The looming closure of the equestrian centre at Newton Rigg, Penrith, has been described as a disaster for riders, drivers and other horse lovers in Cumbria.
The centre has been run since February 2022, by an arm of educational charity Newton Rigg Limited, with many groups and individuals taking advantage of its excellent facilities — but this now looks set to end following the announcement it is to close at the end of this month.
According to the charity, it has been working closely with the site’s landlord and the equine centre team for the last year to turn around a “financially unviable” part of Newton Rigg, but “cannot see a sustainable future for this aspect of the charity”.
A representative said: “Newton Rigg simply cannot afford to underwrite an unprofitable and long-term unsustainable part of the organisation which is not a core part of the educational remit of the charity.
“All other key educational activities remain and continue to grow, including the horticultural courses, advanced dairy management, nature journalling, training for land-based employees, wellbeing, soil management and towards a zero carbon environment for farmers and growers courses.
“The board expresses their sincere thanks to Debbie Wicks (the centre manager) and the equine team for their work during this uncertain and difficult time.”
The news has been greeted with dismay by many users, including some who say they cannot understand why it cannot be kept going given the high level of use it has had.
All agree there is a lack of similar facilities in the county — which include a large outdoor arena, an indoor school with viewing gallery and modern stabling — and that it is a major setback for the equestrian community.
One of the groups who use it most is the Pony Club, the Cumberland Farmers Hunt South (CFHS) branch, which has sessions there two or three times a week over the winter.
This is particularly valued by its 60 or so members under the age of 10, who would be unlikely to attend outdoor sessions in harsh weather conditions.
Branch district commissioner Sarah Harden, from Brougham, said: “It is a disaster for the Pony Club — especially as we are a charity, a branch of an international youth training organisation.
“The majority of professional equine adults started their whole training experience in their local branch of the Pony Club.”
She pointed out that alternative venues in the county are weather dependent, involve long journeys for many members and involve much higher costs.
Also, the branch had been planning to use the centre more frequently in the future, since many of the farmers and landowners who in the past have let the young riders use their fields are no longer willing to do so because of wetter summers and changing agricultural practices.
Sarah said: “As part of government levelling up we seem to have been forgotten in the North West as we have few alternative indoor schools to continue winter
programmes of training.”
She added: “We have a lot of members who don’t compete but who just enjoy time spent with their pony in a safe environment — and that safe space was Newton Rigg.”
Lee-Ann Thomlinson, a committee member of the North West Driving Club, said the closure will have a “massive” impact in Cumbria and could force many drivers to give up the sport, since alternative venues with similar facilities are many miles away.
The club has run three or four events at the equestrian centre every year, each attracting around 20 entries. It first started using it when the former Newton Rigg College was run by York-based Askham Bryan College, which carried out a major improvement of its equestrian facilities in 2014-15.
Lee-Ann added: “We’re gutted. We’re a small club and can’t afford big venues, or to travel to them. What are we to do?”
There were hundreds of comments about the closure on social media, including: “A huge loss for the local equine community. Hopefully another investor comes along as it could be a highly profitable venture.”
Another centre user wrote: “After all the hard work to get it open again. It’s a fantastic venue. What a loss to equestrian sport.”
The centre’s main owner, Eden-based firm AW Jenkinson, has not announced what it plans to do with the site.
