With husband-and-wife dressage duo Richard and Gill Davison both riding at the top level and their sons competing in showjumping, Stephanie Bateman looks around the family’s multi-discipline yard in Staffordshire
THE Davisons’ yard is exactly how you’d imagine it — pristinely tidy, lavish yet practical, and notably calm and quiet.
A former dairy farm dating back to 1790, the beautiful red-brick buildings ooze character and charm and have been lovingly and thoughtfully restored into the equestrian jewel the property is today.
Nestled in the Staffordshire countryside, Combridge Farm is home to dressage riders Gill and Richard, their two international show jumping sons Tom and Joe — as well as Sweep the Border collie and Richard’s flock of sheep.
The dressage supremos took on the farm 32 years ago after buying it from “a farmer who had put in some stables and a grass gallops to train his racehorses, but not much else”.
“The ceiling in the kitchen collapsed and the whole house was a bit run-down, but we just about managed to live in it while we did it up,” says Gill.
THE indoor arena, where I find Gill and Richard performing slick grand prix movements in preparation for Hartpury CDI, is plush. Plaques and medals from various championships and Olympics are suspended from the viewing gallery walls that overlook the arena, reminding me this is the home of a four-time Olympian and multi medal-winning dressage champion.
Aside from the mirrors, light-flooded windows, and an indoor sound system, there is also a cosy viewing room with ornate gas fire, kitchenette, dining table and lounge incorporated into the building.
“We deliberately had different surfaces put down in the indoor and outdoor arenas,” explains Richard as he schools his rising star Bubblingh. “The indoor has a waxed Martin Collins surface to keep the dust levels down, whereas the outdoor has an Andrews Bowen surface that is only lightly waxed to allow the jumper’s hooves to slide after landing from a fence.
Esta historia es de la edición July 20 2017 de Horse & Hound.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July 20 2017 de Horse & Hound.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Gemirande provides 24-carat magic
Venetia Williams sparkles again in the December Gold Cup and jockey brothers dead-heat
‘Happy hunting, everyone'
“The season for talks, dinners and parties has finally arrived for Tessa Waugh, whose distress about the snags of middle age fades away with some rousing festive spirits
'Monaco deserved this victory
Seemingly destined always to play the bridesmaid’s role, Harrie Smolders’ great partner Monaco finally tops an incidentpacked Rolex grand prix
'It had to end sometime'
The closure of beloved Hampshire saddlery Calcutt Sons is a loss to the hunting and wider equestrian worlds, as Octavia Pollock reports
'You couldn't want for more
The Ludlow's peaceful country makes for a day in \"hunting paradise\"
The greatest gift of all
Christmas is fast approaching and while we all like a bit of tinsel, the festive season is also a perfect time for giving to a horse charity. Niki Hinman finds out some of the options
Winter him well
A horse's winter routine can differ dramatically from his summer structure but what’s the knock-on effect? Ellie Hughes asks vets how to optimise routine management for the season
Neat feet
Excellent hoof care is a year-round concern but the winter months present their own problems. Richard Stephenson MRCVS explains the seasonal challenges afoot and how to stay one step ahead
In bygone days
Modern vets have much scientific knowledge behind them, but what about their forebears? Kieran O’Brien MRCVS opens up the world of Victorian vets in London
'When I joined the Pony Club it was just two boys and 48 girls'
Pepsi Kohler on being delightfully outnumbered by girls in the Pony Club, a leg-up from a royal and the H&H advert that changed his life
