I have been working in the horse industry for over 10 years, with most of my experience being with dressage horses.

In this time I have had the opportunity to work or spend time on some of the top yards in the country, including working for two years as a British Dressage Apprentice with National Trainer and Grand Prix rider, Angela Niemeyer-Eastwood.

I have been working at MEC for 5 years now, and I am responsible in the day to day care of ‘Team Apollo' including grooming at competitions and assisting with their daily exercise.  This includes the following:

• Apollo’s Salvadore
• Apollo’s Secret Liaison
• Apollo’s State Secret
• Apollo’s Statesman
• Apollo’s Destiny
• Apollo’s Endeavour

I'm always striving to improve my knowledge and experience, and to date have trained with top competitive riders including Paul Fielder, Patsy Bartram and more recently Linda Sams.

Qualifications.

• BHS NVQ 2, Riding and road safety
• Competed up to advanced-medium level
• In 2003 was ‘A’ Squad national champion
• Placed 5th at National talent spotting finals. (2003)

I currently ride and compete Apollo’s Salvadore, a 5 year old dressage gelding – aimed at dressage at the highest level.  Owned as a part of syndicate including myself and the owners of MEC, Salvadore was purchased from Brightwells Auction in August 2008 He is currently competing at Elementary level, gaining very good results and qualifying for the winter regional championships. He is now training towards medium level at home.

This year I have had the opportunity to train with Emile Faurie. Emile is one of the country’s top international dressage riders and trainers and has represented Great Britain at World, European and Olympic level.

Hi, my name is Kathy and I have been working at Middleton Equestrian Centre since April 2009.  I have kept horses since I was three years old, when I had my first pony called Sugar.  I have had a variety of jobs, but have always ended up back with horses !

I decided to go and get by BHS exams a few years ago and did my training at the School of St Mary and St Ann in Abbotts Bromley.  I gained my AI in 2003 and went on to get my Stage 4 care.  I really enjoy working at Middleton Equestrian Centre and hope to continue well into the future.

I have been working with horses since the age of 6 years old after having my first pony from the age of 7. I have expanded my riding career through the Pony club where I was involved in Area Teams within Pony Club where I qualified for the National Championships and where we came fourth at the Nationals. I then furthered my career working for Olympic Event rider Tiny Clapham where I was a working pupil for a season. After being there for the season I moved on to Olympic event rider medallist Jeanette Brakewell where I trained for a season with two horses there.

I now enjoy my role at Middleton Equestrian centre where I am running the PC centre and being one of the main instructors at the centre. I also have a role in sales as I am the main rider at the centre for the younger/sale horses.

I have a horse (Jupiter) at the centre which is owned by Rosamund Nicholson who helps me run the horse and compete him. I am aiming to do a CIC1* on him next year.

My Qualifications:

Pony Club B test
British horse society Riding and Road safety.
National Certificate in horse Management (level 2)
Advanced National Certificate in horse management (level 3)

I’m Dawn Fellows and I help run the riding school at Middleton Equestrian Centre (MEC).  MEC is my second home as I’ve been here since I was 11 yrs old starting as a weekend ‘Helper’. I have now worked my way up to the heady heights of  Riding School Manager, due to my hard work and loyalty to Kerry. 

I adore working with the horses and my work colleagues, we are one big happy family. I am always happy to help others and really enjoy welcoming new clients into our world. I am constantly striving to improve and am taking further BHS exams this year.

My qualifications are:

• NVQ 1 & 2
• BHS Stage 1 Care
• Riding and Road Safety
• First Aider

I have been working with horses since leaving school at the age of 16.

My experience has been with eventers, show jumpers and hunters.

In my spare time i enjoying show jumping and showing, with my own horse and take great pride in turning horses out to a high standard.

I studied for my NVQ level 2 in horse care at Warwickshire College and then my BHS stage 1. I also hold the HSE First Aid at work certificate.

I enjoy my role at Middleton Equestrian Centre looking after the 'Team Apollo' horses.

Hi, I’m Sam, I have been riding since I was 13yrs old and working with horses since I left school at 16yrs old. I enjoy working with competition horses and watching them compete. I started at MEC in April 2010 and my aim is to work more with competition horses to gain further experience. My qualifications include: NVQ level 2 horse care and riding, BHS Stage 1 and BHS Riding and Road Safety.

Hi i'm Phil and I have been riding since I was 10. I have been at MEC since I was 15 when I began as a helper, the rest is history! I went on to work at weekends before going to Liverpool University in 2007. I have since finished a Human Anatomy degree and will go on to study for a Masters in January 2011. I loved MEC so much I contacted Kerry the day I finished University to ask if I could come back to work full time in the mean time! I currently work with both the livery and riding school yards and am regularly seen with one of our lovely ponies at weekends teaching lead rein lessons. I will continue to work at weekends when back at University and hope to be involved with MEC for a long time to come!

Hi my name is Dani and I've been working at MEC since December 2010. I love working with horses and have done so for the past five years; along with owning my own for the past eleven years. I enjoy competing my horse Connie whenever possible and training her in my spare time. After doing my A levels I studied at Hartpury College to earn an Equine based degree and now enjoy my role at MEC along with my colleagues and continue my experience in the industry.

Hi, my name is martin and i have recently joined MEC. I have previously worked in the horseracing industry, working at several yards across the country. I achieved my NVQ in racehorse care and management at Northern Racing College in Doncaster. I love working with horses and I'm enjoying my role at Middleton Equestrian Centre.

I’ve been working for Middleton Equestrian Centre since the beginning of 2011, as a apprentice groom on the Team Apollo yard, working beside Lewis Daniels and Kerry Arnold- Herrick.

I enjoy preparing the horses for an event and just general care on the yard. While being at MEC I have passed my BHS stage 1 riding and care, started my NVQ 2 and am currently working towards my BHS stage 2 +3.

Hi, my name is Amy and I have recently joined MEC as Apprentice Groom. I have been riding since I was 15 yrs old. After leaving school at 17 yrs old I studied at Brooksby Melton College. My qualification include: First Diploma in Horse Care, NVQ Level 1 in Horse Care.  I now enjoying my role at MEC working alongside my colleagues and continuing to earn further experience in the Equine industry.

I am the Maintenance Manager at MEC.
I repair and maintain everything that does not move, and some things that do -
if not I paint it or stain it !!!!

I maintain all the riding surfaces in all three schools,  and repair fences as required.

I attend to the gardens and plants, tubs, pots and baskets for the yard and the surrounding gardens.

This year I will be fertilising and re-seeding the fields to improve our grazing.

In general I carry out the impossible immediately,  but take slightly longer over miracles
- but my greatest wish is that everyone who visits the Centre enjoys the results.

I drive the Team Apollo lorry to events around the country in my spare time, when I am not working for the Post Office as an Engineer. 

I also help Lewis at events getting the horses ready - in particular I am chief holder of the stud box when Lewis is studding up the horses ready for the Show Jumping or Cross Country phase of the One Day Events!

The Middleton yard is at it’s busiest at the weekends, with all three schools being used for flat, jump or lead rein lessons continuously on both days. This involves scores of visiting students and a constant stream of horse and pony change-overs which at least doubles our normal workload on the yard.

We have a dedicated team of youngsters who regularly give up a day of their weekend to help us make sure that the school runs as smoothly as possible, but without compromising our primary objectives around the horses care and well-being, and the cleanliness and hygiene of our facilities.

Our weekend helpers perform a multitude of supporting tasks and are often our ‘unsung heroes’.  Some of their responsibilities are:

• Mucking out before the school opens
• Rug changing
• Grooming all our ponies and horses being used in the school
• Tacking and un-tacking at the start/end of lessons (we do not leave our ponies in their tack all day !)
• Providing support in lessons (Jump building, lead rein support etc)
• Skipping, haying and topping up water (at least 3 times daily)
• Tack Cleaning and Maintenance
• Regular Yard hygiene (our yard is swept 3-4 times/day, rug and storage rooms swept and tidied daily, schools and turnout fields skipped)

When they are not doing all this, they have a list of other chores to do that helps keep our facilities looking the best that they can be.

Our helpers regularly attend on-yard training, in Stable Management and Horse Care that follow BHS Stage 1 guidelines, taught by our senior staff members, and cover practical topics such as:

• tack and tacking up
• rugs and rugging up
• how to groom
• how to muck, skip and make fair a stable
• feeding and haying

All our helpers are managed and supervised by Dawn Fellows, our Riding School Manager, or by the senior member of staff on the yard.