About

Turville Valley Stud  was founded some forty years ago by the late Nan Thurman, and was originally a riding school for children. However, for the past twenty-five years it has been specialising in training horses and riders influenced by traditional Portuguese Classical methods.

Nan and her husband, Eric, fell in love with the Lusitano breed of horse after a chance trip to Portugal.  At the time the breed was not well known in the UK, but return trips were made by Nan and her daughters, Angela and Diane, to learn more about these beautiful Iberians and the Portuguese way of training. Soon four stallions and two mares made their way to Turville and the centre became one of the leaders in breeding and training Lusitanos.

Since the passing of Nan, the yard is now run by Angela (Fois) and Diane (Thurman-Baker).  Both Angela and Diane have competed successfully in various disciplines.  Starting with The Pony Club, they were in show jumping, eventing and mounted games teams. Later they moved to BSJA, British Eventing and British Dressage.  Diane was also on the first British Team for working Equitation on the home bred son of Diabo,  ‘Lucca’.

This calm yet well organised yard is set in the beautiful village of Turville, nestled in the Chiltern Hills.  It is managed by Angela, who gives lessons on the Lusitanos as well as assisting with the schooling. Diane does most of the riding/ training and teaching of visiting Clients and their horses. A small backbone of staff keeps everything running smoothly.   Both Angela and Diane live ‘on site’, one on either side of the stables, so the yard has 24-hour supervision.

There are two very good outdoor arenas, one 20m x 40m and one 20m x 60m.  Horses that come for schooling are kept stabled. Turnout is limited in the winter, but for the rest of the year all the horses, including the stallions, get to have play in the field.

Although we have a number of very well behaved stallions on the yard we are not, at the moment, doing any stud work.  The stallions are working and too many mares around may interfere with their competition performance. For this reason we only take mares in for schooling livery during the winter months.

Angela  and Diane are on the yard most of the time except when they are at competitions with their daughters. Both Diane’s girls compete in dressage, whilst Angela’s prefer to show jump. (See Horses in Competition).

Turville Valley Stud is a British Horse  Society and Association of British Riding Schools  Approved Establishment.