying to move Two Stroke - with the inevitable dogs in tow!

Tony Thomson

Status
Joint Owner of Lavant House Stables

Relevant Qualifications
IT and Communications

Brief
Married to Lucy Thomson for over 30 years, with children Charlie and Amelia, Tony has always provided the support-structure any business needs in order to thrive, but especially so an equestrian one!  Horses break/destroy just about everything, so constant repairs is definitely on his list, however Tony’s real skills lay in IT and telecommunications. 

As a result Lavant House Stables has an enviable IT and telephone system, certainly beyond the standard to be found in most equestrian centres.

Full-time employed elsewhere, Tony spends his free time keeping the systems updated at Lavant, repairing the latest breakage,  adding illumination – and most importantly for the kids at Lavant – is the person responsible for making sure the Club Room vending machine is kept  fully supplied with goodies, all of the time!

Jade Horspool

Status
Yard Manager

Equestrian Qualifications
British Horse Society Riding Instructor

Brief
Jade ensures every horse regardless of age, size, ownership or value gets the 100% care he or she deserves.  Imparting the same qualities to her team, it is unsurprising every horse at Lavant House Stables looks as consistently top notch as they do regardless of the season.

Always helpful and smiling, and clearly always putting every horse first, Jade is a huge hit with our liveries who have great confidence in the quality of care and expertise that Jade and her team extend when caring for all our equine friends – consistently, every single day!

Jade is also an excellent riding instructor and helps out in this area too when  required. 

Her two horses, the homebred Andalusian PRE mare Venus and the chestnut Newforest mare Breeze are also at Lavant House Stables.

Lauren Annalls

Status
Senior Instructor

Equestrian Qualifications
Qualified BHS Riding Instructor

Brief
Lauren is undoubtedly a vocational trainer in that her enthusiasm and passion relates clearly to all she helps to improve their equestrian skills.

Talented and passionate about everything to do with horses, clearly able to communicate well with people of all ages and from all backgrounds, Lauren upholds the ethos of Lavant House Stables in that she continually seeks to improve her own abilities both as a rider and as a trainer of others.

Lauren Hunting 2012

Lauren and Julepe Cross Country 2011

Julepe and Lauren Cross Country 2011

Lauren and Roma Show Jumping

Robert Pickles

Status
Team Coach

Equestrian Qualifications
FBHS, List 3 Dressage Judge, International Equestrian Coach

Brief
It is impossible to describe Robert and everything he has achieved in his life to date, therefore we will just tell you about his role at Lavant and leave his excellent website, www.robertpickles.com to tell you about Robert and what he can undoubtedly do to help everyone involved in equestrianism in one role or another.

Robert comes to us once a month for a full day to predominantly provide training for the senior members of staff.  Occasionally during these days some of Robert’s professional pupils will also attend as well as our more advanced rider-clients.  Spectators are always most welcome and there is no charge to attend.  Days normally run from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dates are available from our office by calling 01243 530460 or e-mail riding@lhstables.co.uk.

These regular training days are invaluable to this business because not only do they provide top international training on-site but also ensure we keep up to date with all of the latest coaching techniques – particularly as it is so easy to fall behind such methods as a small business.  Staff are not just developed towards equestrian teaching qualifications but are also seriously produced as riders and in all areas of general horsemanship – so it is not just a question of us falling behind but more importantly Robert making sure we stay well ahead, as we are determined to do with everything within the riding school sector!

Robert is a clear, articulate and sympathetic coach whose classically correct training methods are relaid in an inspirational manner that can be understood by one and all – so why not come and see for yourself?

Amanda Kruger

Status
Staff Trainer

Equestrian Qualifications
BHSI

Brief
Amanda fits neatly into our team, between training staff for their next level of BHS qualification and developing the business owner’s daughter eventing skills.  It was not until after Amanda came to help us that we discovered she is herself trained by our team coach Robert Pickles FBHS, so no wonder we found her coaching methods attractive and being sympathetic to our own! 

So now often to be found at Lavant, Amanda is an inspirational teacher who galvanises even the most pessimistic student towards achieving goals beyond their expectations.  With her well-rounded background, Amanda is also a senior tutor at Merrist Wood College – necessitating in Amanda being well up to date with the latest professional exam requirements, which is ideal for us, plus being the Chief Instructor of the local Pony Club proves Amanda’s ability to successfully engage children – a skill that not all of us have by any means.  As Amanda also regularly competes at affiliated level, she couldn’t, from our perspective, come with a better CV, as I have always been keen that our instructors are not just “qualified” teachers but also practical, capable horsemen too.

Holly Downes

Status
Office Administrator

Equestrian Qualifications
Not necessary to run an office!

Brief
Holly is a dedicated horse rider and cares for a loaned horse who she successfully competes in dressage competitions – very useful when it comes to understanding the terminology and passion of others in our type of business! With many years’ experience in part time retail and customer care whilst studying languages at university, Holly will always do her best to help out and keep on top of everything.

Alison Coates

Status
Assistant to Senior Riding Instructor

Equestrian Qualifications
British Horse Society Part Qualified Riding Instructor

Brief
Alison first joined us as a Weekend Assistant and since then she has gradually worked her way up to become second-in-command to Lauren Annalls whose primary remit it is to maintain and improve upon the quality of the instruction and related activities we supply.  There is no surprise to find Alison in this role as she has always shown the natural and unstinting ability to want to reach out and help others.  In particular, her ability to communicate and understand our younger pupils has to be admired.

There are many other plaundits to describe Alison – an incredibly loyal member of our team who can always be relied upon - especially so when critically needed; will always give 101% to every responsibility; and absolutely adores the horses without question.  Alison is also a bit of a lateral thinker, in that some of the better processes we have at Lavant House Stables have first come to light through Alison’s suggestions! 

Jess Callander

Status
Deputy Yard Supervisor/Riding Instructor

Equestrian Qualifications
British Horse Society Qualified & HND in Horse Management/British Horse Society Part Qualified Riding Instructor

Brief
Jess first appeared on our radar as a riding school client, then off to college she went but continued to reappear regularly for extra riding lessons.  One day we offered her a job whilst Jess was still in higher level education - why we hadn’t done this earlier is a mystery to us all.  Part of the reason for the change in status was Jess’s adoration for our PRE Andalusian mare Sacristana (Saucy) – and employment was definitely on the cards if Jess wanted to have this top quality mare as her own.

So on the same day Jess became a full-time employee and our livery, and no-one, Jess, Lavant House Stables or Saucy have looked back ever since! 

Jess is a seriously dedicated member of staff and whatever she turns her attention to she does well – no easy task when part of this is organising the yard team in the Yard Manager’s absence.  The array of tasks the yard team have to get through on a daily basis would make most peoples’ hair curl – co-ordinating this to happen, as in Jess’s case when Jade is not here is a role quite definitely not for the faint-hearted.  Couple this with teaching duties, which Jess was born to do, and one can understand just how special our staff have to be, especially if to excel in their roles – as undoubtedly Jess does.

Steph Guest

Status
Yard Assistant & Trainee Instructor

Equestrian Qualifications
BHS Stage 1 & RRS

Brief
On completing her education Steph worked for the same company in the leisure industry, working her way up into a responsible position before coming to us, taking a step back down to start as a trainee in a different leisure and recreation industry.  

The reason for the career change was due to Steph being passionate about all animals and in particular horses, having one of her own.

Holly Player

Status
Yard Assistant/Trainee Instructor

Equestrian Qualifications
Riding and Road Safety Certificate
BHS Stage 1

Brief
Holly is a continuation of the best source of staff we can possibly hope to have – people who start with us as clients as children, like us enough as they grow up to want to join our team of valued Weekend Assistants (which is also serious hard-work, so tests their mettle as a possible useful future employee), and if we have’nt managed to put them off by then, to joining us full-time!

Always of a sunny nature, always helpful and always kind and gentle with the horses, Holly is of the perfect   Stables mould!  Another “always” is to spot Holly with a broom in her hand on the yard – we have a lot of concrete to keep swept and tidy and Holly is the person who seems to want to do this single-handedly!   Holly has also, thankfully, taken on the responsibility of keeping tidy all of those areas of the business that get into a mess very quickly.  Thank you Holly!

Becky Grant

Status
Yard Assistant/Trainee Instructor

Equestrian Qualifications
British Horse Society Stage 1 & Riding and Road Safety Examination

Equestrian Qualifications
We knew Becky would end up working full-time with us before Becky did it seems!  Why?  Because right from day one, when Becky joined us as a Weekend Assistant, she seamlessly slotted straight in with the rest of the team. 

Working her way through our part to full-time employment, this is the ideal way for all career staff because both sides have the opportunity before commitment to work out if this is what works for them.  However that was never in doubt with our bright and ambitious Becky!

Alice Taws

Status
Yard Assistant & Trainee Instructor

Equestrian Qualifications
Trainee

Brief
Alice is one of our success stories.  One of the first people to join our Membership Scheme which opened in April 2001, Alice rode with us every week alongside her brother and mother and continued on to become one of our highly valued Weekend Assistants for several years.  On completing her further education Alice moved into the commercial sector for work and didn’t take long to decide her heart remained with the horses.

So back Alice came to us as a ready made and up to speed Yard Assistant and is now training on to become a qualified instructor which we are sure won’t take long with the depth of experience already in her background.

The first week she was back with us  Alice never stopped grinning!  Welcome back Alice!

Jacky McPherson

Status
Coaching Advisor & Activities Assistant

Relevant Qualifications
Science Teacher & BHS Stage 1

Brief
Other than Lucy (Thomson) Jacky has been at Lavant longer than anyone, joining us as a riding school client in 2000. 

Over the years we have learned to truly value Jacky’s expertise and passion as a full-time teacher in state education.  Jacky has helped us immeasurably with improving the quality of the instruction we supply – particularly with regard to children.  Teaching children is more complex than adults as each age group requires a slightly different approach and with very little guidance within the equestrian industry itself when it comes to teaching children, it is understandable just how high a value Jacky’s input is, particularly when linking us into the structure of the educational system.

So Jacky helps train and develop the team plus demonstrates various practical child teaching skills when helping us out with the activity days and Pony Club competitions during the school holidays. 

Last but not least is Jacky can be counted on to be the first person to volunteer when we need help and it is always reassuring to know we can hand Jacky one of the major voluntary roles and know it will be dealt with efficiently and with her typical gusto! 

Every business needs a client like Jacky Mac (as we call her) and when she retires we definitely want first nabs!

Charlie Thomson

Status
Handyman

Relevant Qualifications
NVQ Level 1 Agriculture & Horticulture

Brief
Charlie is Lucy’s son and on completing two years of further education at Hartpury College learning relevant agricultural skills he came and joined us full-time under the title of “Handyman”.  This really means Charlie does just about anything and everything we need him to do within his range of skills!

The most important by far is Charlie, his Kubota tractor and the huge sucking machine he tows behind it, picking up the 1,500 droppings the horses leave in our fields every day – this is a lot of poo!

Charlie also strims, mows the grass, cleans and maintains the vehicles, and gets on with pretty much any task the rest of us ask him to do.   He also, without fail, makes a cake every weekend for the team to eat over the following week.  Like us all, Charlie rides regularly having had ponies at home from a young age and has a riding lesson each week at Lavant.

It is impossible not to warm to Charlie with his gentle kindness, lovely manners, natural empathy with the animals and rather silly sense of humour!

In honour of our Charlie, the chosen charity of Lavant House Stables, which we have supported since 2001, is the registered charity “Charlie’s Challenge”, which has done an amazing job over the years raising both awareness and serious funds for research into children’s brain tumours.

Mills Thomson

Status
Weekend Assistant

Equestrian Qualifications
BHS Stage 2, BHS Stage 3 Riding, Pony Club C Test, Riding & Road Safety Test, Trainee Instructor, competes affiliated eventing

Brief
Daughter of Lucy Thomson, Amelia has been brought up surrounded by both horses and a family business.  A keen and bold horse-rider who loves to event, hunt and jump any large fence, but who also needs to knuckle-down to the discipline of dressage if to excel as an event rider, which is what Amelia really wants to do.

Having grown up with her wonderful pony Eddie, who may not have been taught any dressage but was regularly seen with Amelia jumping the top of the wings, the big, handsome, grey gelding Pepper sort of came along next, a horse that is a full four hands bigger than Eddie!  With Eddie and then Pepper inspiring Amelia to take up the discipline of eventing more seriously, towards the end of 2011 the lovely purpose-bred event horse Quinn was added to Amelia’s “string”.

Amelia is on our team of Weekend Assistants and works as hard as anybody when required, is currently studying in the second year of A Levels and is still making decisions about her future - however one area you can guarantee is her horse, the big softie Pepper is sure to be part of her plans!

Georgia Jones

Status
Weekend Assistant

Relevant Qualifications
Shared carer of elderly horse

Brief
Georgia became of a member of our highly valued Weekend Assistant team in 2010 after becoming known to us through her mother Karen who helps (with Georgia) to look after Nicola Collins’ very elderly mare Toddy.

Currently pursuing higher level education, we understand Georgia is also a talented actress and considering how much she helps us out we wonder where Georgia finds the time to fit it all in.  A hard worker, always smiling, always pleasant, this is one young person who quite definitely has an excellent work ethic!

Laura Pattison

Status
Weekend Assistant

Relevant Qualifications
Pony Club C Test

Brief
Laura started riding at 10 years of age and joined us in 2009 after being recommended and due to wanting to become a Pony Club member.  When not riding with us and helping out as one of our highly valued Weekend Assistant Laura is a full-time student, attending Southdown’s College to study Animal Care.

Laura has shown a particular aptitude for designing artistic costumes with regard to her equine/human fancy dress outfits which are both imaginative and created with remarkable flair – so much so that everyone here now awaits all of Laura’s creations with excited anticipation!

Helena Bissex

Status
Sunday Office Assistant

Relevant Qualifications
Pony Club C Test and owner of Fraser

Brief
The multi-talented Helena can turn her hand to any job we ask her to do – predominantly Helena covers our reception on Sundays but she is just as able on the yard helping out instead if required.  Originally riding with us a regular pupil, Helena moved on into horse-ownership by buying Fraser and keeping him with us and then progressed further to become a valued part-time member of our team whilst pursuing a full-time equestrian degree at Merristwood College.  Helena’s mother Jane ran our Pony Club for a number of years and lifted it up to the level it is at today so we have much to thank the Bissex family for! 

Everyone likes Helena, it is impossible not to.  Being incredibly mature for her age, always pleasant, always helpful, able to communicate well with anyone, Helena is also a gentle, steadying influence on others in her age group, so is quite definitely a big asset to Lavant House Stables!

Sam West

Status
Weekend Assistant

Relevant Qualifications
BHS Riding & Road Safety Certificate

Brief
Sam has been riding with us since a small child and consequently is now a very competent horseman. 

It is impossible not to take a shine to Sam – always smiling, certainly always funny, knowing full well how to take advantage of the predominently female environment at Lavant – there is a touch of admiration in there too from all of us, it is impossible not to – takes a brave lad to join such a female-dominated team and continue to hold his own ground!  However joking apart it is great to have a guy as part of the team of our really important Weekend Assistants and even better that Sam has worked his way up through the ranks to this status. 

Sam is currently studying A Levels at Bishops Luffa and is also a highly competent and competitive swimmer.

Zoe Parfoot

Status
Weekend Assistant

Relevant Qualifications
N/A

Brief
Zoe is the latest addition to our important team of Weekend Assistants.  Our Weekend Assistants are teenagers selected from our regular client base for paid part-time work during school holidays and have one weekend day assigned to them for a full day’s work every week.  Zoe certainly has the right demographics for becoming an able Weekend Assistant having ridden with us every week now for six years and also rather conveniently lives just around the corner.

Two Stroke

Status
Mascot/Pet/VIP

Relevant Qualifications
Nosey and loves recognition

Brief
Deciding where to put this much loved donkey on the our website was initially a dilemma, then we decided because Two Stroke is quite definitely responsible for very positively promoting our business over a number of years, the Meet the Team page was decided as most appropriate.

Nowhere at Lavant House Stables is out of bounds to this highly intelligent and amenable donkey including, it seems, our offices.  So named in Ireland because he can do whatever a two stroke engine can do, he really is extraordinary – if you haven’t yet met Two Stroke, you are quite definitely in for a treat!  

When recently asking our Equine Vet Pauline Williams to give us an approximate age on Two Stroke, her typical Yorkshire-roots reply was to quip whether we wanted AD or BC ….  Two Stroke is so old he has no teeth, so his age really is anyone’s guess!

Diesel

Status
Two Stroke’s Companion

Relevant Qualifications
None really – mate to Two Stroke is the closest one can get!

Brief
Diesel arrived in the autumn of 2008 from Wales because Lucy was fed-up with our existing and much loved donkey Two Stroke living in her office and thought a companion would provide some relief – which the new arrival sort of did, but only because Two Stroke then spent the first two months of Diesel’s arrival chasing him with ferocious teeth bared all over the site.

Diesel was an unusual purchase – frustrated that we could not buy a donkey for love or money from anywhere or provide the most perfect life-long home for a rescue donkey either (and that is definitely another story for another day), I resorted to something I swore I would never do, I searched for a horse, or in this case donkey, on the Internet.  

So along came Diesel who was sourced as a too-timid beach donkey from Wales, and with him came a three-year-old Gatsby who the Welsh owner of both thought might interest us.  Both were dropped off and both proved the most efficient escape-artists ever, so we learned very quickly why it was worth this Welshman’s time and effort to drop the pair off to us! 

Diesel is a great companion to Two Stroke (eventually and having been shown the office set-up) but Diesel will never be able to replace his mentor …. however and perversely the pony that came with Diesel, Gatsby has proven to be an invaluable asset to all of us – and that is definitely another story (see Gatsby).