Facilities
October Farm is owned by Barry and Karen Carter. The yard’s extensive facilities include 60m x 25m outdoor school, indoor school, jumping paddock, horse walker, horse solarium, individual turnout and wonderful hacking over Thursley and Hankley Commons.
The Team
We have a great team on site looking after our horses and choosing new young stock to bring on as showjumpers or eventers. It's important for us to feel that everyone is involved in the yard and the progress of each horse. Tom Monaghan Tom and his dogs Gucci and lop-sided Eric, are now based at October Farm and living on site. Tom has been an international groom for the last 10 years with some of the best riders in the world, including John Whitaker, Michael Whitaker and Billy Twomey. He has also spent time in the USA working with one of their leading riders, Margie Engle. Tom specialises in bringing on youngsters and keeps his horses here. He's a great help around the place and the tea room has never been so neat. |
| Tom on Dalton |
Lisa Roper
Lisa joined us with Tom and helps out at weekends if she isn't busy doing accounts (which is her day job). She is half-mad but knows lots about horses. A litlle known fact about Lisa is that she groomed for Sharon Hunt and Tankers Town for many years at Badminton -wow!
Hannah Quinton
Hannah has joined us from The Funnell's. She has worked with Tom in the past and lives on site too. Hannah is now the proud owner (or should that be Mum?) of a pygmy goat. We can thank Malcolm for that!
Holly Carter Holly, daughter of Barry and Karen, reluctantly goes to school in Winchester, but would rather be at the yard all day. She is an enthusiastic rider and loves competing her horses, Luna and Phoebe, in eventing and showjumping competitions. She also keeps borrowing her Dad’s horses to show him how it is done. Holly and Phoebe had a great Summer in 2011, coming 2nd in the National Pony Club Championships in Intermediate Eventing. |
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Karen Carter Karen currently doesn’t ride, but we are working on that and hope to get her out hacking one day. She does love shopping however and is in charge of acquisitions from feed to horses. She occasionally helps out on the yard and in the office, so people have to be nice to her if they want to get paid (or fed). |
Barry Carter Barry tries to keep up with his daughter on his smart eventers, Tom and Nemo, but he will have to admit defeat one day. He works full-time so is very rarely seen with a shavings fork. |
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Security
Provided by Gnasher, Smasher, Mauler, Ripper and Slasher (aka Cookie, Buzz, Bertie, Eric and Gucci) who are happy to provide their services in exchange for Bonio biscuits. Any job too big for them is passed on to Spiker - the yard cat.