About Golden Cross Equestrian Centre
Golden Cross Equestrian Centre is operated by Ian Bareham.
Golden Cross Equestrian Centre is one of the busiest competition centres in the South of England regularly running affiliated and unaffiliated Showjumping and Dressage. We are also a host to many Pony and Riding clubs, clinics, lecture demos, etc.
All our winter competitions are held in the indoor arena measuring 56m x 30m. Adjoining the arena is a horse holding area, a spectators gallery, function room, judges box, toilet block and a café, serving the best quality food, including our famous bacon baps! We also have a new outdoor sand & rubber arena the same size as our indoor arena, offering an excellent warm up facility.
In the summer months we have 2 purpose built grass arenas that are maintained to the highest standards and watered in the event of hard ground.
As with all show centres we strive to put on bigger and better classes and are grateful to our sponsors who have supported us over the years. We are always on the look out for new sponsors and advertisers, and can offer packages to suit all budgets from just £50.
In addition to the competition centre, we have also strived to improve facilities year by year, and we now believe we offer the most competitive and best livery facility in Sussex. Whether you have a competition horse, a hunter or a 14.2hh pony we can cater for them all, each with the same care and attention. We also take horses in for rehabilitation and recuperation after injury or surgery.
All horses are bedded on shavings and are fed top quality hard food and hayledge. We offer individual turn out paddocks and larger keep fields on our 40 acres of hedged and fenced fields.
We offer full, part, competition, hunter and schooling liveries as a base, but individual packages can be arranged to suit our client’s requirements. All full livery services include exercise of your horse according to the job its doing, grooming and tack cleaning, alongside plaiting, trimming and pulling. We are also able to offer an excellent clipping service
We are very lucky in having the support of British team farrier Andrew Casserly as our resident farrier and Alison Kerwin of Equitherapy is our resident Sports & Remedial Therapist. Clients are, of course, welcome to use whomever they choose.
Nick Mills and Howard Newitt of Cinque Ports Vet Associates in Hawkhurst perform most of our medical work, Francis Whittington our dentistry and Andrew Reilly our saddle fitting. Again clients can use whomever they chose.
Golden Cross is also the base for our new resident ‘stable jockey’ Sam Penn. Sam returns to Golden Cross after being away for a couple of years. Whilst away Sam went to work and train with the legendary Irish International Show Jumper, Paul Darragh and for the past 18 months worked for Anne Burnett producing her string of young event horses, which would normally go onto Pippa Funnell. Whilst at Anne’s, Sam was a regular competitor in BYEH classes where she was placed consistently all season and a finalist at QuestX. Sam will take on the rides from Fiona Cardrick who has moved on. These will include, Moonstone Boco Ventre, Fletch and the really smart 4 year old Pumpkin, alongside her newly acquired intermediate horse. Over the past years Golden Cross have produced many top event horses such as Spin Doctor and Chamrock being the most notable. Sam is looking for a few more rides for this season and can be contacted through the website and she is also available for teaching.
Finally we are open to comment, either praise or criticism. If you have any ideas of competitions you would like to be held at Golden Cross, or improvements that you would like to see, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
We look forward to welcoming you to Golden Cross soon.
