Dean’s love affair with horses goes back to childhood when he used to ride ponies in local competitions and when he also took an interest in the broodmares owned by his grandfather.
During his father Ken’s time as a trainer, Dean would ride out and school the horses and he played an enthusiastic and key role in all aspects of the training operation.
In 2002, Ken handed over the reins to Dean and the winners have continued to flow from Harper Lodge Farm consistently ever since. He has already trained over 500 winners and the stable goes from strength to strength.
Dean’s quiet but confident and considered approach in both training the horses and communicating with owners filters down to all the staff and there is a very warm, friendly but professional atmosphere at Harper Lodge Farm.
Having started off as an owner himself, Dean knows the importance of communication: “Relationships with owners are important to me because as an owner, I learnt that this personal liaison makes so much difference.”