About Us// Learn more about Waverley Stud, our staff and facilities.
Waverley Stud
Who We Are
Our Team
Our Facilites
We have a team of five full-time and part-time staff (including a natural horsemanship specialist) to make sure that our horses get plenty of attention and the right level of care. Each foal and youngster is handled daily. They learn to lift their feet for inspection and cleaning from their first days and lead calmly in hand.
Training is tailored to individual strength and conformation and only begins when we are satisfied the horse is ready. The result: the most trainable, loveable, beautiful young horses that we are so proud of! Only proven German and Dutch blood lines are used in our breeding programme.
Regular exchanges with our international network means that the best ‘soft’ knowledge – in relation to what is working and not working - is incorporated into our breeding plans and guided the acquisition of our mares.
Sara Longworth// Owner
After riding, competing, and owning horses as a child and young adult, I went on to spend many years in the corporate world, riding only occasionally when work demands would allow or on holiday. Then almost ten years ago, we started planning the stud and acquiring horses. I also began competing again in dressage at affiliated regional and national level. In 2010 we doubled down and expanded significantly, making major investments in state of the art facilities and more land. All my efforts are now focused on bringing the same professionalism, dedication and attention to detail to our horses and our breeding operation, as made me successful in the corporate world. To this end we have acquired only State Premium and Elite mares - that is only those who have already proved themselves, either by completing arduous performance tests judged by some of the world's most knowledgeable horse people, or by breeding dressage champions. And it goes without saying that on top of this, our mares must have beauty and charm! These supremely well qualified ladies are the foundation of all we do. Stallions are chosen to compliment them - but only stallions who self-evidently bring something to the party. Not only must a stallion have triumphed in their own arduous performance tests, and be able to add something in terms of conformation or movement, but my preference is also for stallions who have proven they have the temperament and enduring soundness to win at the highest levels of dressage competition. In the corporate world, success can only be achieved with a strong team. You are only as good as the people you have around you. And here we are blessed. We have a long tenured and really wonderful team of people who care genuinely about the horses and take immense pride in their work. We also have the essential and valued advice and support of a number of first class professionals who help us in all we do and ensure our horses are healthy, comfortable and able to do the job they were born to do.
Waverley Stud is set in glorious Warwickshire countryside near to Stoneleigh Park, the home of British Dressage. Our fields sit on a base of loam and sand, which creates lush, free draining pasture. This means our horses are able to graze year round and exercise and play without danger of hurting themselves or getting stuck in holding clay. (We also make our own moisture free, green hay - so that we know exactly how the grass has been treated; our grazing paddocks are rolled, fertilized and topped regularly and we 'poo pick' daily.)
We have large airy stables for horses in training in both traditional and American barn style settings; and, for when they need to come indoors because of the weather, roomy barns for our mares and youngstock. We have an international size arena with extensive mirrors and the highest quality all-weather surface from Martin Collins - firm and supportive but with sufficient give: perfect for young bones and developing joints, or for the advanced dressage horse at the peak of training. We also have a covered Monarch walker with six bays, which has thick rubber floor pavers to prevent slip injuries. There is plenty of on-site hacking and wide canter tracks to blow off steam.
Cross-tie 'make ready' and farrier area, hot water wash down and Kylix solarium help to keep the horses in great condition and give youngsters the experience they will need in the future on a competition yard. There is a long shallow loading ramp to help protect delicate legs; and the facility also benefits from 24x7 security and CC-TV.
About Waverley Stud
Kenilworth, Warwickshire
+44 (0)7770 999 755
