A hobby has developed into a a fully-equipped horse-riding business near Helmsley

When Katie Boddy first moved to the scenic village of Sproxton with her husband Ian, they only wanted enough land to keep one or two horses at home.

Fast forward a few years, a top class equestrian facility has emerged as a business that provides services ranging from full livery packages for those wanting top quality care for their horses on a daily basis, to training camps and clinics with a variety of professional instructors for those interested in dressage, show jumping and eventing.

Based near Helmsley, Sproxton Grange Equestrian hosted an open day that was attended by over 150 guests recently to celebrate a significant milestone and showcase the new arena, stables and facilities that it now offers.

The business provides a variety of services, including livery, arena hire, clinics and camps with excellent facilities for in and out of the saddle training including talks and tutoring sessions by equestrian experts.

Helmsley’s local Councillor George Jabbour, who formally opened the new facility, said: “This is a brilliant success story. It demonstrates how passion and determination make dreams come true. Katie and Ian have managed to achieve an incredible feat in their spare time while working full-time in their day jobs as a lawyer at a large financial organisation and as a research and development engineer. We need more people like Katie and Ian to grow our local economy and contribute to the success of our area.”

Katie said: “The support that we have received from the local community and beyond has been amazing, particularly when we applied for a planning permission.

"We are enormously grateful to everyone who has helped us on this exciting journey. We are looking forward to welcoming more customers from all ages and levels of experience to our yard so they can benefit from our services and enjoy riding in our arena, which is surrounded by stunning views and offers top-quality facilities.”

Local 5* event rider Pauliina Swindells, who has been running training sessions and events at the equestrian centre in Sproxton, added: “Sproxton Grange Equestrian is a phenomenal centre for everyone who likes horses and enjoys riding. This is not only because of the significant investment that has gone into providing elite-level equipment and facilities, but also because of the passionate team who run the yard and who offer the best possible care a horse can receive. The feedback and reviews that I have been receiving from customers are just fabulous.”

In addition to the opening ceremony, trade stands and training and show-jumping demonstrations, the Sproxton Grange Equestrian open day included a raffle that raised over £300 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Sproxton Village Hall renovation fund.