VERITY SAUL
PROPRIETOR
BHS SCCH (Senior Coach in Complete Horsemanship) BD Accredited Trainer UKCC level 3
British Dressage Accredited Trainer. Group 3 dressage rider.
Verity has trained to and competed at Prix St Georges and Inter 1 on Debutante (Abi). Verity is currently competing up to Medium level on Gaya.
Qualified First Aid at Work.
Verity has been the Owner of Witham Villa since 8 October 1992.
Verity was the winner of the British Dressage Steele Salver in 2010 and has represented the Northern Region at the BD Senior Home International riding for England on 3 separate occasions.
Winning Instructor of 17& Under, 18 and Over British Horse Society National Riding Schools Championship and 17 & Under Dressage Championship
Verity is the home trainer for India Durman-Mills and Escade, Team Bronze Medalists in the 2022 Junior Europeans and again in the 2023 Young Rider European Championships. They are now competing in Young Rider classes at PSG level.
She has also previously competed in Affiliated Show Jumping to Newcomers, and Horse Trials at Pre-Novice level.
Runner-up in the Leicester Mercury Women in Business Awards in the Entrepreneur of the Year category in 2017 .
Verity now specialises in dressage training, with a holistic approach. Lessons on your own horse, or on one of the Witham Villa schoolmasters. Lunge lessons available. Verity is a passionate coach, keen to develop all horses and riders to achieve their individual goals in a progressive manner.
ALISON WEST
YARD MANAGER
BHS PTT, NVQ 3
Alison was welcomed back into the team in September 2010. She had worked here as Yard Manager previously, before having her daughter and then running a private livery yard.
As well as the general running of the yard and teaching, Alison is involved in the training of the horses at Witham Villa and has competed Crossdrum Dexter in dressage. She then competed on V (Victor) in Affiliated dressage at Elementary and Medium level. In her first season she qualified for the Petplan Area Festival, finishing in 5th place with 66.4%. The pair qualified for the BD Summer Regionals at Elementary Silver.
SERINA GONCHAKOV
INSTRUCTOR & DRESSAGE GROOM
BHS CCH, ABRS ITA, NVQ 3
Serina joined Witham Villa having worked in both England and the USA in large studs and competing national standard in the UK and USA in western riding and showing.
Serina teaches at Witham Villa. She also assists Verity with the dressage horses.
Serina schools horses and ponies that are at Witham Villa.
Serina currently competes Bertie (Bolt Out of The Blue) in affiliated dressage at Elementary level, training towards Medium at home. They finished in 10th place in the Novice Silver Area Festival
She previously competed at Affiliated level in British Dressage with Monty (Monsoleil) up to Elementary level. They qualified for the Summer 2013 Regionals at Prelim and the Winter Regionals at Novice. Serina and Monty were Sheepgate Tack and Togs national Prelim champions in 2013. They qualified for the Summer 2014 Regionals at Elementary and again in 2015and 2016. They qualified for the Elementary Silver section for the 2017 BD Summer Regionals.
Monty has since retired to go and live with Serina
KELLY MASTERMAN-SMITH
Instructor, Junior Trainee Co-ordinator
ABRS ITA, NVQ 3
Kelly joined us on a trainee scheme, she had ridden with us prior to starting work and has now achieved her NVQ 2 in Horsecare and Riding and her NVQ 3. and ABRS ITA for teaching.
She enjoys working with her clients, both children and adults and seeing them enjoy their lessons and make progress.
She has now taken on responsibity for heading up the Witham Villa Junior Trainee scheme.
LOUISE MELLOR
FREELANCE INSTRUCTOR
BHS CCH, BHS level 4 Lunge, Level 4 Senior Ride for Training Dressage.
Louise has show jumped affiliated riding her old mare, "Hole in One", starting out at British Novice, competing all round the country and going up the ranks to competing at Foxhunter level.
She competed Encore Soleil (Solly) in affiliated dressage from Prelim through to Elementary level and the pair qualified for the British Dressage Elementary Restricted Summer Regionals 2015.
Louise has headed up a Riding School team in the BD Team Quest competition series 2014, competing in the Novice section.
Louise also has her own show jumping horse, Coco Van Het Eelshof (Coco B), who she has competed in British Showjumping affiliated competitions. She is now also competing her successfully in Affiliated dressage. They qualified for the Elementary Silver BD Summer Regionals in 2017 and are now through to the Petplan Area Festival Semi-Finals at Medium Bronze having come 3rd at Sheepgate Area Festival. Louise has now successfully competed her up to Advanced Medium.
Louise now has a young horse, Bea who she is training up.
She is a passionate coach and is keen for her riders to achieve their personal goals.
Nicola Monks
NICOLA MONKS
FREELANCE INSTRUCTOR
BHS CCH
Nicola has spent most of her life around horses taking the opportunity to ride her daughters advanced horse whenever possible.
She thoroughly enjoyed training for the BHS Qualifcation. Her initial training was at Brooksby Melton College. Nicola then moved onto train with Nick Creaton (BHSI & BHS Chief Examiner).
Nicola is a BHS Accredited Professional Coach and teaches riders of all ages and ability and thoroughly enjoys seeing riders progress and grow in confidence.
Helen Jackson
Freelance Instructor
BHS CCH
Helen started teaching at Witham Villa in 2019. Having grown up through pony club, riding any pony she could borrow, then working on a variety of yards from show jumping ponies to dressage horses and point to pointers. Helen brings to her teaching a wealth of knowledge not only of different horses but also working with a wide range of riders and their differing needs.
More latterly Helen has successfully competed her RoR from fresh off the racetrack to BE 100 eventing and Elementary dressage. Qualifying for multiple area and regional championships along the way, including winning the 2015 RoR Prelim Championship on 80.58% and the RoR Novice Championship in 2017 with 72%.
Currently she is retraining her new ex racehorse who she brought home a week after his last race, with the plan that he becomes another high level all-rounder.
India Durman-Mills
Freelance Instructor. Dressage Rider.
BHS Stage 2 Teach. BHS Stage 2 Complete. British Dressage Recognised Coach UKCC Level 2
India learnt to ride at Witham Villa and has trained for and passed her BHS exams here too.
India was selected for the British Dressage Foundation Camp for three consecutive years and in 2021 and 2022 she was one of only 12 riders in Great Britain chosen for the BD National Academy.
She has been selected for and represented Great Britain at two International shows in 2021, and again in 2022 as a Junior (riding tests at Advanced Medium level)
She is now on the Under 21 International Pathway Squad.
She then moved up to compete at PSG level finished in 2nd place in the Area Festival Championships in April.
In May 2022 she was selected to represent Great Britain as part of the Junior Nations Cup Team in Le Mans, France. The team finished in Bronze medal and then India and Eddie were 3rd in the Junior Individual test and 3rd in the Junior Freestyle test with 75%.
In August she was selected with Eddie for the British Junior Team for the European Championships and we are delighted that the team won Bronze. This was the first time a British Junior team had been in the medals since the 70’s, so a great achievement.
India and Eddie have now stepped up to Young Rider level and won both classes at Arena Uk High Profile show with plus 70% scores.
The pair are PSG Silver Winter Champions after winning the title at Hartpury in 2023.
India and Eddie have competed Internationally at Young Rider level at a number of shows in 2023. They were selected for the Nations Cup Team at Le Mans, with the Team finishing in First Place. They then placed 2nd in the Individual test in 70% and 4th in the Freestyle on 73.9%.
They were selected for the Young Rider team to compete at the European Championships in Pilisjasfalu in Hungary, becoming Team Bronze Medalists. They finished in 18th place in the Individual thereby qualifying for the Freestyle when they finished in 15th Place.
Sarah-Jayne King
Level 2 Equine Groom. BHS Stage 1 Complete Horsemanship. BHS Stage 2 Care and Lunge
Sarah joined the Witham Villa staff as an apprentice, having previously been on our Witham Villa Junior Trainee Scheme, having ridden at Witham for 8 years.
Sarah enjoys her job and particularly helping with the Witham Villa Pony Club.
Laura Adderley
Instructor
BHS Stage 2 Teach, BHS Stage 2 Complete.
Laura has ridden at Witham Villa since she was younger and then joined us on the Apprenticeship scheme.
She has now passed her BHS Stage 1 and 2 exams and Stage 2 Teach
She enjoys working with horses and has her own horse that she competes in dressage and show jumping.
Jessie Potter
Instructor
BHS Stage 2 Teach, BHS Stage 2 Complete. NVQ Level 2 Equine Groom,
Jessie joined Witham Villa from school and has since successfully completed her Level 2 apprenticeship, BHS Stage 1, Stage 2 Care and lunge, Stage 2 Teach.
Jessie has her own horse.
Mia Osborne
Apprentice. BHS Stage 1 Complete, BHS Stage 2 Care and Lunge
Mia has jumped to pony fox hunter (110)affiliated with her 148 pony Carrowmeer Hero who has been her main pony for the past 3 years, he has taken her from never competing to 110’s and leading the pony bsja bronze league final, jumping at Welsh Home Pony International and British Showjumping National Championships.