Bryan Smart Racing Team

Vicky is a partner in the business and works alongside Bryan to ensure that the horses are fit and healthy by executing her skills as a qualified Veterinary Nurse and Veterinary Physiotherapist. She has also completed a 3 year Veterinary Homeopathy course and finds that this natural system of medicine can hugely benefit the horse by treating the totality of the animal, stimulating the body's own healing process and importantly has no side effects or withdrawal periods. Vicky competed in BSJA Show Jumping before she became involved in racing through the Point to Point field.  She was a successful amateur rider winning races in Point to Points and on the flat. Vicky cooks a great breakfast for the owners on ‘work mornings’ and in between managing the business and looking after all the humans and horses she enjoys riding her own Irish Sport horse and helping Beth with her showjumpers. She also enjoys re-schooling the racehorses and actively tries to find suitable forever homes for them after their racing career is over. She has produced a number of ex-racehorses to championship level in the show ring and is the Retraining Consultant for RoR (Retraining of Racehorses) which is horse racing’s own charity. To find out more about Retraining of Racehorses click on our ‘Retraining’ page.

One of the unique features about Bryan Smart's training yard is the constant presence of a physiotherapist and homeopath who also rides out and is personally involved with the horses. To find out more about Vicky's work in any of the above fields click on the appropriate areas on this website.

Hobbies:

• Walking and swimming
• Regional Co-ordinator for ROR (North East)
• Showing and show jumping with daughter Beth.

Beth has ridden since she was 4yo and has competed her ponies all over the country including at Hickstead and Horse of the Year Show.  Beth is very passionate about show jumping and is often seen in the outdoor school or on the gallops schooling and working on the fitness of her show jumpers and enjoys the benefits of the excellent facilities at Hambleton House. Beth has successfully competed Nationally and Internationally at some of the top venues in the country. In 2018 Beth won the Small Tour Grand Prix at Keysoe CSI 2* on Sandor's Legacy and in 2019 and 2020 she qualified for Horse of the Year Show.

Beth is sponsored by Gain Equine Nutrition, Fenlandz Health, and Priory Saddlery. 

More information can be found by clicking the links below. www.gainequinenutrition.com www.fenlandzhealth.co.uk www.priorysaddlery.com

Beth is always happy to talk to any potential owners or sponsors. Contact: bethvsmart5@icloud.com

Beth released her debut novel Racing Hearts just before lockdown in March 2020 published by Fisher King Publishing and reviewed by Brough Scott MBE. The novel has sold thousand of copies worldwide and is also stocked in local bookshops. Racing Hearts:  http://a-fwd.com/asin=B08672CHRH 

Having graduated with a first class honours degree in Equine Science in 2021 Beth is now Assistant trainer at Hambleton House. 

Gianluca joined Team Smart in May 2021 as our new apprentice jockey. Heralding from Sardinia, Gianluca has ridden eight winners so far and claims a useful 7lbs.

Rakesh has been a member of the team since he arrived in 2006 from India at 17yo. In that time he has become an integral part of the team. Rakesh has been the backbone of Team Smart in the years he has been with us and nothing is ever too much trouble. He is renowned for his incredible plaiting skills and it is never a surprise when he comes home from the races with the Best Turned Out award including B.T.O. in the Racing Post Trophy in 2017 when he led up Alpha McGuire (no mean feat against some of the top yards including John Gosden and Ballydoyle!). Rakesh is also a keen cricketer and plays for South Kilvington where he has won awards for being the best batsman in the area.

Rakesh recently returned home to his native India to get married to his new wife Pooja.

Tony Eyre has done our transport since we moved up in 2002 and is part of the team at Hambleton House. He has travelled horses all over the country and abroad for us and is a well- known face at the races. Tony is always cheerful provided he has had his cup of coffee before he sets off on another long journey in his horsebox!

Londonderry Farriers are a family run business based in Londonderry, North Yorkshire, with a team of enthusiastic Registered and Apprentice Farriers.

Huw Dyer AWCF has over 40 years of experience in the industry. He has overseen the training of more than 30 farriers, including his son Tom Dyer DWCF who has joined the business. The team is completed by apprentices Will Crozier, Alex Bradbury and Danny Souter.

Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic is dedicated to providing quality professional care for horses in numerous equestrian disciplines.

Vet Pol Abril-Casellas LV MRCVS is present twice a week for routine work and veterinary care of the horses. 

After graduation from Barcelona University in 2009, Pol travelled to North America for a few months visiting renowned equine hospitals. He then undertook a one-year internship at a surgical referral hospital in Canada. After this, he then moved to the Dubai for few months, focusing mainly on lameness of endurance horses. He moved to UK in 2014 and worked in Lambourn, Berkshire for a year focusing mainly on racehorses and sport horse work.

Pol joined Minster Equine Vets in May 2015. His main interests are racing, surgery and sports medicine, including lameness, gait analysis and diagnostic imaging, which led him to enrol in an Advanced Practitioner Certificate specialising in Equine Surgery (Orthopaedics).

Outside work, you can find Pol hiking, rock climbing or walking his beloved Border Collie, Anek.