British showjumper Amanda Derbyshire works for the Gochman family, who spend the US winter season in Wellington, Florida. Their yard, Baxter Hill, is in a gated community called Grand Prix Village, adjacent to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), which hosts the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival from January to March each year.
H&H visited to check out this amazing facility — and yes, we admit it, there was some jealousy…
There are 40 stalls (the word “stalls” is more commonly used than “stables” here) set around a central quadrangle.
All the horses have a window front and back, so there is plenty of air in their homes.
The huge school surrounded by greenery and trees sits alongside the stables.
The beautiful entrance to the yard, with sofas and armchairs. The office is off to the left.
Tack trunks in Baxter Hill’s branded blue and gold colours are labelled with each rider’s name.
Lady Maria BH, a 13-year-old mare who has jumped at five-star level, enjoys the view.
Looking up the tree-lined drive to the yard.
Becky Gochman has a passion for healthy living and there is a garden by the house where organic flowers and vegetables are grown. These supply the food outlets she set up in an area called Farm Stand at PBIEC.
Amanda with Lady Maria BH in the cold water spa. “We try to put the older horses in it every time they jump,” says Amanda.
The laundry room has floor-to-ceiling cupboards to keep everything neat.
Amanda walks a course with British 2016 Olympic champion Nick Skelton on the derby field at WEF.
Pictures by tetleyphoto.com
Don’t miss finding out more about WEF and how the horses are kept at Baxter Hill in our Access All Areas feature in this week’s H&H, the second of our popular show guides (issue dated 7 March).
