‘That’s the dream’: meet the family behind a new competition and training centre with big plans for the future
The owner of a family-run venue that has gone from working farm to livery yard to competition centre said she hopes it will become a three-generation project – and that all who ride there will enjoy it.
Foxton Equestrian Centre, in Market Harborough, had its official opening on 17 April. The first competition, unaffiliated schools showjumping run by Spratton Hall, took place today (26 April).
Julie Kanjurs told H&H that the idea of the centre came by chance, after British Showjumping bought nearby Home Farm in Hothorpe to become the national training centre, and no longer a competition venue.
“It was during a Covid walk, I said to my husband: ‘Why don’t we build a new Hothorpe for the farm? He said yes, and I said ‘Oh my god’!”
Foxton is on Julie’s father’s farm and there was a DIY livery yard there; he gave the Bevins the land and they were ready to go.
“But when we were about to start working, it was when the Ukraine war started, and prices literally doubled overnight, so we had to save a load more money,” she said. “So it’s taken years but here we are today.
“It’s a real family business. I’ve got three daughters and we’re all horsey, apart from my husband! But because he’s in construction, he was the best person to do it.”
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A huge amount of work was involved in the creation of Foxton Equestrian Centre as there was not even an outdoor arena on site when the family embarked on their project.
Starting last autumn, Brett built the main 72×40 indoor arena, with seating and cafe area, from scratch; this is attached to a 60×40 outdoor surface, giving a 100m stretch on which riders can canter from one to the other.
“We had just a paddock at the start so a lot of work had to be done,” Julie said.
“Just to make it level – to me, it didn’t even look like it wasn’t flat! But we had to bring a lot of earth in to make it level. We had to build a pond, a car park – luckily, my husband is in construction, because it cost more than we thought it would, as these things always do.”
The aim is to have arena hire, training and competition, and more.
“We haven’t got anything major in the books yet; we’re going to start off unaffiliated, but then hopefully, maybe over the next year, try to encourage some British Showjumping and British Dressage events,” Julie said. “Next year I’m hoping to have Pony Club camps as it’s perfectly set up for it, and there are fields around so if we need to extend. The idea would be to make the arenas bigger or have more arenas, and we’d like a cross-country field, my husband’s talking about doing that this summer.
“I like the idea of eventually having some small industry here too; tack shops or a vet, or some places have a local butcher’s there too, a play area maybe. I’ve got three daughters, all nearly leaving school, it’s my dad’s farm and he’s really behind it; I really hope this will be a family thing.
“We’re so passionate. Even my husband, who’s not horsey, is so passionate about it, it’s blown me away. It’s not him, but now it really is.”
Julie said British Eventing competition may also come eventually, and that the Foxton Equestrian Centre family is enjoying the ride.
“We have had people say ‘What the hell are you doing that for?’!” she said. “But most of the reaction has been really good, people saying finally they’ve got something around here.
“We’re open to everything, because we understand. There are different types of horsey people but at the end of the day, we all want the same thing. We all just want to have a bit of fun with our horses, whether it’s low level or top competition, we can all get that from a venue.
“That would be the dream. My youngest daughter lost her confidence a bit, and Dan [Delsart] came yesterday and gave her a lesson on my other daughter’s horse, and she was absolutely flying; I was gobsmacked. It made Dan happy, it made me happy, it made my child happy. All three of us are happy because of this venue, and that’s what it’s all about.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.