Behind Westfield Farm is a small, passionate team who simply love what they do — sharing the joy of horses and the satisfaction of learning and riding well.
At the centre of it all is Sylvia, owner and proprietor, whose story and experience have inspired the welcoming, family-run spirit of Westfield Farm Equestrian Centre.
About Sylvia
I was born with a congenital hip condition and, following surgery as a toddler, began riding to help strengthen my hips — and that’s where the horse bug truly began. I started lessons at seven and never looked back.
My first job was leading donkeys and ponies on the beach, then riding them back to the trailer. By the end of that summer, I’d earned a weekend job at the local riding school and was teaching my first lead rein lessons by the age of ten. After leaving school, I became a working pupil, completing my BHSAI and BHSII, and worked my way up through a busy commercial riding centre to become Head Girl.
Alongside this, I trained Point-to-Point horses, and I later spent several years working for renowned racehorse trainer Mary Reveley. My own horses went on to show jump, event, hunt, and team chase, and I became actively involved in Pony Club and Riding Clubs, teaching and training games teams.
In the late 1980s, I opened my own riding school, which I ran successfully for several years before moving into the world of Dressage. What began as a favour for a Riding Club team quickly turned into a lifelong passion — we won, I affiliated, and soon I was selected as a Young Rider, competing internationally in Germany (CDI) and riding at PSG Small Tour level on horses I had trained from novice.
I went on to train for my BHSI, becoming both a British Horse Society Examiner and a British Dressage Judge. My love of teaching extended beyond the arena — I lectured in Equine Studies at Askham Bryan College and later became Head of Equine at Queen Ethelburga’s College.
After taking some time to focus on family life and farming, I continued to ride, compete, and teach freelance — while also helping with the livestock during lambing and calving seasons! In 2023, I began a new chapter by purchasing Westfield Farm, and by June 2025, the Equestrian Centre was up and running.
Today, Westfield Farm Equestrian Centre brings together everything I’ve learned and loved throughout my lifelong journey with horses — a welcoming, supportive place where riders of all ages and abilities can grow in confidence and enjoy the incredible bond that horses bring.
