Charlie Lane is one of Britain's foremost experts in equestrianism. There are few areas of competitive horse riding in which he has not competed successfully and this, combined with considerable experience in a wide variety of roles within the equine industry give him an equestrian curriculum vitae that is hard to equal. He is widely employed as an equestrian consultant, particularly in the role of an equestrian expert witness.
Charlie Lane
Jo Lane, having started her working life in the racing industry moved on to develop an extensive knowledge of horse insurance as a broker. She has been actively involved with horses all her life, including managing a small top quality livery yard. She is a member of the organising committee for the Hannah Francis One Day Event
Jo Lane
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Lane Equestrian Consultants Ltd. Coach Road Farm
Barrow Water Lane
South Brewham
Bruton Somerset BA10 0LP
Mob: +447990 562046
Mob: +447765 352423
Contact
In the last thirty five years Charlie Lane has:
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Provided over 2000 written expert witness reports for over 400 firms of solicitors as both a single and as a joint expert.
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Given oral evidence on over 140 occasions, in both the County Court and the High Court, in cases involving all areas of equestrianism.
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Been instructed in UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa
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Mentored others within the horse industry.
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Been instructed as an equestrian expert witness on more than one occasion for or by:
Solicitors:
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Clyde & Co https://www.clydeco.com/en
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DWF Law LLP https://dwfgroup.com/en
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Knights https://www.knightsplc.com/
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Kennedys https://kennedyslaw.com/en/
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DAC Beachcroft https://www.dacbeachcroft.com/en/
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RWK Goodman https://www.rwkgoodman.com/
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Express Solicitors https://www.expresssolicitors.co.uk/
Insurers
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Markel International
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NFU Mutual
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Liberty Specialty Markets
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RSA Insurance
Charlie is aware of the rules concerning the provision of expert evidence, and of the need to meet deadlines set by instructing solicitors and by the Court.
Charlie is well known and respected within the equine industry and is happy to provide supporting references from solicitors or within the industry. He was the leading expert witness for the Defence in the case Mirvahedy v Henley.
If his area of expertise is not suited to a particular case he will be happy to provide the name of a suitable contact who will be able to provide the appropriate advice.
He is prepared to travel world-wide and has experience of the equine industry in France, Germany and the USA.
Charlie has been instructed by Trading Standards Departments for Wiltshire, West Berkshire and South Gloucestershire.
Charlie continues to train horses, riding or competing on most days, as well as coaching other riders and undertaking high level practical roles within horseracing and eventing. He is capable of riding most horses, should this be desirable; this includes problem horses and young racehorses. He is insured to carry out these ridden assessments.
Charlie remains physically fit, riding, running, cycling or swimming most days and competing at laser run, biathle, triathle and modern pentathlon as a GB Masters athlete at World Championship level.
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Competed successfully on a number of horses up to and including British Eventing Advanced level
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Past winner British Eventing Open Championships
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Showjumped in British Showjumping Discovery and Foxhunter classes
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Ran small quality competition/hunter livery yard, including schooling young and problem horses
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Ridden out racehorses for many different trainers and raced as a successful Category B Amateur Jockey
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Broken in (i.e. trained from unridden) competition and Thoroughbred horses,
personally and in racing yards.
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Managed training of military horses for The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
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Played low-goal polo, horseball, tent pegging
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Current British Horse Society Stage 4 Senior Coach
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British Eventing Level 2 Coach
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Pony Club Coach
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Current Equine Specific First Aid Certificate, current Safeguarding Certificate and Disclosure & Barring Certificate
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Head of Equine Business Management at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester,
1994-99
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Member of the Animal Care's Equine Training Organisation Horsemastership Working Group.
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Speaker at major British Equestrian Federation, British Horse Society, Pony Club, Association of British Riding Schools, Medical Equestrian Association, Health and Safety and other equestrian litigation seminars.
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Current Steward’s Panel Chair in the South of England, for National Hunt and Flat meetings, including Cheltenham, and on Point-to-Point courses.
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For 16 years held a Category B Amateur Licence, allowing me to race against
professional jockeys, in UK and Germany, in both flat and jump races.
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Past winner of the Grand Military Gold Cup.
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Manager of the Racecourse Department of The Jockey Club and National Point-to-Point
Controller, 1999-2000.
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Joint author (50% contribution) of British Horseracing Board Racecourse Training
Manual.
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Jockey Club assessor for steeplechasers with poor jumping record.
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Independent Chair of Selectors for British Eventing Youth Performance Teams.
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Chaired disciplinary panels for the British Equestrian Federation, British Eventing and
British Showjumping.
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British Eventing and Pony Club Steward.
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Team Manager of the British Three-Day Event Team (1992-6) during which time the
Team were World and European Champions and 5th at the Atlanta Olympics.
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Former member of British Eventing Rules Committee.
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Served as Chair of the Medical Sub-Committee of the British Eventing Standing Committee on Safety of Cross-Country Courses in Eventing.
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Health and Safety Adviser to International One-Day Event.
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Health & Safety advice to racing, eventing, and horse welfare yards and riding schools, and an international horse competition, including preparation of Risk Assessment and Health & Safety Policy.
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Equestrian professional on Harper Adams/Warwickshire University College Equine Degrees Validation Panel.
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Member of DEFRA initiated Working Group investigating methods to counter increasing equestrian related insurance premiums.
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Commanding Officer, The King's Troop RHA, 1991-93, with responsibilities for 120 horses and 180 personnel including Farriers, Saddlers, Veterinary Officer, Horsebox Drivers, Grooms, Foragemen and Equitation Instruction Staff.
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Second-in-Command, The King's Troop RHA, 1985-88.
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Advanced Military Equitation Course 1984-85, top student.
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MA (Hons) Agriculture and Forest Science (Oxon)
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Postgraduate Diploma Equine Science, University College of Wales (Aberystwyth)
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Member of the Chartered Management Institute
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Coach
Charlie Lane is a Current British Horse Society Stage 4 Senior Coach, British Eventing Level 2 Coach and Pony Club Coach. He has a current Equine Specific First Aid certificate, current Safeguarding Certificate and Disclosure & Barring Certificate.
From 1992-1996 Charlie was Team Manager of the British Three Day Event Team (during which time the team were World and European Champions and 5th at the Atlanta Olympics).
He teaches riders of all ages including established competitive event riders as well as those who aspire to ride in eventing, show jumping and dressage competitions.
He has taught at Pony Clubs in both Britain and Ireland, and having two children of his own come through the Pony Club system he has an excellent understanding of the importance of the Pony Club in producing confident and enthusiastic young riders.
Charlie's aims when teaching are to use a combination of humour, encouragement and clear instruction to instil confidence between horse and rider. He is aware of the importance of using safe techniques while encouraging the rider to strive to reach a higher level of performance than they believed themselves capable of achieving.
Horse Trainer
Charlie Lane has been involved in training horses and ponies since an early age and continues to do so today. Charlie has trained many young horses to be ridden with a kind, sympathetic and when necessary firm but never rough approach. He is skilled at backing, long-reining and lunging horses both during their early stages of training and as they mature.
Charlie has taken horses from having been untrained or just broken to compete at up to Advanced Eventing level and to race in point-to-points. He has trained talented horses to produce their best both on the flat and over jumps. He has extensive experience of training and re-training problem
horses.
Charlie benefits from his slight build which has allowed him to ride a wide variety of horses including ponies and young racehorses.
Speaker & Lecturer
Charlie has lectured professionally for these organisations:
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Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester
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Warwickshire College
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British Horse Society
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British Equestrian Federation
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Pony Club
Charlie is frequently a panel member for seminars organised by solicitors, barristers and insurers considering risk and litigation in the horse industry.
As Head of Equine Business Management at The Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, Charlie lectured on the British Equine Industry, Breeding and Equestrian Business Management.
He was responsible for organising and leading study tours of the equine industries in France, Germany and Kentucky, USA. He provided career advice to students including placements in high-profile organisations and companies. Graduates who studied under Charlie are now in a variety of key
positions within the industry.
Jo Lane
Jo Lane has ridden all her life, competing as a Pony Club rider and hunting with the HH and was brought up on a Thoroughbred Stud. It was therefore natural that she should move into employment in the equestrian industry.
As Secretary to one of the first racing syndicates specialising in group ownership of a number of racehorses she gained a strong understanding both of the racing industry and the commercial opportunities available in racehorse ownership.
In her time at the National Trainers' Federation (the professional body for licensed racehorse trainers) she advised trainers on a daily basis concerning the problems they regularly face. These included employment issues, contracts, owner disputes and regulation, including disciplinary inquiries.
On leaving the National Trainer's Federation Jo moved into horse insurance first with Kershaw Bloodstock Insurance (now KBIS) and then with Pet Plan Equestrian, where she managed 'Bloodlines', their specialist racehorse insurance department. She handled insurance claims including claims for all risks of mortality, veterinary fees, loss of use and as well as specialist breeding insurance. She was responsible for providing insurance cover for racehorses and stud stock of up to £5 million in value, as well as international eventers, show jumpers and dressage horses. Her advice on insurance issues, including actual and potential claims is regularly sought by horse owners.
She has managed her own livery and competition yard of eventers and hunters, providing an exclusive service to livery owners which included the training and preparation of their horses.
From 1998-2004 she was a Director of the Event Horse Owners Association, a body formed to represent the views of event horse owners in the sport of Eventing.
Jo was closely involved with the South & West Wilts Branch of the Pony Club during the time her two children were members and she is fully aware of the issues facing parents whose children ride ponies.
Jo is proud to support Hannah's Willberry Wonder Pony Charity and is a member of the Organising Committee for the annual Hannah Francis One Day Event.
Jo is responsible for the day to day running of Lane Equestrian and with her extensive knowledge of horses she is well-placed to help with initial enquiries directed towards the company. She is also the main contact in relation to horse insurance issues.