View of the Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
Nestled in the Cotswolds, near to Cheltenham, is newlyweds Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson’s four-star eventing base. As Julie Harding takes a look around, standby for yard envy...
All the gear: Empshill Farm in Gloucestershire, where Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson rent 16 looseboxes, belongs to the Tew family. Additionally, it boasts ample neat post-and-rail fenced turnout paddocks, a lunge pen and a 1.2-mile gallop
A view of the Stable block of Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Gio and Kathyrn moved into Empshill Farm, which is reached via narrow lanes lined by typical golden Cotswold stone walls, the day after last year’s Blenheim International Horse Trials
Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Family business: “Gio and I get on well, despite spending 24 hours a day together. We rarely waste energy arguing”
Back door of the horse box of Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Gio, 35 and Kathryn, 32 met in 2008 at Olivia Simonazzi’s yard in Italy, where Gio was working and Kathryn had gone for two months of training. They had known each other for just two months when Giovanni decided to follow Kathryn back to the UK. They tied the knot on 1 July 2017 at Kathryn’s family home Cranford Hall
(L to R) Kathryn Robinson and Giovanni Ugolotti at Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Early start: the day kicks off at 7am as head girl Sophie Richardson gets the feeds ready
Sophie Richardson (Head Girl) getting the feed ready for the horses in the Feed room at Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Fast paced: it’s all go in the tack room as Gio and Kathryn work their way through exercising their strings. “Kathryn and I do everything with the horses ourselves, from the schooling to hacking. We try to treat them as individuals, rather than an industry”
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The Tack Room at Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Gio gives the seven-year-old Duke’s Sunny Boy (Sunny) a treat after taking him for a 40-minute hack
Giovanni Ugolotti feeding Duke's Sunny Boy (Sunny) in the stable at Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Kathryn and Gio make the most of the quiet country lanes
Kathryn Robinson riding Let It Be (Bee) and Giovanni Ugolotti riding Dacapo 277 (Saetta) walking down the lanes at Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
The couple have both represented their respective countries at eventing, with Gio riding for Italy in the 2013 and 2015 European Championships, and 2014 World Equestrian Games, and Kathryn representing Canada at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2015 Pan American Games
Kathryn Robinson riding Castello 236 (Bambi) and Giovanni Ugolotti riding Penhills Celtic Rolex (Donald) up to the all-weather arena at Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
It’s all in the detail: Kathryn puts Castello 236 (Bambi) through his paces in the 30x65m outdoor school
Kathryn Robinson riding Castello 236 (Bambi) and Giovanni Ugolotti riding Penhills Celtic Rolex (Donald) in the All-weather arena at Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
“Bambi’s a real character. He loves to whip round for a bit of fun,” says Kathryn
Kathryn Robinson getting Castello 236 (Bambi) ready to be ridden at Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
First-class facilities: the couple make use of the horse walker
A horse on the horse walker of Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson stables; Cranford Stud Eventing is based at Empshill Farm (Owned by Julie Tew) in the village of Farmington near Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in the UK on the 26th January 2018
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Don’t miss our full interview with Giovanni Ugolotti and Kathryn Robinson in this weeks’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine (19 April 2018)
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