Property Guru: Christmas Wish List

Finding someone their dream property is certainly one of the perks of my job, so what better way to count down to Christmas than to see what is on the Christmas wish lists of these leading equestrians.

Whether it’s an indoor school for training away from the wind and rain, a loading ramp for moving mares with ease come the breeding season, or simply an outdoor plug and tap for clipping your hunter and washing him down during the deep dark winter months, everyone has a wish list for their property so I have caught up with current equestrian stars to ask what they can’t live without and what they hope to find in their stocking this Christmas.

The Bloodstock Consultant

Tina Dawson is the Director and Manager of Insignia Racing Syndicates and a bloodstock consultant working with a number of studs. If money was no object, what equestrian feature would you love to have at your property and why? 

“A horse walker – offers great flexibility for: bringing horses back into exercise; handling youngstock (helps to build muscle and strength without overdoing them) and can provide an option to turning out which helps with field management during bad weather.”

And what non equestrian feature would you love?
“I would love a tennis court with flood lights for outside and inside would definitely be the wine cellar.”

The Young Rider  

Emily King, daughter of Olympian Mary King is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in her own right. 2015 has been Emily’s first year as a Young Rider and has already seen her win team gold in the FEI European Eventing Championship in Strzegom as well as finishing as the highest placed Briton in her first four-star event at Pau in the south of France this Autumn.

I caught up with Emily who lives in Devon to see what she’s hoping for this Christmas.

“If money was no object I would LOVE to have a little condensed cross country course. It would just be fantastic to be able to take the young horses around it regularly and be able to educate them as much as possible.”

And her non horsey dream feature?

“Definitely a swimming pool, probably outdoor but very heated… The sea is right on our doorstep, but it isn’t that appealing to go for a quick dip this time of year!”

The Professional Polo Player
Michael Henderson is a professional polo player based in Warwickshire but is often found in more snowy and tropical climates during the winter months.

Mikey says that if money was no object, the top of his property wish list would “without a doubt, be a hydrotherapy set up, to be able to swim horses and rehab injuries.

“Polo ponies are put under a lot of strain from a busy schedule to demanding games, we have bred polo ponies over the last 40 years to be lightweight, agile, and amazingly quick yet tough enough for a ride off. Their bodies are put to the test, and like all top athletes in any discipline we believe they should be treated accordingly.

We take our polo ponies out swimming but it’s incredibly time consuming to take my entire string of 14 horses, to have a pool on site would be our dream.

And as for a non-equestrian feature, it would have to be a helicopter and heli pad, to get me to the next game quicker and avoid the traffic.”