Camden Equestrian Centre: Meet the man behind the best harness racing track in the country

While Go Racing in Yorkshire’s nine tracks for flat racing and over the jumps attracts millions each year, the York Harness Raceway at Nun Monkton has long been seen as the place where all drivers and breeders want to run their standardbreds in this country, and Mickey has maintained his love for the sport since purchasing the 28-acre site back in 2008.

More recently, South London-born Mickey has begun utilising his facilities far wider than the 12-race meetings he will be running this year, his harness racing programme for 2024 already three meetings old, but it is his move into more of the equestrian sector that is giving great success, which has led to a name change. Mickey says he’s enjoying welcoming his new friends massively.

“I’ve still got a love of harness racing,” says Mickey. “My boy Mikey who’s not quite 15 years old is keen to have a go as a driver, but diversification into the equestrian is going really well, people like coming here because of the facilities, and a competitive price.”

Where Mickey has scored has been in his use of the ground within his racetrack, making use of an area he saw as being wasted.

“I knew we could do something with it and that we could offer this place to others to come,” says Mickey.

“I put in an arena of 70 metres x 60 for the showing of horses and show jumping. I’ll be totally honest with you. What I know about show jumping, or what I knew before we started, you could have put on the back of a postage stamp, but I did know that we had a good venue.

“I’ve been guided by those that come and I listened to what they needed, and then added a collecting ring on, 40 metres square, and I now hire the place out to pony and horse associations and those who run clinics or training. It’s picking up, I don’t really advertise it, it’s mostly from word of mouth. One society telling another.

“What I have an advantage of here is that I’ve a lot of hardstanding. Lots of other places haven’t got that. I’ve a lot of parking for the bad weather, and the people who come bring a completely different show, with show jumping and showing horses.

“I may not ever know a lot about show jumping, but what I can tell you is that they’ve all, mums, dads, grandparents and kids come to enjoy themselves. I see them, all the mums with their kids, dads too. When their kid comes out with a rosette he or she is beaming and everyone is all smiles.

“Months ago, there was a pony show here and it was pouring down with rain. My first thought was, oh no, this has ruined it for me. But, you know, it didn’t deter them in any way. They were all happy. The ground was soaking wet, they were soaking wet, but they were all just happy to be here.”

Mickey changed the name of the venue to Camden Equestrian Centre, which is still home to York Harness Raceway.

“We already had Camden Stud here, for my standardbreds that I breed for the harness racing. I use Camden because everyone knows the name even though this place and myself have nothing to do with Camden. It’s just a name that people remember. And it’s now an equestrian centre because that’s what we’re about. Horses for everything.

“We are already hosting the National Pony Society events, Irish Draught, West Yorkshire Welsh, Dales Ponies, we’ve just taken on the Northern Welsh and their first show is coming up, the Dartmoor Society, Exmoor Society, and we host a lot of clinics where professionals come in and work with the horses and riders. They all hire the place from me and I look after them.

“I tell them, if they are wondering what to do about their show each year, look, do not cancel your show. I will always negotiate and work with them. It’s not all about the money. That comes afterwards, because if you keep people happy you get other people to come too. I let them use the café and crikey me, the spreads some of them bring are out of this world, but quite a lot of the time many just do their class and they go.

“We had this big show in August last year and there were 240 lorries over the course of the day from far away as Tenby and Shetland Islands for the National Pony Society Area 4.”

Mickey also found that his site, with 53 brick-built stables, was ready made and handily placed for those who wanted to stop overnight if they were competing at the Great Yorkshire Show or Allerton Park Eventing days.

“I’ve started to do overnight accommodation at the stables and I have several people booked in for when the Great Yorkshire Show is on. Allerton Park have used us for a few years. Our hard standing helps again. People come for an overnight stop and they’re off early in the morning, but if they want to, I do let people use the track for working their horses.”

Mickey has plenty of other plans. He’s just purchased a new PA system for the arenas and he has plans to build a grass show jumping arena, also in the middle; and a practice cross country course.

He’s already bought the jumps. He also has a bar that is available for hire and says his centre would be great for all kinds of events, it doesn’t have to be equestrian.

“Come and see the place,” he says.

Harness racing remains a passion for Mickey. He hosts a charity meeting in memory of Daniel, his son who died after having had a brain tumour. He passed away just two weeks before his second birthday and is buried just two miles away in Nun Monkton cemetery.

“I have this big meeting at the end of July,” says Mickey. “Daniel would have been 16 now. Everything we raise goes to Sheffield Children’s Hospital where Daniel was looked after. He got a brain tumor at nine months. That’s what’s kept me here really, because he’s just down in the village.

“If anyone would like to come along to the meeting on Saturday July 27 and be a part of our fundraising or if anyone would just like to donate please message https://www.facebook.com/HARNESSRACINGYORK