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About Us -
Hannah
and Robert have had four children; Jane, Johnny, Georgina
and Poppy. All four competed through their pony club years
representing their branch in team competitions.
In
1986, they used their experience from the flat racing world
to take up an amateur licence and train three arabs. During
the year, Jane(aged 16) took up her amateur licence and rode
under rules being able to ride at 7stone 7lbs.
It was a great family affair with Hannah's sister Mary Bancroft
also having a horse in training, Solid Silver, who Jane gained
the ride on. Hannah trained, Jane and Johnny rode out everyday
before school and Robert did all the entering and driving.
During
this period, Jane spent a brief spell working in Newmarket
to gain some expert riding experience from flat trainer Ron
Boss who had had success with many horses that Hannah and
Robert had in training. For more info click
here
In
1987, Jane's committment moved towards eventing. The family
had always competed in Pony Club events and Jane had had success
with one of the first pony's bred at the Heritage Coast Stud
called Heritage Cinnamon. At only 15hh he was certainly one
of the smallest contending the Junior Horse Trials competitions.
However, the long term pony club experience they had proved
valid as they all tripped off to Witton Castle (over 5hrs
in the lorry from home) to take 2nd Place in a JOIT trial
and subsequently be invited to the Junior Championships at
Windsor 3DE in May 1987

Jane riding Heritage
Neptune at the Novice Championships at Somerleyton
Hall 1999
(Photo courtesy of - Anthony Reynolds) |
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Again,
the experience that Hannah had with training the racehorses
led to Heritage Cinnamon's fitness never being an issue at
Windsor and despite bottomless conditions Jane finished the
three day event in 12th place and winning the best turned
out trophy that was awarded by HRH Princess Royal. What was
even more extraordinary was that Hannah had just had Poppy
(born in April) and so in the start box at Windsor was Hannah
running around after oldest child and horse and her sister
in law, Judith Skepper, holding a one month old Poppy!
This
first experience of eventing left an everlasting addiction
for Jane. With the support of her parents, she then spent
the next two years contending in the Young Rider Series on
a mare called Carrie-Anne II with their best result being
10th at Bramham 3DE in 1990. During this whole period, Jane
was studying at Nottingham University and tripped back and
forth between Nottingham and Suffolk every weekend to compete
and Hannah worked the mare to keep her fit and up for competition.
A true family team effort.
After
completing a degree in Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Jane
came home to the stud to start her own subsidiary up of producing
the home bred horses, some bought- in horses, and selling
them on into the competition world. For
more info click here
Jane
has since, with Hannah, been refining the breeding of the
stud's horses to breed top class competition prospects. For
the stud's breeding policy click
here
Poppy
competed in all PC teams and in a few BE Events before going
to St Andrews to study finance.
For more click here
The
next generation is now here with Jane & her husband Piers
(Marson) having two daughters, Ada & Eve who are both
keen riders despite being only 5 and 3 respectively.

L-R
Ada on Elvis being led by Aunty Poppy, Eve on Trixie being
led by Mum, Jane
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