Malton Show's equine secretary on how his job gives something back to the town

“I do it because I love Malton and it’s the only place I’ve found, in all the places I’ve lived, that is home for me. I feel as if it is somewhere I can truly say I feel comfortable, settled and happy and, as I’m busy pretty much all of the time, I don’t get much chance to do anything for charity or community, but by doing Malton Show I feel like I’m doing something for the town.

"It’s important to me, and I have a responsibility I’ve been tasked with to make it the best possible.”

Scott says his part of the show, the horse classes, are always well supported.

“We receive just over 400 entries normally and when deadline comes we often get as many as 150 entries in the last couple of days. We had London International Horse Show qualifiers for the first time last year.

"It’s the alternative to Olympia at the London ExCeL, but last year it was something very new and a lot of people didn’t quite know what they were, however now they do know and people want to qualify we have entries coming in from all over the country just to compete in these classes. We went last year, to the LIHS and I can confirm it really is good.”

Earlier this year Malton Show was advertising on social media for more people to come forward and take on a role with the show. It’s a constant problem for many shows, having enough people to run them. Scott says he has great support from friends and fellow horse people Wayne and Jane Burnell.

“I started stewarding at Malton and then Alison, the then horse secretary, said why didn’t I help her, and so I started helping her about 5-6 years ago and we both did it together for a year or two. This is my fourth year of running it all. Fortunately, I now have a great friend of mine Jane Burnell has just started to help me.

“Jane is one of my best friends, she and her husband Wayne are both such hard working people. She’s been in this business for years. I’ve a lot of respect for her and we get on really well. Jane now helps me prepare for the show.”

Scott has shown horses in the ring and was successful as a dressage competitor but whilst he still competes a little, he enjoys stewarding. He was at Bramham earlier this month.

“We both compete, myself and Ellie, our daughter. I compete other people’s horses for them and sometimes our Coloured but I do that just ‘in hand’. I don’t ride anymore, my back is too shot now. I had a back operation that didn’t quite go according to plan. I was doing the ‘in hand’ at Bramham, as well as stewarding.

“We’ll be up bright and early at the Great Yorkshire Show again this year, as we’re due in the ring by eight o’clock in the morning, so we’ll get started at 3am. We’ll have done a day’s work by the time most others are getting to the show, but we love it.

“I also steward at the Great Yorkshire, and we’re also at Hambleton and Ryedale and I’m chief steward for the main Irish Draught Show, down in Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre near Rugby. I enjoy stewarding because I can pick and choose which events I want to go to.

“Max, my wife, is like the support team behind us, she’s the one who organises both me and Ellie and makes sure we’re in the right places at the right times.”

Maxine and Scott got together having both come out of previous relationships. Ellie is Ellie Cooper Balaam, from Maxine’s previous partner and Scott says Ellie has always done well in the ring.

“I’ve taught Ellie since she was 6-7 years old,” says Scott. “Teaching Ellie is how I met Max. I used to do a lot of teaching of showing on lead rein, first ridden or training people with nervous problems. I used to go to Malton to teach. Max also used to compete and did three-day eventing.”

Scott’s career in horses has taken him all over the UK either as a competitor, steward, riding instructor or when looking after horses’ rehabilitation after surgery, but he didn’t come from a horsey background or countryside stock.

“I’m a Hull lad, from Hathersage Road. I didn’t start with horses until I was about 14-15 but I had friends in the local villages who had horses, and I spent a lot of time at their houses over near Ganstead and started riding. I then did my YTS at Ganstead Riding School and went on to qualify as a BHS instructor through Bishop Burton College.

“A couple of days after I qualified I had interviews lined up and one was near Southampton. Mum was at work, dad had just got home from work, and when I gave them the news I had to go and live somewhere and needed a lift I didn’t tell them it was Southampton, but they bundled me off and I was down there or in Winchester for the next ten years, gradually got up to running the place I’d gone to, and had half a dozen horses.

“I then worked as head lad for a vet who specialised in equine orthopaedics for a few years, looking after horses in treatment, but they weren’t just any horses. These were Grand Prix dressage horses and because of my experience I could ride them. At that point in my life I did a lot of dressage and showing.”

Scott came back north and after time and relationships that took in Hull and then York he found his way to his favourite place to be – Malton.

“Max and I have been together 6-7 years now and got married four years ago but it’s strange we didn’t meet up in our younger days because we were probably at the same shows – Cottingham, Driffield, where she’s from, or at Ganstead.

“We now go to the Great Yorkshire Show all the time and this will be my third year as a steward, I love it. I love anything to do with Yorkshire and our heritage. It’s a brand in itself is Yorkshire.”

Malton Show will also see a different kind of riding experience this year as the touring camel racing show will be taking centre stage – and pigs will be racing too.

Malton Show takes place at Scampston Hall on Sunday June 30.