HORSE riders and racing fans will be able to go behind the scenes at a top training yard near Chester next month as Greenall Guerriero Racing’s Stockton Hall Farm is opened to the public.
The Malpas training yard will open its doors from 12pm until 2pm on Saturday, September 7, showcasing the inner working of a racecourse yard to allow people to experience the life of an equine athlete in training.
Visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to meet the stars of the sport up close, talk with the trainers and ask questions of the staff who care for the horses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero met when riding as amateurs on the racecourse and point to pointing, both with a number of winners before moving into the training side of racing and later becoming joint trainers. Surrounded by farmland, woods and streams, they offer a fantastic environment in which to prepare horses for both flat and national hunt racing.
The event is part of the week-long National Racehorse Week programme, with over 100 open days taking place across the country between September 7 and 15. Great British Racing, who run National Racehorse Week, will also be carrying out more than 50 community events over the week with Oliver and Josh welcoming around 100 school children to their yard on Tuesday, September 10.
Community events will also include racing yards hosting school visits, youth groups, charities and urban equestrian centres. Many trainers and owners of former racehorses will also take horses into schools and care homes, offering those who would not ordinarily have the chance to see a racehorse up close the opportunity to be part of the weeklong initiative.
TV personality Chris Hughes, who is a racehorse owner and ambassador for National Racehorse Week said: “The impact of getting up close to a horse cannot be underestimated. And racing has created a unique opportunity through National Racehorse Week to help people meet these incredible animals, experience the life of a thoroughbred and talk to the dedicated teams who care for them 365 days a year. There is nothing quite like this in any other sport. It is fantastic that the events are free to attend with everyone welcome to join.”
To find out more and to claim your tickets, visit nationalracehorseweek.uk.
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