What our clients say about Oldencraig

<< First page

I am writing to thank you on behalf of St Peter's school in East Grinstead for providing us with an Equestrian Goodie Bag including a £10 voucher to spend at Oldencraig Tack Shop. We used it as a prize in our Grad Draw drawn at out Funday on the 7th July 07.

As you can imagine the prize was extremely popular. With your help the Funday was a tremendous success raising £4200 for our major project, which is for the re-development of the front of our school. This project has several aims:

• to create additional space for teaching and general school use
• to repair, renew and improve the appearance of the front of the school
• to improve the environment and effective use of space in the offices and other areas of the front of the school
• to further improve security at the school

Samantha O'Neill - Secretary, Friends of St Peters

The Children of St Peter's

I felt the need to contact you guys after seeing an article in the 'horse' magazine, I worked and trained at Oldencraig around 10 years ago when Anne and her husband ran it, I have to say the facilities you have now are just as I imagined they should be, the potential was always there for it to be the center that you now have. I now work as a freelance swimming instructor but do have a fabulous veteran mare (25yrs Irish Draught x Appaloosa) who I have lots of fun with in ridden showing classes and hopefully soon will be taking my first tentative steps into dressage after eight years of knowing each other! I learnt a great deal in my time at Oldencraig about ridding with the European seat and working in harmony with my horse. I always feel that despite having been around horsed since the age of five and in my younger years worked in some fabulous yards I rate my time at Oldencraig as he place that changed my riding for the best and I still ride with the knowledge I gained. So I wish you all continued success in your future ventures and may even book myself for an instructional riding break, and should you ever need the services of a swimming instructor do give me a shout ......

Nicki Leonie

I just thought I'd write and thank you for the pair of tickets I won through Local Rider for Leslie Law's demo at Oldencraig last night. We really enjoyed the evening and learned a lot from the advice and experiences he was talking about. It was amazing to see Shear H2O and Shear L'eau as well as Sam Jennings with her lovely horses. Oldencraig was wonderful (as ever) and we were so impressed with their new arena and facilities. My friend and I both agreed that it was one of the best evenings of this type we'd been to.

Barbara Green

Just a note to thank you for supporting our Race Night on Saturday. The night was very successful and everyone seamed to enjoy themselves. We raised nearly £800 for our funds which was great.

Eileen McLaren - Burstow Park Riding For The Disabled Association

We have just got home from supporting our daughter, Joanne Cooper in the Unaffiliated Summer Dressage Series Championship where she happily came seventh in the Prelim 16. Jo has now competed at your center on three occasions and has been so grateful for the friendship and support that all of your staff have provided. While this was our first visit as parents we could immediately see what she meant. Supporting your daughters riding is not always the most relaxing ways spending the weekend but the day we spent at OEC was well organized and very enjoyable. Keep up the great work and please pass our thanks to all of your excellent team and we hope to be seeing you much more in the future.

Steve and Pat Cooper (on behalf of Jo and Melita)

There is not words enough to express my thanks to Ian and Vicki and all the team at OEC. I have trained with Vicki for many years and first met Ian some time ago when he first brought OEC. All I can say is wow at the transformation at OEC. OEC is always clean and immaculate and the facilities are second to none. I am sure you would be hard pushed to find an equal yard in Europe never mind the country. My horses are down for winter due to my ill health and I must say they want for nothing. My fears were immediately eradicated from day one. My horses are usually based at home with me so I was a little nervous of them going into a big yard but at OEC they are very happy and look well. They have plenty of one to one care, probably more that I have time to give them at home. One of my horses I brought from OEC earlier in the year, a 4 year old and she is going to exceed all my expectations. My other horse is by Vicki's old ride Jazz Dancer and he is turning out to be something special and will be with the help and training from Vicki. The only problem I have is that the tack shop has such fantastic stuff I end up spending too much in there!! ha ha. I just wish OEC was closer, the five hour journey down every month I normally make for my training is well worth it. Whenever I arrive at OEC I have a warm friendly greeting from all. I just wished I could pick up OEC and move it to Lincolnshire. Thanks to everyone.

Jayne Lancashire

Thank you so much for your kindness in letting me bring my mare for a practice on a show day. It is much appreciated and hopefully will help in my future competition attempts.

Margaret Drewe - Judge

Just a note to thank your very much for your invitation. I had not heard him before so found it most interesting. I thank you for the opportunity. All good wishes with the horses.

Helen Webber

Just a brief note to thank you both for the wonderful opportunity of seeing Jo Hinneman at OEC on Saturday evening. It was a real privilege to see him work with Vicki and the OEC horses and riders, and indeed to see him ride. He clearly loved the OEC horses! Thanks so much.

Fiona Carlin - Judge

Thank you both for making the last 3 years at OEC so enjoyable. I can't quite believe I came with a horse that was OK at Medium and now have one ready to try at Inter I !!! You run a wonderful yard and I am grateful to have been part of it for the last few years. I will miss everyone but will be back for the Sunday clinics.

Louise, Andy and Baloo

A quick note to thank you so much for all the tickets you so generously supplied to see Jo Hinneman on Saturday evening. It was great to see Oldencraig at night - it really is a fantastic venue and all the investment you have made in the center over the years has made it into a stunning facility. Jo was fascinating to listen to and I came away with new ideas to try at home (within reason of course, I'll have to leave the canter pirouettes - for this week at least) I really loved watching Vicki ride and also Aaron - I know I 'm not a trainer or judge but my goodness he can really ride and no doubt he will definitely be one to watch in the future. The horses were fabulous, you certainly have a lot of horse power there. It was a real treat to see Papillion and I shall follow his career with Vicki with much interest they looked a great partnership.

I could barely keep my eyes open for the drive home so we needed to get away when we did, although many thanks for the invitation to have a drink or too - it was probably about 3 hours past my usual bedtime when we got home - I know, a real wild child !!

Thanks so much again Ian and do please pass on my thanks to Jo, Vicki and the rest of your team there, it was a really great evening and much enjoyed by us all.

Claire - British Dressage

This note is just to say ‘Thank you’ to you and all your staff for the fantastic care that has given to my horse ‘Beethoven’ over the last 3 months. Jag and his team have been amazing, Beethoven looks like a different horse now and everyone has been so supportive and encouraging to me too. Michelle and Aaron have worked so incredibly hard as well. Beethoven is such a contented easy going horse and they have been so sympathetic with him, giving him all the time he needed and prodding me in the right direction to give me the confidence too. He seems so happy at Oldencraig I almost feel bad to take him back home! But thanks to such kind and consistent training and handling I’m so excited about the prospect of being able to have some fun with him now. Thank you for offering us such a wonderful opportunity.

Alicia and Beethoven