Windsor Clive

Market Update on Training Yards August 2011

The Market for Training yards

A declining number of horses in training – surely this should lead to some training yards going out of use? In many cases this is true, particularly those out of the training centres.

Windsor Clive International have seen two particular trends:

- a flight to quality, where buyers are pursuing the best properties

- increased activity in the letting market

Windsor Clive International have recently sold a pair of training yards on the Bury side in Newmarket and are now offering a smart 37 box establishment with a 4/5 bedroom house and a paddock, within 200 yards of the gallops. This is ideal for a trainer on the up.

In Lambourn, prices have really adjusted, in particular 49 boxes, a good house, a lads flat, and hostel has a revised price of £1.25m, which should be justifiable for the investor as well as the trainer. There are also 2 good training yards with a 32 and 42 boxes available to rent.

In Chantilly, Windsor Clive have arranged the sale of a well located 52 box yard for very close to the €1.75m asking price, to a German buyer. There is a steady flow of enquiries from those interested in moving to France, often at the suggestion of their owners wanting to take advantage of the breeders’ premiums available in France.

If you are thinking of buying, selling, or renting please contact either George Windsor Clive gfwc@windsorclive.co.uk, or William Harford william.harford@windsorclive.co.uk or call the office 00 44 (0) 1672 521155.

Mark Kershaw Joins Windsor Clive International

Mark Kershaw is joining leading equestrian and bloodstock estate agents Windsor Clive International who specialise in the sale, purchase and rental of stud farms and training yards, to provide project management for all aspects of racing and allied property.

Mark Kershaw was Managing Director of Newbury Racecourse for 10 years until 2008 and Ayr and Musselburgh before then. He is a director of Ffos Las Racecourse and the Arabian Racing Organisation. Mark has built up a wide ranging consultancy business with a number of racecourses as well as trainer and racing industry clients. Mark is the only racecourse manager to have won three Neil Wyatt groundstaff awards with three different tracks that he has managed Ayr, Musselburgh and Newbury.

George Windsor Clive of Windsor Clive International comments: this is a great opportunity for both of us, as our clientele is totally complimentary, and our expertise dovetails so well. Many of our existing clients can make use of Mark Kershaw’s ingrained knowledge of racecourse management and construction of stables and gallops.

Mark Kershaw is looking forward to adding a new dimension to Windsor Clive, particularly as he is also is able to advise racecourses themselves on the maximisation of their track and facilities.

For further information and market comment contact:

George Windsor Clive

+44 1672 521155 or +44 7836 652228,
gfwc@windsorclive.co.uk

Mark Kershaw

+44 1672 521155, or +44 7850 464258
mark.kershaw@windsorclive.co.uk

Two Adjoining Farms at the heart of the Marlborough Downs

Windsor Clive International Ltd, the agency specialising in the sale of property to the bloodstock world and Kidson-Trigg the Wiltshire based agricultural agents and auctioneers, are offering two adjoining Wiltshire downland farms, Upper and Lower Herdswick Farms, half way between Swindon and Marlborough, just a few miles south of junction 15 of the M4, 75 miles west of London. They combine to create an 809 acre estate offering a wonderful agricultural, sporting, and investment opportunity.

Upper Herdswick Farm is currently operating as a successful racehorse training centre as the base of renowned National Hunt trainer Jim Old. The 284 acres offer the most spectacular landscape with magnificent views over the high ridges and deep valleys in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Amongst the impressive list of facilities are 4 cottages, 3 interconnecting barns totalling 50 stables, indoor school with horsewalker, lunging ring and covered ride, wonderful grass and all weather gallops and pasture. Specifically planted young woodland offers the enthusiast boundless opportunities to develop a high grade sporting estate. Many would wish to obtain planning approval for a good house on this incomparable site.

Lower Herdswick is a high grade 525 acre commercial arable/dairy farm with a 6 bedroom modern farmhouse, 2 farm cottages, and extensive farm buildings. The land is made up of a 240 acre block of flat Grade II arable land, about 205 acres of Grade III, mainly arable land and about.53 acres of Downland grass. The farm has Organic status until December 2011.

Sold separately, each of these properties are superb in their own right but together they offer a rare opportunity to put together a substantial estate in a glorious location which gives the opportunity for serious farming, combined with a sporting element and also a high grade equestrian operation which can either be operated by the buyer, or easily let out as an investment. Both firms, Windsor Clive and Kidson-Trigg agree that a combined purchase is the best way forward if a buyer’s budget will run to it.

The price guide quoted for Upper Herdswick Farm is £2.6m and for Lower Herdswick is £4.5m, bringing the total to £7.1m, or just over £8750/acre, to include 7 houses and cottages.

Comments:

George Windsor Clive of Windsor Clive International agents for Upper Herdswick comments: ‘Upper Herdswick is a superb training yard, which can command a good rent, so the buyer doesn’t have to be horse minded to enjoy it. The landscape alone makes it very special’

Martin Kidson-Trigg of Kidson-Trigg, agents for Lower Herdswick comments: The combination of a good commercial farm with a sportsman’s delight, makes the 800 acre estate rare indeed – we have recently sold a comparable acreage for over £10,000 per acre without buildings, so we should find enough buyers at the price guides being quoted’