A penguin in emerald and scarlet – Jane Adams recalls her first magical garden encounter with the unforgettable green woodpecker
A European green woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Can you remember the first time you met a green woodpecker? I say ‘met’, as this is no ordinary bird, and any encounter with one feels strangely special. My own first meeting was in a small, semi-suburban garden during a hot summer in the 1990s. Sitting on a bench with my mum, enjoying a cuppa, one appeared on the lawn. We froze, mugs held in mid-air, staring at this strange but beautiful bird not ten feet in front of us. Though its emerald-green feathers, scarlet cap and black eye patches were impressive, it was its size that really surprised us. I remember telling a friend afterwards, ‘It was huge. Like a penguin!’ They laughed. Obviously, it wasn’t – green woodpeckers are more the size of a pigeon – but they carry with them an aura, a magic, that makes them appear larger than life.
A closeup of a European green woodpecker (Picus viridis) flying above a green field | shutterstock
Fiddlesticks and flapdoodle! No wonder, then, that this bird has held a special place in our imaginations for centuries. The name Yaffle comes from the green woodpecker’s laughing, or ‘yaffling’, call – an onomatopoeic nickname still heard in Dorset and across the West Country today. Country folk also knew them as the rain-bird – said to call more often during humid weather. Whether that’s true, I don’t know. But if you were born in the 1960s or 70s, you will probably recognise him as Professor Yaffle – a carved wooden bookend in Bagpuss, known for saying “Fiddlesticks and flapdoodle!”. He was a wise old bird, with round scholarly glasses who waddled around with an inflated air of superiority. In the wild, you might see them waddling – or bounding, if they’re in a hurry – around meadows looking for yellow meadow ants, which they catch by the hundreds with their long, sticky tongues. After probing the ground with their beaks, they deploy their ten-centimetre tongues like tiny grappling hooks in order to catch the ants. When not in use, their tongues retract and wrap around the inside of their skulls: they are one of only a few birds able to do this. As summer draws to a close, you might spot this year’s fledglings venturing out on foraging trips with their parents. Dorset’s chalk grasslands and unimproved meadows, where anthills are plentiful, make for perfect hunting grounds. Sadly, this type of habitat is becoming increasingly rare: something conservationists are worried could affect the green woodpecker’s long-term survival. That day in the 90s, our woodpecker prodded the grass twice, decided ants were in short supply, and took off in a flurry of green. As it undulated across the neighbours’ gardens like a runaway rollercoaster, we heard its yaffle echo round the cul-de-sac. It was laughing at us, I’m sure of it.
Green woodpeckers enjoy hunting for ants in grass – shutterstock
Regenerative farming is full of trade-offs: leatherjackets love ley fields, birds love the worms and schemes shut before you can apply
The picture below, taken last year, shows a group of cows and calves enjoying one of our herbal ley fields – with Theo the bull, head-down mid-picture. I’m including it because it helps explain how difficult it is to marry the soil-improving value of three or four years of grazed herbal ley with the successful return of the field to the arable rotation. The mix of grasses, legumes and other species in a herbal ley provides a healthy diet for the cows, a vital disease and weed break for the arable crops, a fertility boost from grazing and manuring, and the fixing of free nitrogen by the legumes. All of which are solid pluses. The tricky bit comes when terminating the ley so that a cash crop can be sown. Winter wheat would potentially be the best-paying option – sown in the autumn – which we tried last time this field came out of ley. But the crop was hammered by leatherjackets (the larva of the crane fly, or daddy longlegs). These pests love grass fields. The larvae hatch in early spring and munch away at the grass roots below the surface – barely noticed when the grass is growing fast. But in wheat, the result is large bare patches, which are annoying and frankly a bit embarrassing when your neighbours can see them.
Striking out to harvest oilseed rape All images: George Hosford
The debate Some of those neighbours might suggest this was bound to happen because we insist on direct drilling our crops. But that’s the modern way, isn’t it? Less soil disturbance is high on the regenerative farming list – preserving structure, reducing nitrate leaching, keeping organic matter locked in. However, cultivation – dare I say even ploughing – exposes leatherjackets to the air, where our feathered friends, especially gulls, can feast on them. Gulls can smell freshly-turned soil from miles away. The downside is that they’ll take worms too – which is exactly why we stopped ploughing more than 20 years ago. We had a rather lively debate in the farm office earlier this year about how to get Lower Down field back to arable: Decision 1: Spring or autumn sowing? We chose spring, to let the cows stay out longer into autumn without damaging the pasture – since we were going to destroy it anyway. Decision 2: Which crop? Spring-sown wheat or barley would risk wasting the break effect and might still fall victim to leatherjackets. Peas are no good here – too stony. Linseed’s a loser, and spring rape worse. Beans? They were awful last time … That left oats – maybe with a few beans mixed in. That worked well last year, and if we could claim the new SFI payment for low-input cereal crops, it might even make a profit.* Decision 3: How to sow? To sow two crops together we need the Sky drill. But oats are cereals – would they be hit by leatherjackets like the wheat was? Should we at least consider some cultivation? But if we do, birds will turn over the clods as soon as it’s sown and rolled, leaving an exposed, drying seedbed. Ploughing would bury the turf completely … In the end, we sprayed off the ley with glyphosate and drilled the seed mix directly into the browning turf. The Sky drill did its thing, cutting through and placing the seeds. The dry season hasn’t been kind to the beans, and the oats struggled with competition from some of the herbal ley species that weren’t fazed by glyphosate. Being a bicrop, our weed control options were limited. Watch this space to see what we do next time.
Cows and calves, with Theo the bull (head down) in centre, enjoying one of the herbal leys last year
Meanwhile, on the Stour … Our farmer cluster group finally achieved its long-hoped-for goal of paddling a stretch of the Stour on a beautiful evening. We put in at Bere Marsh Farm, Shillingstone, where the team from the Countryside Restoration Trust had kindly cut a nettle-free path to the water. Simon Jones, our intrepid leader for the evening, provided six Canadian canoes (thanks to Bryanston School, where he’s in charge of canoeing) and got us kitted up. After so long without rain, we weren’t sure what to expect – would we actually be able to paddle anywhere? Reeds, trees and weirs can stop you in your tracks. Sure enough, after Hayward’s Bridge we were straight into a reed thicket. The first couple of kilometres were taxing – fallen trees, thick weeds and overhangs made progress tough. A couple of us had to wade out to help boats through, over or under the blockages.
Swans were another concern – we passed at least six – but all without incident. Just one cygnet spotted, which seemed a little disappointing, though one swan was regally perched on a beautiful island nest. We had a few experts along. The general feeling was that while shade is good for rivers, you can have too much of a good thing – some trees were overhanging the river by 30 feet or more. It’s hard to shake the impression that the Stour is more a chain of stagnant ponds than a flowing river, especially this year. But the water was remarkably clean, perhaps thanks to the dry spell – with no smell or colour at the sewage outfalls. Less rain means less debris washed in from roads, farms and riverbanks (and livestock really shouldn’t be in the river – you have seen what comes out of the back end of a cow, with no warning, right?). There is funding available for fencing intended to keep stock out of rivers.
The local farm cluster canoeing down the Stour
Straw sale surprise Finally, a packed sale room on straw day saw prices rise to near-record levels. More than 8,000 acres of straw from across neighbouring counties went under Greg Ridout’s hammer in a couple of hours. A buoyant milk price and a strong livestock trade helped fuel the bidding frenzy, as buyers moved to secure supplies in what’s shaping up to be a low-yield season.
*We sowed the crop. The scheme closed a few days later – before we pressed GO on the application. Many farmers have been caught out by this sort of thing. It’s the kind of nonsense that destroys confidence in ‘schemes’.
Get ready — Canford Classic & Supercar Sunday 2025 is shaping up to be the biggest, baddest automotive celebration yet. Expect a glorious exhibition of more than 700 of the finest, rarest and most remarkable cars you’ve ever laid eyes on. The Sunken Lawn will be the jewel in this year’s crown – a gorgeously curated display featuring five spectacular vehicles from Bonhams|Cars, including the exquisite 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction III and the elegant 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso. Also centre stage: the legendary Lamborghini Miura, a jewel of automotive history on loan from Haynes Heritage.
And there’s more. Harwoods return with engineering marvels from McLaren and Aston Martin, including the striking new Aston Martin Valour – a limited-edition tribute to 110 years of Aston, complete with a manual gearbox and retro-inspired styling – and, of course, the iconic Ferrari F40, a bucket list car for any true enthusiast.
1963 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso
Have a go Around the wider showground, the crowd-favourite Rev-Off Battle will return with its usual thunder. A symphony of engine noise, carefully curated and perfect for the petrolhead! And for our younger guests, the Mini Rover off-road course promises a big adventure for little drivers. Thanks to Canford School for sponsoring this brilliant feature, where children aged four to ten can tackle obstacles in mini electric Land Rovers and earn their very own driving licence – the perfect family experience. Did we say, the Mini Rovers experience is totally FREE? Have as many goes as you like!
The legendary Lamborghini Miura
You’ll also find the GB3 race car of Reza Seewooruthun on display at the DAIZUN stand. A former Canford pupil, Reza has already claimed titles as Junior Rotax English Karting Champion, stood on the British F4 Championship podium, and brought home a Bronze Medal for Team UK at the FIA Motorsport Games. Now racing in GB3, he’s tipped for the very top – and today, you can get up close to the machine taking him there.
Tickets are on sale now – and they’re selling fast. Don’t miss out. CLICK TO BOOK NOW: ApertaEvents.com
It’s been a quiet few weeks at the Tizzard yard – for the horses, at least. After a couple of months turned out in the fields, the string returned on 14th July: refreshed, recharged … and re-feral. ‘It’s important for them to switch off and just be horses again,’ says Chris. ‘Especially the younger ones – they need that time to grow, mentally as much as physically.’ Since then, it’s been back to the grind: two weeks of roadwork to harden up legs and build fitness the old-fashioned way, followed by the first proper canters last week: ‘They’ve all been up our deep sand gallop now. It rides even deeper when it’s dry, so they soon tire themselves out – I have to say a few of the riders are walking like John Wayne too!’ The work will now ramp up gradually through August. ‘By early September they’ll be doing the full volume of work, just not flat out. Then we’ll start fast work in mid-September, aiming for first runs from mid-October. It’s all ground-dependent of course – Chepstow’s usually the unofficial start to the season, but you’re still watching for quick going at that point.’
The Tizzard team is coming off the back of a strong season. ‘We had 69 winners last year – up from 45 the year before – and we finished 10th in the trainers’ championship. We’re pleased, but we’re always looking to push on. Racing’s like every sport – it gets more competitive every year. If you stand still, you’re going backwards.’
Chris Wald, assistant trainer at Tizzards Racing Yard, with Rock My Way
Open Day returns This month also sees the return of a long-awaited tradition: the Tizzard Racing Open Day, back for the first time since 2018. ‘We’d had a lot of building work after the last one, then Covid hit … I think we just got out of the habit,’ Chris says. ‘But we’ve talked about doing one for a while, and this year it felt right.’ The event, on Bank Holiday Monday (25th August), will offer the public a chance to explore the yard, meet the team, and watch two parades of horses – featuring a mix of established stars and exciting young prospects. There will also be a raffle, plenty of refreshments and a chance to chat with owners and staff. All proceeds will go to a Type 1 diabetes charity – a cause close to the Tizzard family: Joe’s eldest son was diagnosed last year. ‘He’s only two and a half, so it’s been a tough journey – they’re learning to manage it, but it’s obviously a cause that matters to us all.’
Five-year old Defi Nonantais
Horses for sale As the new season kicks off, the team is also on the lookout for new owners – and has five unraced store horses for sale. ‘Joe bought them himself at the store sales – they’re all three-year-olds, unbroken. ‘Whether you’re new to racing or already involved, we’re always keen to talk to people interested in getting involved, from shared syndicate ownership to buying a horse outright. And it’s not just for the super-rich – our racing club is about £1,400 to join, and around £160 a month. ‘The open day is a good chance for people to come and see what it’s really like.’ With a strong staff team, a full yard and a few sore legs already, the Tizzard 2024/25 season is up and running.
She just sits there looking pretty, obviously. Jess Rimmer’s month has been pain, power and … pond-water. The glamour of training for 4*
Anyone who knows anything about horses, whether from the perspective of a rider, groom or spectator, knows that riding isn’t really a sport, because the horse does all the work. And do you know what? I couldn’t agree more! After all, we just sit there looking pretty, steering left and right with the reins while the horse lifts his core, engages his hind leg, works forward into an even contact and maintains correct balance, power and speed into each and every fence – simply because he can. Oh yes, absolutely. In fact (and don’t tell anyone, it’s a trade secret), I actually give each of my horses an instruction manual before each training session – I sit drinking coffee while they memorise it … OK, I’ll stop now.
Jess working on her core with Marie All images: Courtenay Hitchcock
Mucking out’s enough All kidding aside, if I had a chocolate bar for every time I heard ‘the horse does all the work’, you could call me Willy Wonka. These days, when someone from the general public says it, I don’t even bother arguing – they won’t ever understand. The people who support me in what I do (regardless of whether they understand it or not) are the people I choose to surround myself with. For riding fitness, I’d always got away with relying on mucking out, riding loads, and the occasional run with Mum (where she’d absolutely leave me for dust!). It always seemed to be (just) enough – until I started at the Fox-Pitts. After uni I thought “OK, if we’re doing this, we might as well do it properly!”. Which is where the brilliant Marie from New Forest Gym comes in. Marie originally came to work with Sara (Bech Strøm), the Danish 5* rider who was working here when I arrived. Sara kindly invited me to join her sessions, and together we somehow managed to keep smiling while training through some pretty miserable, dark winter evenings.
Jimmy and Jess at Burgham. Imgae courtesy of Jess Rimmer
NB: must stop falling off With the horses being relatively fresh as they came back into work from their winter holidays, it quickly became a running joke that I kept falling off. I mean, it was every week … I’m pretty sure Marie just saw it as a challenge. And obviously I wanted to stop falling off quite so much. We have worked consistently to get my reactive core stronger, which means that I can react quicker, keep in good balance and support the horses as much as I can. Marie is very patient – I try not to complain too much (but I do), and she is so good at motivating me with exercises which are very much related to the stuff we do on horseback. Plus we get to yap about horses throughout (when I can breathe enough to chat), which is a huge bonus!
‘I wanted a nice photo. Jimmy had other ideas.’ Image: Jess Rimmer
‘Marie is so patient, and really good at motivating me. Plus we get to yap on about horses…’
Pond water clothes Having just gone on about how much I’ve improved my core strength so I don’t fall off, you can guess what I did at Aston 4* earlier this month … This time, not only did I fall off, but it was in the water jump too – honestly, the splash was quite impressive. As was the smell of my pond-water clothes as I trudged back to the lorry. Fortunately, Basil was none the wiser – totally a rider error mistake – and we kicked on to absolutely fly round Burgham 4* last weekend. Oh, the ups and downs of eventing! Next stop for us is Hartpury, which we are all really looking forward to – the horses are feeling on top form, and so am I. I think (I’m not, I’m still aching from Marie’s last session. But I keep telling myself it’s “good pain”). See you on the other side!
Quick question: does anyone remember voting on whether Bournemouth should be symbolically married to Netanya in Israel? No? Me neither. But here we are in 2025, 30 years into a civic ‘twinning’ arrangement most residents couldn’t name, caught in the crossfire of one of the most bitterly polarised international conflicts in living memory. A petition of 2,500 locals asked BCP Council to sever the link – a hefty chunk of public opinion. And the council’s response? A full debate, some legal head-scratching, and ultimately a gloriously meaningless outcome: ‘we take no position’. This, said the councillor who brought the motion, was ‘a masterclass in fence-sitting.’ He wasn’t wrong. Because here’s the thing: you can’t claim neutrality while maintaining a symbolic civic tie to a state currently accused of war crimes. That’s not impartiality. That’s passive endorsement – a decision not to decide, while still flying the flag (or at least, not removing the road signs … unless they go missing) (Again).
The Grumbler
Sincerely yours So let me ask a different question: what is town twinning actually for? Originally, it was a hopeful gesture – a post-war reach across borders, encouraging friendship and understanding between former enemies. Noble stuff. But now? In many towns, it seems to be just a dusty relic – the kind of arrangement that lives quietly on a council website while no one really notices or remembers (except, of course, when someone tries to end it …). And yet, twinning hasn’t quite died. In some places, like Sturminster Newton, it’s very much alive – and clearly rather well-fed. The town’s mayor recently returned from a trip to Montebourg in Normandy to mark 30 years of twinning. Her account reads like the diary of a cheerful exchange student: language barriers bridged by Google Translate, ceremonies followed by “food fests,” presents awkwardly re-gifted (a book on Dorset, bought in a last-minute panic), a tree planted, and multiple lunches, dinners and museum visits squeezed in between emotional stops at Omaha Beach and the local church (“even damper than Mappowder”). It’s a lovely write-up. It’s charming, heartfelt and sincere. But it also begs the question: who benefits from all this? A handful of councillors and association members? Do residents see the cultural exchange? Do schools, choirs, businesses or sports clubs? Or is twinning now just a series of well-catered weekends for the elected few, travelling at public expense for “friendship” while wielding little or no impact? Because if the only visible output of a 30-year civic link is some polite speeches, a wooden plaque and several large buffet spreads, then perhaps we need to be honest about what this is: not diplomacy, not culture … just a jolly with French wine. And in Bournemouth, it’s worse. There, twinning has become a political landmine. The question of whether to maintain links with an Israeli city embroiled in the Gaza conflict has become so charged that BCP Council’s grand solution was to say nothing at all. They’ll neither condemn nor support the link, they say … but they’ll quietly keep it. That’s not leadership. That’s performative neutrality. Twinning can be meaningful – it should be meaningful. It should bring tangible benefits: school visits, language exchanges, shared community projects. But if it’s just a ceremonial shrug – something a handful of people toast every few years with a glass of Calvados and a chicken lunch – then maybe it’s time to untwin. Because symbols matter. And silence, as BCP just proved, is also a statement.
**The Grumbler – the open opinion column in The BV. It’s a space for anyone to share their thoughts freely. While the editor will need to know the identity of contributors, all pieces will be published anonymously. With just a few basic guidelines to ensure legality, safety and respect, this is an open forum for honest and unfiltered views. Got something you need to get off your chest? Send it to [email protected]. The Grumbler column is here for you: go on, say it. We dare you.**
Mosaic, the Dorset-based charity supporting bereaved children, has welcomed the government’s decision to include grief education in schools – a move the organisation has long championed. The change, they say, will give teachers and pupils a better understanding of the impact of bereavement on young people in Dorset.
The new curriculum content will complement Mosaic’s existing in-school support, which includes Bereavement Cafés for students who have lost someone close. These sessions provide a safe space to remember the person who has died, share feelings, and celebrate their life.
Isabelle, 17, who received Mosaic counselling following her father’s death, said:
“As a bereaved child, I got very little information or help with understanding and coping with my grief from school. Hearing the positive news that grief education has been added to the curriculum, I think young people will have a chance to learn about loss and properly understand it with the help from teachers and other students – hopefully it will help them feel less isolated.
“The help that I got from Mosaic helped me to develop coping strategies and feel less isolated, both when I was younger and in secondary school. It was very valuable, and I’d like to think that in future there will be more discussion about bereavement and grief, and more openness and acceptance.”
Research shows that one child in every classroom will be bereaved before the age of 18. The government has confirmed that grief and loss education will be added to statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSE) guidance for secondary schools.
Mosaic says the change will help teachers initiate important conversations about grief, equipping young people with empathy, resilience and understanding, while fostering greater awareness of how bereavement can affect an individual.
In 2024, Mosaic supported more than 400 children, providing almost 2,000 hours of specialist bereavement counselling alongside activity days. While some statutory funding is available, the charity relies heavily on fundraising and grants from charitable trusts.
Doug Procter takes us with him from his 3am Dorset start to Tattersalls in search of a mare – and returns with one very special purchase
Tuesday 8th July, and a 3am alarm means I’m in the horsebox and on the road by four. Usually this would mean I’m taking a mare for an early morning cover, but today I’m headed for the Tattersalls July sale in Newmarket (in Suffolk) – with an order from a new owner to buy a mare. The July sale takes place over three days, with broodmares and breeding prospects on the first day, followed by two days of horses in training. A quirk of this sale is that on the Thursday, selling is split into a morning and evening session … leaving the afternoon free to go racing at Newmarket’s July Course. This year’s catalogue comprised 933 lots, but my client wanted an in-foal mare so we only had to work through the 330 selling on the first day to make a longlist, which I then spent Monday whittling down to a shortlist of 13.
A mare called Nottingham All images: Courtenay Hitchcock
The reason my client wanted an in-foal mare was so they’d have a foal next spring: otherwise, when buying in July, you’d be waiting at least 18 months before you have a foal. It’s much easier working through the list from home now that videos of horses have become standard in the online catalogue. Most horses are on site for viewing for one or two days before the sale at Tattersalls: I, however, was just going for the day so I needed to be on the sales ground in plenty of time to look at early lots before selling started at 9.30. The journey up was uneventful: the low early morning sun made Stonehenge look spectacular, but it is a real bore to drive head on into. I had parked up and was walking through the gates just after 8am. Tattersalls has eight named yards, or paddocks, most of which are comprised of several stable blocks denoted by a letter A to FF. Horses are stabled by consignor, and not in catalogue order – so lot 10 may be at the opposite end of the sales ground from lot 11. Another job on Monday was to highlight my lots on the stabling list at the front of the catalogue, so I could make sure I saw all the horses in any given barn in one go. When you arrive at a chosen lot you tell the staff which horse you want to see – some of the larger consignments have cards listing all their draft and you tick the ones you want to see.
That’s grand, thanks
First of all the horse is stood up for you, you stand into it to gauge the height and walk round to get your first impression. Then you ask to see a walk, side-on, then toward and away from you. The horse is then stood up again for a final look round before it’s “that’s grand, thanks”, the horse goes back in its stable and you write your notes on the catalogue page. For example, my notes on the first mare I looked at read “plain, mid-size, good walk, light bone, NO”: whereas the second reads “good big mare, good lazy walk, correct, good bone, LIKE!!”
Just for your viewing pleasure, and entirely unrelated to Nottingham: Orion, mid-nap and frankly offended at the interruption
After seeing all 13, I had four mares marked LIKE – one with a single exclamation mark, one with two… and two earned a !!! (my highest score). I then had to make a call to the client, who was abroad, to discuss and make a plan. The problem was the mare I thought the best was to be the last of the four through the ring, so the question was, should we wait for her? This can be risky – you may pass on a good mare within your budget, only to find the one you’ve waited for sells for too much. I was firm though: she was second in a Listed race at 2yo, was the best walker and best looking of the four and was in foal to Big Evs, a Group 1-winning first season sire standing at Tally Ho Stud in Ireland. This should make the foal inside her very commercial. We should wait for lot 120: Nottingham. I followed the other three mares through the ring, and all would have been in budget. Had I made a mistake? Would bidding on lot 120 go beyond the budget? At Tattersalls they sell in guineas – 1gn equals £1.05 – and VAT is extra. So when your client gives you a budget in pounds you need some quick mental maths to work out your guineas bidding limit and also to factor in VAT if they’re not registered.
Open the bidding Lot 119 was in the ring and it was time to get the client on the phone and see if we could buy “our” mare. The hammer fell on lot 119, she was led out and we were on. “Lot 120, Nottingham, from Hunting Hill Stud. Lovely Athletic Stakes-placed mare by Excelebration, in foal to exciting first-season sire Big Evs. Who’ll give me what, I want…” (That’s probably how the auctioneer started off, it’s always something like that.) He asked for an ambitious opening bid, quickly dropping down to take 5,000. I knew the reserve was 30,000, so I waited and then caught the auctioneer’s eye with a wave of my catalogue and joined in at 20,000. “That’s us at 20,” I said into my phone. “Us at 25 …” At 30,000 I thought we had her, but the auctioneer worked long and hard to wring another bid of 32,000. I went straight back with 35,000, and after what seemed an eternity the hammer fell. Nottingham was ours!
Nottingham (left) with her new best friend Doubly Guest
Homeward bound I wound up my phone call with a delighted new owner and waited for a member of Tattersalls staff to come over with the sales paperwork. I signed, tucked the green buyer’s copy into my catalogue and set off to the sales office to arrange payment. That done, I headed to barn U to see the mare and chat to the vendors, Conor Quirke and Kathryn Birch, a lovely young couple from Cork in Ireland, followed by a small celebratory beer with them in the back bar. Heading back to the sales office I exchanged my green sheet for the mare’s passport and a pass out, and then moved the horsebox to the loading ramps. I collected Nottingham from her stable and took her down to load: access to the loading ramps is through a gate by the control office. Here they scan a horse’s microchip to make sure it matches the pass out before allowing you through to load. And that was it, I was heading home with TGS’ newest resident.
Orion, the first of two last-minute foaling boarders, is destined for a future on the polo field
*Footnote from Lucy: For the first two weeks, all new arrivals are kept in quarantine in a field, with one retired mare for company, before joining the herd. As you can see from the photograph opposite, Notty – as she is now affectionately known – has settled in well with the other mares and we look forward to her foal, and more dreaming, in the spring.
At Bovington Saddle Club, yard manager Steph Buchanan has spent three decades quietly transforming lives – not just of horses, but of people too
Anyone who has spent time around horses will tell you: ’They don’t just listen – they understand.’ For Bovington Saddle Club’s yard manager and head coach Stephanie Buchanan, that quiet connection has shaped a life and career grounded in community, care and compassion. ‘I got into horses when I was about 12 after being grounded by my parents,’ Steph says. ‘The only place I was allowed to go was to the pony with my sister. I then realised I could hire him out to other kids and earn money to get back to the arcades! Horses saved me from getting into trouble, really.’
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
WillDoes
Steph has been at the heart of Bovington RAC Saddle Club since the early 1990s. When she arrived, it was just a single field – no fencing, no water, no rubber school. Today, thanks in no small part to her relentless drive, the BHS-approved yard boasts two outdoor arenas, an indoor school, a BE-level cross-country course and 71 horses, including 38 on full livery. ‘None of it would have happened without help,’ Steph says. ‘People wanted to give back, and they did – through donations, time, support. It’s always been a team effort.’ Steph is qualified to train and assess students up to BHS Stage 4. But her influence extends far beyond exams and schooling surfaces. In memory of her late nephew Will, she is a trustee of the charity Will Does, which provides grants for children facing challenges – whether that’s respite care or access to sport and activities they’d otherwise never get to try. ‘We started by raising money through things Will enjoyed,’ Steph says. ‘Now, if a young person applies for a grant – whether they need a break or want to try something new – we’ll help however we can.’ That passion for support led the BHS to approach her in 2019 to help pilot its Changing Lives Through Horses programme at Bovington. Aimed at children who are disengaged, disadvantaged or in need of support, the scheme uses horses as a gentle bridge back into learning and confidence. ‘There’s a huge need for alternative provision in Dorset,’ Steph says. ‘We’ve had 159 young people come through since 2019. The horse acts as a buffer – having the horse between the student and the instructor helps them feel less exposed. Some go back to school with more focus, others find their way into the equestrian industry – the scheme is run through the BHS, so there’s an education pathway with achievers awards which are set towards the BHS stages. You get some kids who really shine.’
Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
Trust Sally Five of the centre’s horses are rescues themselves, rehomed from the World Horse Welfare Centre in Somerset. ‘They’ve been brilliant at matching us with the right horses,’ Steph says. ‘And those horses do a really good job.’ One of the centre’s favourites is Sally, who has been with them for 16 years. Steph recalls a particular moment with fondness. ‘I got a call from a local care home: one of their residents really wanted to ride a horse. They turned up with a coach-load – Zimmer frames, walking sticks, the lot – right in the middle of a Bournemouth BUCS (British University & Colleges Sport) competition going on in one school, an RDA lesson in the indoor school and a Changing Lives Through Horses session in the third … They all wandered round the yard, and out came Sally, just quietly soaking up the attention.’
Steph with Joey at Bicton: ‘We always stabled him the night before any competition so he wasn’t tired. Plus Joey loved to have all the attention on him
It’s this sense of inclusivity and purpose that sets Bovington apart. Alongside its charitable and community work, the yard plays a formal role as an RAC centre. Troopers in phase two training are introduced to basic horse care before joining the Household Cavalry, and young officers complete the mandatory Spurs Course. The yard also offers a pony leasing scheme for military families. ‘Most of the kids wouldn’t get the chance to own a pony,’ Steph says. ‘Leasing one four days a week gives them that experience.’ The centre is now also an approved Pony Club Centre – something Steph pushed for when she realised younger liveries were struggling with transport to other clubs. ‘Kids are the future,’ she says. ‘I’ve worked with Pony Clubs for years and I love it. We set up our own centre here so they could keep learning and enjoying their ponies. Last year, we won at Bicton – out of the whole of Area 14. They look after their ponies so well. It gives them goals. They work through their Pony Club badges, and if they want to, they can move on to the BHS exams.’
Steph with her British Empire Medal
Throughout our interview she calmly fielded questions from volunteers planning an unaffiliated ODE, which includes a newly-designed 70cm class to encourage novice riders. It’s that same open-armed ethos that has defined her decades at Bovington. One of Steph’s proudest moments was announcing the club would host its first British Eventing fixture: ‘It was 25 years ago now, but everyone had worked so hard to get us there. That was really special,’ she says.
Steph’s horse Joey with his rider Imogen Judd at Badminton Grass Roots
National recognition Another highlight came with her own horse, Joey. ‘I bought him on a whim after a close friend passed away – he was just meant to be a happy hacker. But he ended up competing at Badminton Grassroots and in the novice at Gatcombe. We had such fun.’ Despite her modesty, Steph’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, she was named Coach of the Year by the BHS for her work on the Changing Lives programme. She was also shortlisted by Sport England as one of the UK’s top three coaches in the ‘Change a Life’ category. And in 2024, she received a British Empire Medal (BEM), which recognises meritorious service to the local community. ‘I was very surprised!’ Steph says. ‘The ceremony was lovely. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, who’s local to us and First Sea Lord, also gave me another award – that was a really personal touch.’ After more than 30 years, Steph shows no sign of slowing down. ‘To the outside world it might seem like it’s just liveries and riding lessons,’ she says. ‘But it’s so much more.’
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