About us
Born in Cumbria to a professional golfing family. Carol's future, as she had a love of animals and an outstanding academic record at school, pointed her into training as a vet or professional golfer. However, whilst visiting a friend one Sunday afternoon she rode a pony and according to her mother it all went downhill from there. From then on she spent every minute working at a riding school to get rides and learning.
After taking her A levels {passed 6 at A grade} she show jumped locally, ran a riding school and trekking centre and also broke-in and pre trained National Hunt racehorses for Top trainer Roger Fisher who recognised her talent at a very early stage. Her daughter is said to have been born either on a horse or in a stable, she became a very accomplished rider and is now very successfully married and established in Australia.
All this time Carol competed on the North West show jumping circuit honing her skills on difficult and less talented horses very successfully. Some of which were re schooled racehorses for Roger Fisher and horses belonging to local dealers. At the age of 20 her life and career were almost wiped out as she was kicked in the face whilst catching a horse. After months of constructive surgery to her face she left hospital with the loss of sight in her left eye.
Against all odds she was determined to resume her career as a competitive rider. A chance meeting with Nick Saville a professional producer of competition and NH racehorses, who immediately recognised her outstanding talent and determination offered her a job and the chance to compete and re train to see if it was possible for her to compete at a serious level with partial eyesight.
Nick who had recently divorced and was a recovering alcoholic decided to travel to South Africa with Carol so that she could compete there and hone her ring craft. Carol had a very successful period there competing at top level on different horses at Sun City, Soweto Olympics and other major National and International Shows which she couldn’t have done in Europe due to ranking system.
They returned to the UK so that they could be nearer their children and try and put Nick's own career back on track. In 1993 Carol and a client and very super person Frank Jackson established P S H and took on a derelict yard at Gisburn Lancashire part of the impoverished Gisburne Park Estate. The business flourished, after Frank had rebuilt the yard Nick and Carol kept and supplied hunt horses to the Pendle Forest, Holcombe and other hunts which kept Nick and Frank happy hunting 4/5 days a week. They also trained Point to Point and Hunter Chasers very successfully and Carol resumed her show jumping career along with riding successfully in races to educate young horses.
Through some great friends and owners, Mr and Mrs Graham Redman, Carol secured sponsorship from British Fuels and her show jumping career kick started with great backing and help from Harvey Smith who sent her horses to ride and helped her with letting her have his former articulated horse box. This allowed Carol to travel and compete at top venues in the UK and Europe and her success attracted other owners and clients. She won more than her fair share of competitions from Novice Classes to leading National and International competitions, winning over 100 BSJA classes in one season and being in the top 25 rider’s rankings list. Also representing the UK successfully in place such as Syria and Australia where she assisted Nick as Chef d'equipe of the Uk Young Riders Team. She also provided and sourced the horses for visiting young rider teams from Australia. During this period she became one of the most popular riders with other professionals on the circuit for tenacity, work ethic and legendary for her riding load and understanding and success with difficult and less talented horses. She gave them confidence and belief beyond their natural ability by transmitting her own braveness through kindness and determination. Along the way forming strong and long lasting friendships with many of the top riders and weekend riders alike. However, tragedy struck again whilst competing at Chester International show, ground conditions were bad late in the day, Carol had just won national qualifier in another ring and was warming up to jump off in the main ring her horse stumbled at a practice fence. Carol was dragged approx. 200 yards, if it hadn’t been for Linda Young, Michael Whittaker and Geoff Billington (as Nick and her grooms where back at the stables) Nick believes she would have been killed.
As it was she was rushed to hospital eventually, as ambulances had already left the show ground, and found only to have been bruised and stripped of the skin from her back. Mentally Nick believes she was more damaged than physically. Owners such as Frank Carberry attended the hospital until they knew she was out of mortal danger and John Whittaker waited up to help her back to her wagon later that night when she discharged herself and took a taxi back to the show ground hallucinating and insisting that she had a job to do the next day. She was frightened that she would lose her best horses if she did not ride. Liz Astall most, supportive of owners until the accident withdrew her support and horses. This was a major blow to Carol but as always she got on with life and made the best of it. This devastating news shattered her confidence for months to come, again riders such as John Whittaker came to her rescue with help and encouragement but the edge had gone now we think only temporarily. Although Carol carried on she eventually stopped show jumping to help Nicks sons establish themselves as racehorse trainers which they did but then left this country for bigger opportunities in the USA where they have become a credit to their family and their profession being increasingly successful individually. During 2010 Carol was invited to supply some of the horses required for the Modern Pentathlon Event at the 2012 London Olympic Games. A great honour & for a one eyed blond jockey from Cumbria as Nick quotes on many occasions. This meant intensive security and financial searches and checks into Carol and her company which they passed with flying colours along with a total of only 500 other contractors to the entire Games. The preparation for this took nearly two years and involved test events and supplying horses for the Pentathlon World Championships and Olympic test event. Carol received personal commendations after the Games for her integrity and professionalism in this matter from the Olympic Committee.
After this Carol was hoping to make a comeback but has endured hassle over the property in Gisburn as the landlord financials difficulties had increased leaving her with no option but to move away. NORTH WALES has become her new home which is helping Nick with his health and he has old friends and contacts there that have provided Carol with support to establish a new team of horses and a base to work from so that she can compete again and train other riders with her vast range of experience, knowledge and contacts.