Event rider Ben Way talks about a f amiliar daily juggle: earning money, commuting and riding
How I make it work: from an early-morning alarm to doing evening stables in the dark
Ben Way is a full-time chartered surveyor for the regional property firm Butler Sherborn. He lives on his family’s farm in Warwickshire and events a team of horses up to four-star level.
Fitting everything in…
My alarm goes off at 5.30am and I get up at 5.45am — everyone needs a snooze! At 6am I tack up the first horse and am usually riding by 6.15am. At 7.15am I’m in the shower and on the road by 7.45am. My commute is about an hour so I make the most it by making calls to clients and owners. At 8.45am I get to the office and have breakfast about 9.30am. It usually consists of porridge with peanut butter, honey, dried fruit and chia seeds. At lunchtime, I try and squeeze in a Pilates session or a run. I leave the office at 5.30pm, arrive home at 6.30pm and get straight on the first horse, which is normally tacked up by my wife, Sarah, and waiting on the walker. I’ll ride another horse straight after. I’m back in the house for around 8pm and having dinner by 8.30pm. Sarah usually cooks. At around 9pm I crash on the settee to relax in front of Netflix for a while, then head upstairs for a bath so I’m in bed for 10pm.
When I’m at work…
My job is extremely varied and I spend a lot of time out of the office meeting clients and looking at properties. Within a normal day I can be dealing with the sale of a house or farm, negotiating the letting of an equestrian yard and also producing a valuation report on behalf of a bank. I work from our Stow-on-the-Wold office four days a week and am based at home the other day.
Finding time for horses…
Sarah and my mum basically run my life outside the office. Sarah also events at the top level and being married to someone who fully understands the sport is an incredible help. Sarah and I plan the work and competition schedule for each horse. We have recently invested in a piece of software called Equicty, which allows us to digitally set out the work, health and competition plans for the horses. Every member of the team has access to the app and is notified if anything changes. This allows me to see exactly what is going on, even when I’m sat at my desk. In addition to being involved in the yard, mum also deals with all of the entries and accounts for the business. My stepfather has a huge amount of experience and, as well as still being very good on a horse, he deals with all of the feeding and checking of legs. We have around 30 horses and three full-time members of staff. We also have great owners, all of whom are knowledgeable and have horses for the long term. In essence, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the team I have around me.
How I got my job…
My father is head of the Midlands region for Knight Frank, so my career choice was primarily due to him. He was happy for me to do horses for a living providing I went to university and got qualified first. I started with Butler Sherborn straight after graduating from the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester and now I’m the Head of Equestrian.
Our family friend Sam Butler owns the company. I was keen to work for an independent firm and, given that Sam is also involved in and understands the equestrian world, working for them was a no brainer. The whole firm is incredibly supportive.
I love my job because…
Being based in and around the Cotswolds we deal with some incredible properties and have some great clients. I get a real buzz from negotiating a really good sale of a property on behalf of a client.
The moment I’ll never forget is…
My most memorable work moments are the day I passed my qualification exams and got the letters MRICS FAAV after my name, and the day I negotiated my first sale. My most memorable eventing moments are my double clear at Badminton on Galley Light in 2016, and representing Team GBR on the Nations Cup team in the USA on Willows Tipster in 2016.
The best thing about eventing…
Riding round the big tracks like Badminton or Burghley is the most amazing, surreal experience. I also really love producing young horses through the grades, especially those that we have broken in. It’s such a sense of achievement when they go on to win events.
And the worst part…
When a horse gets a career-stopping injury after you’ve put in the mileage to get him to the top level. There’s nothing more disappointing than having an incredible horse that is capable of going all the way, but has to stop eventing due to an injury.