Centre Proprietor

I have been involved with horses and pones all of my life and of course especially the family business of Highland Ponies. I helped my father, from as young as I can remember, with running the pony trekking. I finally took over on my own account in 1992 at Croila Stables in the village at Newtonmore and have been running my own operation since then. In February 2008 we moved out to the new yard at Biallid Farm (Newtonmore Riding Centre) where my grandfather and father had run the pony trekking before me from as early as 1952.

It is a great way of life and I thoroughly enjoy it. It is very satisfying to see the local children progresing so well at Pony Club as well as seeing tourists enjoying themselves and returning time and time again. I am very lucky to have such a dedicated and enthusiastic team, and could not run NRC without them all, and of course not forgetting the horses and ponies themselves who we all love.

I qualified as a Centre Supervisor with BET and TRSS in 1995 and just recently did my Centre Operator's Exam with the TRSS too. I have my HSE First Aid and I am also an accredited Pony Club Instructor, I have done loads of courses in my real job that are also releveant to the riding centre: Risk Assessment, COSHH, Quality Management, HR Management, Finance, Marketing, Safety Management Systems, etc

My hobbies include riding, carriage driving, motorcycles, boats, Highland Cattle and socialising. I also work in the international oil industry as an engineer in the drilling and exploration sector which gives me lots of opportunity for travel and seeing what the rest of the world does with horses !

My vision for NRC is that we have the best run facility in the area that people, staff and volunteers can all really enjoy coming to - with a considerable emphasis on having fun !!

I look forward to meeting you when you come to visit us here in the Highlands at Newtonmore.

We have all sorts of horses at Newtonmore for you to ride and I am sure you will not be disappointed