Wellington Riding equestrian centre in Hampshire is to redevelop its facilities at a cost of £750,000 in a bid to become a training centre for one of the Olympic teams in 2012.
Planning permission was granted by Hart District Council for a new club house with a shop, restaurant, lecture hall and changing rooms.
Building will began this winter and the centre will be lobbying hard to attract one of the Olympic equestrian teams.
General manager John Sillett said: “We’d like to get a team here. We’ve good facilities and now they will be even better, and we’re close to London. We’re hoping to build over the winter and be ready for 2011.
“This will mean we can offer some of the best facilities of any equestrian centre in the country and ensure that Wellington Riding will attract some of the world’s best riders in the lead-up to 2012.”
The British Horse Society approved centre has 400 members, 50 horses at livery and a further 70 riding school horses and ponies.
It is based in the Duke of Wellington’s 8000-acre Hampshire estate between Reading and Basingstoke.
