There is not one hair out of place, not one scrap of clothing where it shouldn't be and no dusty corners to be seen. This is not the description of a compulsive obsessive but the outstanding impression that one gets when stepping through the entrance to one of The Country's top indoor and outdoor Equestrian Centres 'Oldencraig.' This year Oldencraig won the British Dressage Best Show Centre award for the sixth time.
The entire centre is run on a strict regime and as a result of this, the centre can offer ts clients a safe and relaxed atmosphere in which to work and train with their horses.
Facilities include three Olympic sized floodlit arenas with all weather surfaces, a superb indoor school, with amazing Irght, tull length training mirrors, beautiful new surface, viewing for BO0 and ludges gallery, There are two floodlit lunge arenas, horsewalker, beautiful stable blocks, tack rooms, solariums. showers and washrooms, parking, cctv, swimming pool, tack shop, bar and bistro facilities. All are kept immaculate by the attentive staff and grooms are on hand to wash saddle cloths and bandages.
There is an abundance of expert knowledge on hand for anyone wishing to learn and not least; there is Vicki.
Vicki Thompson is a powerhouse of energy whose commitment and dedication to training are almost unique. Vicki started her career working with
the late Franz Rochowansky, one of the Chief Riders of the Spanish Riding School and recently trained with Johann Hinneman. During her career, Vicki has represented Great Britain at the European Championships and the Atlanta Olympic Games; she has also been sixteen times National Champion.
After a long engagement, in 2008 Vicki married lan Winfield. owner of Oldencraig and is now the resident trainer, At the Centre, Vicki trains clrents and their horses, at all levels, from Novice to Grand Prix, She also takes in horses for breakrng and training.
can prepare them for competition and offers intensive training courses for many clients.
This December visitors to The London lnternational Horse Show at Olympia will get the chance to see the fruits of her labour when both Vicki and Toni Terry, wife of England and Chelsea Captain John Terry take to the stage (so to speak) with a specially choreographed pas de deux to the tune of a Michael Jackson collaboration.
Toni's active interest in horses is only recent, but that has always been down to time commitment. Toni was brought up in Essex, where the family lived opposlte a livery yard and her Dad, Alan Poole, kept horses there. Toni remembers "he was always interested in horses and he still keeps horses now at Oldencraig. He used to take me to the yard in Essex as a child to see the horses, so I guess I always had an interest.
Now that the twins, Georgie and Summer are at Nursery School, Toni has the time available to further her interest in equestrianism. She has been lucky enough to acquire some fantastic horses not least a beautiful Friesian stallion from Germany, affectionately to be called 'Del Boy'. On Del Boy Toni started to ease herself into
dressage and then went on to acquire a 5 year old Hanoverian stallion 'Beltoni' and grand prix
schoolmaster Diamond Fritz. These two horses both came from Sarah and Tony Pidgley, who decided to sell all their horses due to other commitments. The wonderful thing about acquiring such horses is the qualitv of their breeding and their training. Now under the watchful eye of Vicki, Toni has managed in a very short space of time to progress to British Dressage elementary level. Toni says "Vicki is my inspiration and my ambition is to, one day, get to Grand Prix level."
Not one to bask in the limelight, Toni is both excited and scared at the prospect of performing at Olympia. Vicki says of Toni "She is prepared to put in the work and in the short space of a year has put in some serious training. She usually trains five days a week for at least two and a half hours."
The whole idea of the performance was dreamt up during a meeting with lan Winfield and Simon Brooks Ward and although Toni is not one to put herself 'out there', the gauntlet proved an invaluable focal point for her training and discipline. Toni understands the work that others in the Dressage world put in; the blood, sweat and tears it takes to become a top class rider. She is not one to take advantage of her position and will work hard to get to the top of her class on her own merit. Next year sees Toni and Vicki taking part in a sponsored 7.5km ride on 10th July from Ascot Racecourse. round Windsor Great Park and back to Ascot again. The ride is hoping to raise over £1million for the charity Help for Heroes.
At Olympia Vicki will be riding the 12-year old Oldencraig Papillon and Toni will be on her
own schoolmaster'Diamond Fritz'. There will also be a separate display by Vicki on Toni's horse Beltoni. who Vicki believes has the capability to make it to the World Lquestrian Games in Kentucky next year. Vicki also believes Beltoni could possibly be an Olympic hope.
Vicki is seriously passionate regarding her training methods which enhance the name of Oldencraig as a preniet training centre. Her philosophy is to pui in a full detailed hours work, working on basic principles but also maintain an element of fun whilst obtaining control in a harmonrous manner for both horse and rider. As if proof of this were needed, this year in December at Oldencraig sees 'Strictly Come Dressage', a truly exciting new concept for competrtive dressage, all in the aid ol the Emile Faurie Foundation. There will be individual music classes and costume classes and entrants are invited to choose their own ideas and be as creative as they can with theatrical dance or film themes!
Not only does Vicki teach on advanced schoolmasters and offer intensive training but she also takes horses in for breaking and training, prepares them for sale presentation and for competition. Prospective horse buyers can choose from a range of specially selected quality competition horses from Novice to Grand Prix level.
lan has worked extremely hard to make Oldencraig what it is today. From an Army career to owning nightclubs and bars. Oldencraig was originally meant to be for his retirement. Today, he is happy with where he is at with Oldencraig and plans for the future are to retain its position as a premier Dressage Equestrian Centre, so retirement does not seem to be an optron. He is very supportive of Toni whom he recognizes as a kjndred spirit who wants to make it to the top on her own merit and is prepared to put
in that extra mile to rlake it work.
After seeing both Vicki and Toni in training, NagMag believes that there could be no better trainer/pupil partnership and that anyone attending Olympia this December will be in for a superb performance from these two. We shall be keeping our fingers crossed for them.
