Georgie Strang has hit some significant milestones in the past few years, and with a string of exciting young horses and a brand new base, she is hoping this season will be her best yet. She talks to Ellie Hughes.
IT’S one of those bleak January days when daylight never quite materialises, but as I pull into Georgie Strang’s new yard, at Bedgebury Park, just outside the pretty village of Lamberhurst in Kent, the stillness and gloom lifts to give rise to a hive of bustling activity. Horses’ heads peer inquisitively over stable doors, yards are being meticulously swept and Georgie’s two dogs, Twig and Gorse, dart in and out of the bushes, tails wagging furiously.
“We’ve been here for less than two weeks, but everyone’s settled in really well,” says Georgie, who is keen to show me around the smart yard that now houses her 15 event horses.
Bedgebury has accommodated eventers in the past — Sharon Hunt was based here for several seasons — and on inspection it is easy to see the draw. The facilities are enviable and include two covered arenas, a horse-walker and a cross country course, plus several hundred acres of hackable forest.
“It’s the first time I’ve had an indoor school and I’m feeling thoroughly spoilt — although last week I fell off in my dressage lesson,” Georgie admits with a grin. “My trainer, Sam Newbury, joked that it would never have happened if we’d been outside in the wind and rain!”
The catalyst for change came about at the end of last season, when Georgie became newly single, having split from her partner, point-to-point trainer Nick Pearce, with whom she had shared a yard.
“It feels like a fresh start and a new chapter. It’s a really exciting opportunity,” she acknowledges.
A wake-up call
THE petite 29-year-old blonde has come a long way since her CCI4* debut six-and-a-half years ago at Burghley, where she failed to complete with Master Monarch, an old-timer who had been there and worn the T-shirt with Australian internationals Brook Staples and Andrew Hoy.
Denne historien er fra February 16 2017-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra February 16 2017-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
