About Cindy
Cindy’s parents were totally non-horsey and so from the age of about 3 years old she would keep on at her parents to let her go to the local riding school, so that she could see the ponies. After many visits the Owners of the riding school eventually allowed her to sit on a donkey that was resident there. Fortunately, Cindy progressed from the donkey onto ponies in return for much mucking out at the stables every weekend. Cindy persuaded her parents to move out of town and they bought her a pony for her 10th birthday. It wasn’t such a great start, her parents were advised by a local dealer and found a lovely coloured pony that was apparently 8 years old and sound in eye, wind and limb. Unfortunately, about 2 weeks later he turned out to be 28 years old and lame in every leg!
Since then, Cindy has tried to help people find the right horse or pony for them. Things got better after that and Cindy started producing ponies for showjumping and ranked as one of the top junior jumpers for several years. Cindy then moved onto horses and specialised in training other riders and buying and producing youngsters for Show Jumping to Grade A and top National level, winning and being placed at Hickstead, Wembley, County and Royal shows, always aiming to have something qualified for at least the Foxhunter or Grade C finals at the Horse of the Year show every year. When Tim and Cindy got married in 1984 she needed to downsize, so had to sell most of the horses, just keeping 2 of the Grade A’s. At the same time, Cindy decided to change direction, do something she had wanted to try for a long time and change the Show Jumpers into Event horses. This would also mean that she could race the cars alongside Tim one weekend and then Event the next!
Both horses upgraded very quickly and Louis Revere went Advanced in the first season. At the end of that season he evented at Weston Park National Novice Championships one weekend and then Show Jumped in the Pro-Am at the Horse of the Year Show the next. After that, Cindy enjoyed the Eventing so much she changed over to Eventing full-time. She then produced many horses for Eventing for herself and Owners to 4*, successfully competing at Badminton, Burghley, Bramham, Blenheim and abroad.
Cindy retired from Eventing after Oliver, her third child was born. However, soon a wonderful invitation came from a friend, Sue Wheeler to share her lovely Advanced Dressage horse, Imperial Monarch. This was great fun and they went off together training and competing and it gave Cindy the opportunity to compete to Prix St. Georges and Intermediare level. Cindy had by that stage sold all the horse equipment, horsebox, tack etc.in order to concentrate on being a mum, looking after three small children, supporting Tim with his car racing and also wanting to spend more time Training other riders. However, it soon became apparent that all 3 children had got the ‘pony bug’! Emily, Sophie and Oliver all had great fun on small ponies, doing Prince Philip Games from the age of three years old, hunting, and just about every Pony Club activity going. Even Tim enjoyed hunting Cindy’s old event horse Louis. The Girls then got very keen on Eventing and Cindy has had so many very proud moments watching and helping them with their riding over the years. Emily is still the only rider to have ever ridden on 8 consecutive FEI Pony, Junior and Young rider European Teams representing Great Britain on a variety of ponies and horses. She has won Individual and Team Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Emily has ridden successfully at Badminton, Burghley, Luhmuhlen and Pau CCI****’s several times now on home-produced horses. They bought Pardon Me II in Holland having never evented and Emily started competing ‘P’ at Pony Club and won the Pony Club championships in the first year, and then competed on him in the British Junior team, winning Team Gold and Individual Bronze in Avenches in 2007 and then on two Young Rider Teams winning a Team Gold and an Individual Bronze in 2009 and a double gold medal at Young Rider European Championships in Kreuth in 2008. In 2020, Emily made the decision to join her husband, Max Routledge, in the Show Jumping world and has really enjoyed all the new challenges. Emily is breeding and producing lovely young horses and competing up to 1.50 Grand Prix level.
Sophie has also had great fun competing in the Pony Club then moving on to FEI Pony Trials and then Juniors where she was long listed for the team. Sophie now enjoys bloodhounding in the winter months and producing horses for eventing whilst working full-time! For some mad reason, Sophie also enjoys participating in mud run competitions!!! Sophie is a fantastic cook, but now works in London and from home.
Oliver is a natural on horseback, but discovered engines and wheels at an early age and after a few years competing in Karting, retired from riding to concentrate on racing cars. Oliver was the youngest person ever to compete at Goodwood in the Revival meeting, racing a 1956 340hp Tojero Jaguar at the age of 16! Oliver went to Warwick University studying Automotive Engineering. Oliver now works full time and really enjoys racing the cars at weekends.
Tim has also retired from riding, but is a huge support to the whole family. His passion is racing vintage and classic cars.