Polaris Ranger at the prestigious Bourne Hill Stables
Bourne Hill Stables, the state-of-the-art show jumping yard in Horsham, West Sussex, and home to top international showjumper Jane Annett and her partner Roland Standley, utilise a fleet of Polaris Rangers, proving to be the ultimate workhorse fit to service their 200 acres of land and assist with any task.
Since moving to Bourne Hill Stables six years ago, Jane and Roland have completed a major redevelopment of the grounds to make Bourne Hill Stables one of the most exclusive and prestigious equestrian developments in the UK.
Alongside the 25 turnout paddocks and ebb and flow sand arena, the outdoor natural turf show jumping arena is the third of its kind to be built worldwide, using a 13000 M3 natural turf profile similar to that used at Hickstead and the RDS Arena. Soil is a critical component, using 4,000 tonnes of Landscape20 topsoil instead of sand to allow for natural nutrient retention, surface stability and moisture retention. The bypass drainage system that connects the surface to the gravel raft underneath allows the arena to be ridden on year-round.
With this cutting-edge system in place, it’s the Polaris Ranger that Bourne Hill Stables trust as a vehicle that’s light enough to navigate the arena without damaging the surface underneath, whilst the Versatrac Turf Mode unlocks the rear differential to avoid tearing up the grass.
Having used UTV vehicles for many years, Jane and Roland settled on the Polaris Ranger back in 2012 after discovering its off-road capabilities and build quality, and haven’t looked back since.
“After owning over 10 Polaris Rangers over the last 10 years, we’ve found out they are one of the most versatile tools we have to manage this very busy stable environment. They’re reliable, durable, and most importantly, they do not get stuck. Turf mode is a game-changer. It means we can go literally anywhere over the 200 acres of land and not cause any damage. That, plus two-wheel drive and on-demand four-wheel-drive modes mean the Ranger does not get stuck. We can go to the furthest, muddiest part of a field to reach our horses with no issues at all.”
Using the Polaris Ranger for all sorts of tasks, including feeding the horses and foals in the fields, checking fencing, driving clients around and general estate maintenance. Bourne Hill Stables also had a tow bar fitted on the back so it can be used with various accessories, including a sprayer for spraying weeds, and towing a paddock harrow for a finer finish to the soil.
“All of our Polaris’ are road registered so we can drive them everywhere. We opted for a full cab so we can use them year-round without worrying about the weather. Here, we get a lot of guests to the stables, so we use the Rangers to transport them around wherever they need to go - it’s so versatile.”
Bourne Hill Stables has just taken delivery of two new Polaris Ranger Diesel Deluxe vehicles from their longstanding Polaris dealer Turf Machinery Engineering – complete with a full cab (roof, rear panel, windshield and doors), aluminium wheels and striking LED headlights. Inside, there’s an in-cab heater, plush seats, upgraded storage and a noise reduction system. They also have two petrol Polaris Ranger XP 1000 Nordic Pro vehicles on order.
“There are no days off when it comes to maintaining land and equine environments, which is why the Rangers are so perfect. We genuinely use them day in, day out, come rain or shine, and they haven’t failed us.”