New course proves to be a real winner (From Gazette & Herald)

New course proves to be a real winner

THE owners of a new equestrian centre gained a clear round to vital funding with help and advice from the North York Moors and Coast Business Advice Centre (NYMAC).

June and Bernard Feaster, who run Hamley Hagg cross country course at Appleton-le-Moors, near Kirkbymoorside, are now putting the finishing touches to their 25-jump course, thanks to a £4,500 enterprise grant - a source of funding administered by Business Link York and North Yorkshire on behalf of Yorkshire Forward.

The grant, available for a limited time in 2002 to rural entrepreneurs aged 30 plus in the Yorkshire and Humber region whose livelihoods have been affected by foot and mouth disease, was obtained after the couple received help and advice from NYMAC business advisor Neale Lucas.

Hamley Hagg cross country is one of 11 rural businesses to receive an enterprise grant, after submitting a comprehensive business plan.

Mrs Feaster said: "Following foot and mouth, we needed to look at new ways of supplementing our income.

"We were thinking about what we could diversify into and we saw a gap in the market. A lot of people out here have horses and the nearest cross-country courses are in Scarborough and York."

She added: "Our daughter Diana runs a livery yard on the farm and she helped us come up with the idea."

Updated: 15:51 Wednesday, April 09, 2003