MEET THE TEAM

THE TRAINER

PAUL MIDGLEY

Paul grew up on the family farm at Howsham, located near his current training yard between York and Malton. Surrounded by horses and ponies from a young age, and attending point-to-points with his parents on a weekend sparked his passion for horse racing. After leaving secondary school, he started working with trainer Paul Blockley near Beverley, riding as a jump jockey. After 10 years of riding, Paul became weary of the constant struggle with weight issues and decided to retire to focus on his breaking and pre-training business. His parents, Tim and Wendy, sold the family farm and purchased Sandfield Farm, where Paul dedicated himself to developing the facilities into the establishment we see today. In 2003, he launched his training career, combining his extensive riding experience with a passion for getting the best out of his horses, and so far has sent out over 600 winners from Sandfield Farm, and with hopefully a lot more to come

THE TEAM

Meet the team at Paul Midgley Racing, where every member plays a vital role in our success. Whether caring for our horses daily or ensuring they are impeccably turned out for the big day, meet the individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes, rain or shine, all year round.

TIMMY AND WENDY SNR

Both Paul's parents played a vital role in his early years of training, helping run the yard. They were a massive part of every aspect, and even though they've stepped back a bit, they are still involved and love their days out at the races.

TOM MIDGLEY

At 16, Tom started his career as a successful amateur, winning the novice riders' championship in his first year. This paved the way for his transition to a professional riding career as a conditional. Alongside his riding career, he serves as an assistant trainer to his father, Paul.

MORGAN STEPHENSON

Morgan, who graduated from The National Racing College six years ago, manages a wide array of tasks around the yard, from mucking out to ensuring the horse walker operates smoothly and managing her turnout paddocks. Morgan also goes racing, and her horses are always turned out to perfection at the races.

HANNAH PERRY

Hannah joined us recently from The National Racing College. Each morning, she rides out and alongside her riding duties, she mucks out and oversees paddock swaps and other yard responsibilities. She also takes horses racing, and like the other girls, her horses are turned out immaculately.

ZENA CURTIS

Zena, Marie's teenage daughter, has been coming to the yard since childhood, accompanying her mother on weekends and during summer holidays. As she grew, so did her passion for horses, and now, during school holidays, Zena mucks out and assists with various tasks around the yard, all while learning the ins and outs of the job.

IAN MASON

Ian, or 'Our Ian' as we refer to him, is Mick's elder brother and has been a member of the Midgley team for years. In addition to helping out at the races, there's nothing Ian loves more than going to the horse sales alongside Paul, assisting him in selecting new stock for the upcoming season.

DI HILL

Di grew up on a farm in the nearby area, so she has known Paul and his family all her life. She often lends a hand by stepping in whenever we need an extra driver at the races, whether it's in our wagon or her own. Additionally, Di rehomes retired racehorses and has successfully rehomed many of ours over years.

PEPPA DOG

Tom’s dog is a lively companion who loves to gallop around while Tom rides. You can often see her sprinting across the field when the horses take off at the bottom of the gallop or darting around the outside of the lunge ring.

WENDY MIDGLEY

Wendy, Paul's wife, has been part of the team since 2007 and works alongside Paul, helping with the yard's day-to-day running and the business's administrative side.

RACHEL ANDREWS

Rachel has been a loyal team member at Sandfield for over 12 years and has become an invaluable asset to our yard. She rides out from 6 a.m. every morning before heading to her office job at a local veterinary clinic. On weekends, she often goes racing, driving the box and leading up.

GRACE BELL

Coming straight from The National Racing College six years ago, Grace not only rides out every morning as well as performs other yard duties, but she also drives the box to the races and leads up, always having her horses turned out to a high standard. Recently, she has obtained her amateur license to ride on the track.

MARIE CURTIS

Marie has been a major part of our team for nine years. Working part-time, she mucks out the stables and assists with swapping paddocks and the horse walker. You can always tell where she is in the yard as her two dogs are never far from her side.

MICK MASON

Mick, a long-time friend of the Midgley family, has dedicated countless hours to taking horses racing in his spare time from his job. Now, enjoying his retirement, Mick still comes to the yard to lend a hand. Over the years, Mick has travelled not only the length and breadth of Britain and Scotland for us but also far and wide, accompanying horses to Dubai, Ireland, Doha and France.

CHARLOTTE RUSSELL

Charlotte began riding out for us a couple of mornings a week to prepare for the 2024 York Macmillan Cancer Charity Race. She found it so enjoyable that she now makes it a point to come in early one morning each week, fitting in a couple of lots before heading back to her proper job with Go Racing in Yorkshire.

LISA YOUNG

Lisa worked for us between 2015 and 2018 while she was at college studying to become a physiotherapist. Nowadays, she works full-time at her physio job, but still lends us a hand at the weekends, driving the lorry and looking after the horses at the races.

DAISY DOG

Daisy will spend her morning eagerly awaiting anyone daring enough to throw a stone, happily retrieving it for another round. Nothing makes her happier than when an owner comes to see their horse, as it brings more chances to play fetch or snag a bite of the carrots they might have.