About Us

Cotley Hill Stud is based at East Hill Farm on the South Western edge of Salisbury Plain. A designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Plain is the largest area of undeveloped chalkland pasture in northern Europe. Humankind has worked with horses here since before the pyramids were built.

East Hill Farm consists of 1400 acres of chalk downland on which malting barley is grown, 300 head of beef cattle roam and our horses graze.  The land is rented from Defence Estates and so is shared with the Army who train across part of the farm giving our horses the opportunity to get used to the odd tank or helicopter gunship passing by.

The grazing is free draining and ideal for young thoroughbreds which can be out all the year round keeping themselves fit and healthy.

Cotley Hill Stud is owned by Gilly Metherell. Her husband, Richard, assists and they jointly run the farm and their other business interest, The Real Meat Company – www.RealMeat.co.uk.

Gilly has been riding since she was three years old. Brought up in the New Forest where she helped her parents with the breeding of New Forest ponies. She broke in her first pony at 8 years of age and subsequently sold it to a customer in Holland. She rode in the New Forest Boxing Day point-to-points and other pony races.

In 2000, she raced her part-bred Arab mare in Arab racing and went on to become 2^nd in the Arab Horse Society Marathon following the winner a mere one second behind!  This mare’s filly, trained by Gilly, raced in 2004 and came second at Southwell.

In 2002, Gilly acquired her first thoroughbred, Tina’s Indian, who has now produced three foals for the stud.

In 2005, her mare, Tihui Two, entered training and has clocked up a win in a bumper and is now hurdling.