Ziggy the zebra brightens up Bawtry as owner reveals goal of being able to ride him

Ziggy the zebra, pictured with owner Bev Griffiths, lives in Bawtry at the Equine Dreams centre.

When the barn doors open at Equine Dreams Equestrian Centre in Bawtry, you’d be forgiven for doing a double take at the animal who comes trotting out.

For the star attraction at the centre, owned by Bev Griffiths, is none other than Ziggy, a 13-year-old zebra who Miss Griffiths believes is the tamest in the UK.

She bought Ziggy, whose natural habitat is in the grasslands of Africa, last year from racing trainer Bill Turner and the 13.3-hand high animal has now made himself fully at home, thanks to her care and his best friend Jenny, a donkey, from whom he is inseparable.

Miss Griffiths has since created a zebra experience at the centre, which is also home to horses, reindeer, and alpacas. Post-lockdown, up to three groups a day will be able to visit Ziggy in his stable, pet him, and even feed him his favourite meal of pony nuts and chop.

And Miss Griffiths, who said she has always dreamed of keeping a zebra, has another ambition: to be able to learn to ride Ziggy over the summer.

She said: “When I open the barn doors and see him, it’s amazing, just breath-taking.

“I’ve put hours and hours of training into him, but he’s not a horse with stripes.

“I go down at 5am in a morning to do training with him, and back again at 9pm at night because he likes it nice and quiet.

“It’s phenomenal how far we’ve come. At the beginning I couldn’t get anywhere near him.

“But now he will come and feed out of his scoop which is a fantastic experience.

“We’ve just grown together. He’s chilled and relaxed.

“I’m so proud of him – he is something special.”