PEOPLE of all ages were treated to two stunning demonstrations by Ben Atkinson and his Action Horses at Richmond Equestrian Centre, near Tunstall.

The Atkinson family, who diversified from dairy farming into equestrian work, have been providing horses and riders for TV and films, photo shoots and live events for more than 25 years.

The show on Sunday, September 26 was the first time Ben and his horses had made the journey to Richmond Equestrian Centre.

“The warmth of our welcome from both the crowds and staff at Richmond Equestrian centre was matched only by the glorious weather," said Ben. "As always it was a true joy to share our passion and see the happiness each horse we work alongside brings us reflected in every single face within the audience."

Ben excels in the live performance side of the industry, but the shows are very much a family affair. His mum Jill in charge of the music and organisation, his fiancée, Georgie Jackson, is part of the ridden demonstrations and his dad Mark, provides horses for re-enactment, jousting, film and TV work.

Ben’s career in horses started when he was 11 with Roman riding, and he built his own show team of riders and horses when he was 16. By the time he was 18, he was performing at some of the biggest shows in the UK, including Horse of the Year Show. Ben also performs internationally and has trained horses in Dubai and has horse mastered on Bollywood films in India.

Andrew and Abigail Turnbull, owners of Richmond Equestrian Centre, said: “We feel very privileged that Ben and his team enjoyed their time with us. We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather, which was the icing on the cake to two incredible demonstrations of beautiful horsemanship and riding.

"We have had to delay Ben coming to Richmond Equestrian Centre several times since the Covid-19 pandemic, but we are so pleased we managed to get them booked in before the end of the year. We are already planning Ben coming back for another show/stunt type performance in 2022.

“It felt great to have spectators back at Richmond Equestrian Centre, with people enjoying the facilities and the show that Ben and his team put on. We look forward to doing a lot more events like this."

To see what’s on at Richmond Equestrian Centre, visit www.richmondequestriancentre.co.uk, or see their Facebook and Instagram pages.