How an equestrian centre in North Yorkshire which started as a hobby has become like an "all-inclusive hotel for horses"

Katie Boddy has started the business after moving to Helmsley from York with her husband Ian.

They were looking for somewhere to live and enough land to keep her horse and maybe another one.

However, what has followed in the seven years since they moved has resulted in a top class equestrian facility which started as a hobby and has become a business in its own right after building work started last year.

They bought a farm type small-holding, which had been operated by an agricultural contractor business and included a farm house and outbuildings as well as 20 acres.

She said: “We wanted to move to the countryside, the idea was to get something with a bit of land where we can keep a horse or two. The house was amazing and had land and buildings but we weren’t sure what we were going to do but thought maybe we might do livery in future.

“In 2021 we decided to put in an arena and some stables and it went from there. We got planning permission and got that in August last year and started the work last year at the beginning of October. It is all fairly new and we have been finishing bits off as we go through the year.”

In March, Sproxton Grange started doing arena hire, clinics, day camps and overnight camps for groups such as riding clubs.

There are training facilities for eventing, show-jumping and dressage with special guests also drafted in to give talks and sessions.

For example, last weekend, Finnish 5* event rider Pauliina Swindells gave a flat work and dressage clinic.

People bring their own horses to use and gain experience on so that they have more confidence when it comes to competing themselves and there is an arena big enough to practice a full course of show jumps.

In the yard building there is a kitchen, toilet and shower and training room.

“Whatever you need for human and horse to go and compete, we are building that”, explains Mrs Boddy.

“What we are trying to do is almost take what you would get at elite level and make it for all levels within equestrian and create an environment where you can come and train, have classes and instructors that might be dressage, showjumping and showing - rather than be a competition venue.

“When you go and compete you are fully equipped. People bring young horses they are learning with, they might bring young riders with older horses.”

Sproxton Grange Equestrian Centre is filling a gap in the market for a local training facility in Yorkshire as equestrian enthusiasts find themselves having to travel at least an hour to get to something similar, and, is currently schooling three ex-race horses to become riding school horses.

“It is a little bit of everything. It has been developed as a premium livery and training as well. It is a bit like having an all-inclusive hotel for horses.”

The business plan was originally to create a livery and then a training centre would follow but it ended up being the other way around. Training now takes precedence while the livery aspect is being built up in the background.

Mrs Boddy said: “The training has sky rocketed much more than we thought. We thought we would be more of a livery yard with a bit of training but we are more of a training centre with a bit of livery.

“With livery, that takes a while to build up especially when you are a new venue. It is a tough environment at the moment with the cost of living and horses are expensive. There are a couple of race yards but not many livery yards.”

Mrs Boddy is actually a lawyer by profession and her husband Ian is a research engineer. They both still work full time whilst running the training and livery at Sproxton Grange - but they won’t be leaving it at that.

Going forward future plans are to add a horse walker and arena mirrors, cross country fences, a grass showjumping arena and a canter track.

They also hope to take on staff so that the business runs itself and she can get back to riding her own horses rather than organising so other people can.

“This will be the next phase”, said Mrs Boddy. “At some point in the future we might add another school as well but we will see how it goes. We do definitely want to add to what we have got.

“Equestrian and horses have been my hobby. I have always ridden and had horses in livery yards for a number of years.

“I have created a venue that works for what I want with an arena, tackroom, solarium and set up a way that works well for us and also for other people.

“It is a hobby that became a business. It is really exciting and brilliant to see it get off the ground and become something people enjoy coming to.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​