New facility opens for education, research and competitions.
A £730,000 equine and canine activity area has opened at Hartpury Equine.
The Gloucestershire college’s new Equine and Animal Assisted Activity Area comprises a covered 60m x 30m arena, plus a 22m diameter round pen.
As well as being used by Hartpury students for practical studies, the area is available for equine and canine research.
The arena will also provide more room for competitors at this summer’s NAF Five Star Hartpury Festival of Dressage, NAF Five Star Hartpury Showjumping Spectacular, NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials and the FEI Dressage and Eventing European Championships for Young Riders and Juniors.
Several organisations and charitable trusts have backed the development.
Phillip Cheetham, equine director at Hartpury, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the supporting trusts who helped fund the project - the Margaret Giffen Charitable Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Childwick Trust and Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust, as well as the Office for Students who provided a grant.”
