I received some sad news today from my sponsor Frances at Hoplands EC when she emailed to say that sadly they have had to made the hard decision to close the center.
From the Hoplands website…
“After much consideration, we have had to take the reluctant decision to close Hoplands Equestrian Centre from 30th June 2010. Due to opposition from local residents and subsequent enforcement action by the local planning authority, our business activities have been limited since 2009 as we have been unable to hold any competitions or shows. Despite our best efforts, the various costs associated with hiring out our facilities now exceed the income we receive from such activity, as we no longer benefit from the economies of scale which result from offering a full range of equestrian services.
Clearly, this situation is unsustainable long term from a business point of view, and our personal view is that we should expect some financial recompense in return for allowing the public use of our property and family home. We intend to continue hiring out our facilities as a whole (to include all arenas, stabling, xc, gallop, meeting facilities and accommodation) for team training events on a per day or residential basis, but the cost of hiring the whole site is likely to be prohibitive for those who only require the use of one arena for a day or less”
It’s a real shame that they have been forced into this position, but I hope that Hoplands will still continue to be a successful venue for team and Olympic training. Frances has been a great sponsor and the use of the facilities has been a huge help so I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Frances and I wish you every success with your future Hoplands plans 🙂
Oh and as I know everyone likes a post with pics here are some snaps of Soap and I training at Hoplands last year…
