MEET THE TEAM
Alan Hill - Point to Point Trainer
Alan rode 147 winners as an amateur jockey, including two Aintree Foxhunters and the Cheltenham Foxhunters. Alan took up training in 1986, and has since trained over 380 point to point winners and 30 Hunter Chase winners. Alan rides out everyday and combines training with running a 1,000 acre farm!
Likes: Marmalade on toast, Liverpool FC
Dislikes: Curry, bad drivers
Favourite horse: A winner!
Lawney Hill - National Hunt Trainer
After a successful amateur career in the saddle, in 2006 Lawney took out a National Hunt licence. Since, she has trained over 200 winners, with many notable successes, such as the Summer Plate. Lawney has also co-presented fixtures at Cheltenham and Stratford for Racing TV, as well as many Point to Points.
Likes: Seafood, professionalism
Dislikes: Slow people and slow horses!
Favourite horse: Mr Snowman
Joe Hill - Assistant Trainer
Joe rode 74 winners between the flags and 10 Hunter Chase winners, but unfortunatley had to retire from race riding due to injury. Joe has taken on the roll of Assistant Trainer with great enthusiasm, bringing knowledge from other yards he has worked at, such as Gordon Elliot, Paul Nicholls, Charlie Longsdon and Harry Whittington. Joe is brilliant at race planning and is a crucial part of the yard's success.
Likes: Cricket, Formula One, Pints
Dislikes: Ted in a mood
Favourite horses: Consigliere, Ravethebrave & Hawkhurst
Izzie Marshall - Stable Jockey
Izzie joined the team in 2016 as a Novice Rider, and with the help of Alan, Lawney, and partner Joe, she has climbed up the ranks and is now one of the top female British point to point jockeys, finishing 2nd in the Ladies Championship for the last 4 years. Izzie has now ridden over 90 winners between the flags and under rules and juggles racing and riding out with her job for the Racecourse Association.
Likes: Dogs, roast dinners & skiing
Dislikes: Slow walkers
Favourite horse: Too many! Start Royal, Normofthenorth, Back Bar, Goleirihem & Getting Closer
Kayleigh Ward - Head Girl
Kayleigh joined the team in 2020 and now manages the other point to point yard at Woodway Farm. As well as making sure the morning on the ground runs smoothly, Kayleigh is in charge of all medical and veterinary care, which she is brilliant at. The dogs of Woodway Farm also adore Kayleigh, so she is regularly looking after them and holding the fort on raceday!
Likes: Soju, bubble tea and sushi
Dislikes: Mushrooms and cucumbers
Favourite horse: Loves all of them!
Walter Barnett - Yard Novice Jockey
Walter joined the team in 2022 as a novice jockey having never ridden racing. Walt has since flourished and gained lots of experience and has now ridden 3 winners! Racing has always been a huge passion for Walt, and after five seasons pony racing he joined Paul Nicholls’ yard in Dicheat for two years. He has since spent the summers riding out for John Gosden and Gordon Elliott gaining great experience. Walt is a key member of the team and rides lots of the strong pullers!
Likes: Fitness, socialising and Dartmoor
Dislikes: Britain’s roads!
Favourite horse: Polydora and Clondaw Westie
Rowie Rhys-Jones - Secretary
Rowie joined the team 5 years ago and is a major asset to Woodway Farm. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the job as she was secretary to Nicky Henderson at Seven Barrows for 22 years. Rowie is up at the crack of dawn and definitely leaves no stone unturned!
Likes: Neighbours
Dislikes: Neighbours being axed!
Favourite horse: Clondaw Westie
Harriet Beeby-Wynn - Work Rider
Harriet joined the team in August 2022 and has become a great asset to the yard as she currently events at Intermediate level and show jumps at 1.30m! She has adapted fantastically to riding racehorses and has become a key jockey when schooling over hurdles and fences, and is also great at calming down the buzzy and whizzy horses. Harriet had her first ride in a point to point and its now safe to say she has caught the racing bug!
Likes: Dogs, gin, snowboarding, cake & pubs
Dislikes: Pickles, slow horses & falling off
Favourite horse: Shewearsthewellies
Saffron Thornhill - Work Rider
Saffron has grown up doing lots of eventing and showjumping, but she is really keen to start race riding having got the racing bug from working at Andrew Balding's. Saffron is currently in her second year at Oxford University studying Human Science, and she now comes in most mornings to ride out before her lectures. We are very lucky to have Saffron as she has quickly become an invaluable team member who can ride everything in the yard! Saffron is hoping to have her first spin in a race on Diplomate Sivola who the Thornhill family now own.
Likes: Horses, apple crumble, mojitos
Dislikes: Essays, cold feet, cycling
Favourite horses: IK and Paul Manate
Bex Smith - Yard Staff
Bex joined Woodway Farm this season and has become a key member of the yard team. As well as gaining an Equine Science degree, she has successfully retrained ex-racehorses in a variety of disciplines - and even made Down Royal Racehorse to Riding Horse Ireland Reserve Champion with The Grassy in 2017. Bex has also trained horses to do trick riding whilst working for the Devil's Horsemen on Games of Thrones!
Likes: Horses, dogs, cooking, and tack cleaning
Dislikes: Housework
Favourite horses: Threeunderthree (because she's pretty) and Getting Closer (because he's very cute)!
Paige Khun - Full Time Team Member
Woodway Farm is the first racing yard that Paige has worked at, but she has thrown herself into riding racehorses and is always smiling. Paige grew up around horses but did not start riding until she was 13 years old. Now an accomplished rider, she enjoys days out trail hunting.
Likes: Dogs, especially whippets and lurchers
Dislikes: Winter and marmite
Favourite horse: Doddie's Impact and I K Brunel
Ebony Yates - Work Rider & Racing Groom
Ebony started riding out at Woodway Farm in 2022 and is now in most mornings when she's not in lectures at Oxford Brookes University where she studies Physiotherapy. Growing up in Wiltshire doing lots of hunting, Ebony has turned her hand well to riding racehorses, and has now led up lots of winners and is a key member of the team on race day. Ebony adores all the horses, she's always chatting and we love having her smiley face around!
Likes: Hunting, the pub, chocolate, and going racing
Dislikes: Being cold and wet and slow drivers
Favourite horses: Serenisa and Reikers Island
Kaitlin Fryer - Full Time Team Member & Novice Jockey
Kaitlin joined the team ahead of the 2022/23 season having previously worked full time in National Hunt Racing for Charlie Longsdon. Although she hasn't ridden in a race yet, Kaitlin has ambitions to gain her Point to Point license and use her experience from Pony Racing and cross country riding. Kaitlin is really enjoying schooling different types of horses everyday - ranging from old handicappers to unraced 3yos! She's always smiling and is a great addition to our team.
Likes: All things horse racing, schooling, and mountain biking
Dislikes: Horses that walk slow!
Favourite horse: Polydora, Threeunderthree and No More No
Liam Stanley - Work Rider
Liam joined the team in 2022 after attending a lecture about the horse racing industry that Lawney gave at Berkshire College of Agriculture where he studied Equine Management. A work placement at Hughie Morrison's confirmed for Liam that he wanted to undertake a career in the racing industry, and has since been working at Wooday every spare minute he has when he's not at college. Liam has been riding from a young age and has been constantly improving, and ultimately hopes to become a jockey one day.
Likes: Dogs, chocolate, and going racing
Dislikes: Being cold and wet, and laziness
Favourite horses: Runforyourmoney and I K Brunel
Louise Neasham - Full Time Team Member
Louise started riding when she was six years old and since then, she hasn't looked back! She joined the team in Summer 2023 as she is currently taking a gap year after finishing her A Levels, and she hopes to apply to Veterinary School at the end of the year.
Likes: Dogs, anything to do with horses and music
Dislikes: Mud or the English weather!
Favourite horse: Doddie's Impact
Ellia Houghton - Work Rider
Originally from Cheshire, Ellia has started riding out at the yard whilst she is studying Real Estate at Oxford Brookes University. Having grown up on ponies and doing lots of showjumping, Ellia really caught the racing bug whilst working on a National Hunt Stud yard. Seeing racehorses progress from taking their first steps as foals to the sales ring as store horses and then the winners enclosure is her favourite part! Ellia is always smiling and we love having her as part of the team.
Likes: Aperol, skiing, labradors
Dislikes: Cyclists and the English weather!
Favourite horses: Serenisa
Yard Security
Bertram
Guinness
Ted