Tim Gredley has decided to give up showjumping to concentrate on running the family business — property developers the Unex Group, owners of Towerlands EC.
Tim transferred his top horses — Omelli, Cleopatra, Varmisch and Utopia — to Robert Whitaker last week.
“Dad [Unex chairman Bill Gredley] and I decided it was time I took more of a role in the company,” Tim told H&H.
Tim, who was also successful in showing, is now managing director and hopes to make the company more “vibrant”.
“I’ve spent six years learning the ropes in business and it’s difficult to do both,” he said. “But it’s a shame not to compete the horses so the best decision is to hand them over and enjoy being an owner.”
He plans to give up competing completely, adding: “If you want to do something, you have to do it properly.”
Tim will keep six or seven horses at home for now and will move them on “in stages”.
Robert told H&H: “Tim and I have been friends for a while so it’s nice to be working together.
“His horses have a lot of potential — Omelli is one of the best in England — and, if we keep him right, he’ll win a lot.”
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (19 August 2010)
