About

Head Girl

Georgie joined me back in the summer of 2011. Georgie works to an incredibly high standard which is fantastic for me knowing that the staff care.

She helps to run the yard and oversees the staff and horses here at Conkwell Lodge. She has a great deal of experience in the eventing and horse racing world, as well as breaking in and producing alot of young horses both at home and here at Conkwell Lodge.

She is a great help to me and a hard-working team player with vast knowledge and a wealth of experience both on the gound and in the saddle. Georgie also helps in the office when she has time helping with the website and helping to managing the horses files. She also drives to the races when I need her too.

She has horses of her own who she regularly competes in eventing and showjumping in her own time.

Racing Secretary

Michelle joined the team here at Conkwell Lodge in March this year, she now does the day to day running of the office along with being able to drive the horsebox and go racing, along with riding out in the yard a few times a week.

Michelle is a mum of 4 and also has 2 ex race horses of her own who she enjoys riding in her spare time.

Travelling Head Person

Liz has taken a step back from the day to day running of the office she is now charge of overseeing all the horses going racing and attending race days.

Racing is what she lives for.

Work Rider

James returned in the 2022/23 season after some time away in France working in racing over there and running a yard as well.

James is a fantastic rider and horseman and has evented to intermediate 3* level, produced some lovely young horses and retrained a fair few ex racehorses as well.

James has run some great yards as well as his own event yard. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the team. He also drives the box and goes racing for us.

Part Time Work Rider

Sam joins us several days a week and brings a wealth of experience, having worked for several yards in the past. Sam rides to a very high standard and is brilliant at producing our young horses here.

She has worked with breakers and been involved in pre-training as well as having experience hunting and showing. She took on Highbury High when he retired and has been having alot of fun with him since.

Sam is one of the hardest workers you will meet, she has two young daughters, has a 2000+ sheep farm and a beef herd that she and her husband run. Yet she still manages to come in most days and ride a few lots out. She is a valued member of our team.

Part Time Work Rider

Nicole has re-joined us in the 2020/21 season having had time away to have her second daughter.

Nicole is great to have here. She brings alot of experience with her having worked in several top flat yards. She rides to a high standard and is good with educating the young horses and riding those that can be a little quirky too.

In her spare time Nicole produces the odd RoR horse as well as running around after her two young girls who look set to be pony mad too!

Work Rider

Kerrie joins us this season 23/24 having previously been in France riding on the flat. Her father trains over in France as well.

Kerrie brings alot of knowledge and experience with her and enjoys riding the younger horses in training

Part Time Work Rider

Clare joined us at the end of the 2023 season.

Clare brings a huge wealth of experience and knowledge with her, having previously trained point to pointers, as well as producing young competition horses, breaking and producing horses, hunting and eventing. She has worked across many equestrian disciplines.

Work Rider and Stable Lad

Nadeem joined us in the 2022/23 season.

He brings a wealth of knowledge both in and out of the saddle with him, having worked in India as well as the the United Emirates, before joining us here.

Nadeem rides to a very high standard, and enjoys working with the horses both on the ground and in the saddle. He also enjoys going racing and watching the horses run.

Part Time Work Rider

Tony joined the team in Autumn of 2022. He rides out two lots every morning before going off to run his own business. Tony has worked for some of the very best names in the industry - both on the flat and jumping - over the years he has been involved in the sport.

Head Yard Man

Andriy has been with me since the first day I started training.

He is a very experienced horseman and is resposible for the feeding of all the horses on the yard.

Andriy is a very conscientious worker and a very trustworthy man. Andriy will not leave a job until it is done properly.

Andriy is very passionate about the horses in his care and is responsible for helping with the feeding and making sure the yard and the stables and fields are kept tidy and looked after to a high standard.

He has alot of experience handling stallions and youngstock and is also responsible for handling the trickier horses on the ground when needed, as well as helping with clipping if needed.

Travelling Lad, Yard and Maintenance Man

Yuriy helps muck out around the yard when needed and is very good with the handyman jobs. He is a great help and very useful to us all whether on the yard or in the tractor or with a chainsaw!

He also has plenty of experience with stallion handling and handling foals as well. And is great at holding the tricky ones when clipping season is upon us!

Yuri has been at Conkwell Lodge when it was a stud before joining Neil when he started training at Larkinglass in Dorset and then at Sunnyside in Devon before moving back up to Conkwell Lodge when Neil came here to train.

Yuri has also got his HGV licence and helps with driving the lorry and attending race meetings when he is required too.

Yard Man

Alex is a hard worker on the yard. He always has a smile on his face and is very polite and helpful. He works to a high standard and is very quick and efficient - he's a good member of the team.

Yard Man

Anoup has been with us for four years now. He is an asset around the yard and cares about his horses and he has great standards. He is always happy to help and muck in with all the jobs around the yard.

Yard Man

Oleg joined the team in the spring of 2018 having previously had plenty of experience in flat racing. He has worked for Mark Johnson and Andrew Balding before joining us.

He has a great love of racing and a great passion for the horses. He has very high standards and loves to go racing. He always has a smile on his face and a good bit of banter to go with it.

Stable Lad

Luke again joined us in the 2019/20 season having previously worked in another yard. Luke has settled in, and is keen to learn and advance his knowledge in racing and gain more experience.

Yard Man

Singh joined us in the 2021/22 season, having previously worked in India and the Middle East in racing and as a farrier as well.

Singh's love for the horses and racing is clear and he takes great pride in the horses in his care. Nothing is ever too much trouble. He enjoys taking the horses racing as well as being at home and looking after them.

Yard Man

Sid joined us in the summer of 2022. Sid has worked with horses in the Middle East before joining us here as a yard man.

Sid enjoys working with the horses and takes pride in his work. He enjoys going racing and to the sales alongside working with the horses at home too.

Stable Girl

Hannah joined us in the 2021/222 season having worked for a showjumper for five seasons. Hannah also produces and competes her own showjumpers alongside working here.

Hannah rides out and also does the clipping and trimming alongside Bella and Ellie. Hannah has a great deal of knowledge in horse care which is a great asset.

Stable Lad and Rider

Bebi joined us at the start of the 23/24 season, having been a work rider in India.

His plan is to learn as much as he can about the racing industry here in the UK while furthing his riding career over here.

Stable Lad and Rider

Sharukh joined the team at the end of the 2023 season, having gained some racing knowledge in the Middle East and India.

He has joined the team to further his knowledge and also further his riding skills here. He is keen to learn and loves the horses he works with.

Stable Lad and Rider

Madan joined the team in the summer of 2023, having previously worked with horses in the United Emiriates and India.

Madan had no racing or racehorse experience when joining us. His main knowledge was in Endurance riding in the United Emiriates. He has joined us to gain experience in the racing industry and also further his riding skills and equestrian knowledge.

Part Time Work Rider

Myla joined us this season (2023/24) alongside doing her GCSE'S at Stonar School. Myla rides out on Saturdays and during the holidays.

Myla is set to have a bright future and is aiming to become an apprentice on the flat after finishing school.

Alongside all this she also rides in pony races and has had an extremely successful season winning a fair few races. She also rides in the Shetland Pony Grand National races rarely finishing out of the top 2. She also events and is part of the British Eventing South West Junior Team

Part Time Help

Sophie joined us in the summer of 2021 working at the weekends and holidays alongside studying at school.

Sophie rides out and also helps on the yard. She also has one of our ex-racehorses Leeside Lady, from the Affordable Partnership, who she has been eventing alongside her other event horse who she competes in her spare time.

Farrier

Ed has been with us since we moved up to Conkwell. He is a massive part of the team. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the yard and helps to keep the horses on the road and sound. As the saying goes no foot, no horse, and Ed is incredibly expericenced and one of the very best in the business.

Alongside shoeing for us, he shoes a lot of top class eventers and competition horses, up to and including Olympic level horses in different disciplines.

As well as a lot of vet referal work, Ed has shod on the London leg of the Global Champions Tour among other high class events, including Barbury Horse Trails.

Ed is a key member of the team here at Conkwell.

Equine Dentist

Laura is responsible for looking after all of our horses teeth and mouths here at Conkwell. It is imperative that the horses are happy and comfortable in their mouths in order to perform well.

Laura became a Dental Technician in 2014 after graduating from The American School of Equine Denistry in Wyoming. Following on from graduating Laura was lucky enough to work for Dr Richard Millera leading Dental Vet in California. She travelled the length and breadth of the States treating equine mouths of all disciplines in his state of the art mobile clinic. She became a member of the International Association of Equine Dental Technicians.

On returning to the UK Laura set up her business Laura Biro Equine Dentistry. Although not from a racing background, Laura has developed a real love for Thoroughbreds and really loves treating the horses on our yard.

Laura is based not far from the yard and keeps her own horses a few minutes from our stables.

Equine Sports Therapist

Tori is a valuable asset to our team here at Conkwell, treating all of our horses and keeping them supple, and sound, and feeling well.

Using a mixture of the techniques she is qualified in, keeps our horses soft and loose and moving well through their bodies. This helps to stop problems before they arise, maintaining them during training and running, and of course treating those with issues that arise during training or after a race, just like you would any human athlete, so they preform at their very best. The added bonus is our horses adore being treated by Tori and all come away feeling so much better.

Tori has a background in racing having worked and ridden out for the Pitman's in Lambourn for a while. She treats horses from multi disciplines alongside other racing yards.

Tori is a registered therapist based in Frome covering a large area from Lambourn down through Wiltshire to Somerset, offering Sports Massage, Mctimoney-Corley, Bowen Therapy and photizo light therapy.