Kubota tractor wins at top equestrian venue

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Kubota tractor wins at top equestrian venue: Equestrian sport is quite literally riding high in Britain – with Team GB winning medals in dressage, showjumping and eventing at the Tokyo Olympics, the passion for horses has never been greater.

Specialist riding arena surfaces have transformed the possibilities for venues wishing to offer training and competition opportunities all-year round, but require regular, skilled maintenance. A leading venue in Leicestershire has invested in a Kubota L-1382 compact tractor to help them achieve this.

Kubota tractor wins at top equestrian venue

Kubota tractor wins at top equestrian venue

Vale View Equestrian offers extensive facilities for all three disciplines: a state-of-the-art all-weather cross-country arena which replicates the terrain and obstacle challenges of a grass course plus its adjacent practice arenas span 2.5 acres. Then there are 66x26m and 70x30m indoor arenas ideal for show jumping and dressage, plus two other large outdoor arenas and a new lunge pen.

“The surfaces have to be harrowed every day, in preparation for events and during them,” explains Julie Hyslop, who founded Vale View Equestrian with husband Mark and daughter Emma Hyslop-Webb. “We have used a quad bike in the past but it lacked the power needed and became unreliable. The special sand mixture contains wax, which makes it difficult to pull through, but we are renowned by the leading riders for the quality of our surfaces, so we have to be able to harrow and level effectively.”

Local Kubota dealer Farmstar had previously supplied an F Series front mower which is used to cut grass areas around the site, so Mark approached the company to source a tractor.

“We were originally interested in a smaller tractor, but Farmstar suggested the 38hp L-1382 and it was the right choice to give enough power to pull the harrow,” he explains. “Yet it is very manoeuvrable with its hydrostatic transmission and power steering – we can even harrow around the jumps during a break in the showjumping competitions to ensure that we are offering the ideal footing to every competitor.”

The tractor is driven by a several members of staff including Olivia Toone and Fran Segalov who have a varied roles in the business, and two part-time groundsmen who set up the arenas with jumps or dressage markers.

“It’s a big plus that the tractor is so straightforward that anyone can drive it,” comments Mark. “Access for daily checks is also very quick and logical.”

While the L-1382 is kept busy with the harrow much of the time, it has also been deployed to move trailers carrying showjumps and portable cross country fences. Emma says that it will be used for a wider range of tasks in the equestrian centre’s grazing paddocks in the future.

“It will be really useful for topping up water troughs, manure clearance and maintenance of fencing in the future.”

“It’s the perfect equestrian tractor in our opinion,” she says.

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Headland C-Complex® all season long

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Headland C-Complex® all season long: The C-Complex® range from Headland Amenity is helping the team at Gog Magog Golf Club ward off lush, leafy growth in favour of firm and fast surfaces – in keeping with the course’s downland surroundings.

Estate Manager Andrew Howarth uses various analysis of C-Complex® organic mineral fertiliser for feeding and recovery throughout the year, including C-Complex® Sport which was trialled on some of the sites high traffic areas last year with great success.

Headland C-Complex® all season long

Headland C-Complex® all season long

Gog Magog is a 36-hole complex and, together with boasting one of the largest practice facilities in the UK, is listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its calcareous grassland. This means that for Andrew and his team of 14, there’s certain dos and don’ts when it comes to chemical usage and maintenance. “While we’re not as restricted on the closer mown areas, we do manage the course in a sustainable way, with a focus on organics” explains Andrew.

“Because of the high usage, we found we were struggling with recovery on some of the high traffic areas, in particular, the greens surrounds. In the hunt for a product that would give use good recovery, without triggering excessive growth, we spoke with our Regional Technical Manager at Headland, Peter Blackaby, who suggested we apply C-Complex® Sport.” C-Complex® Sport 14-2-5+MgO is designed for use on all coarse turf areas and has delivered exceptional results on golf tees and surrounds where lasting strength is needed. The homogenous, regular granule features a high concentration of humic acids and other organic material and so breaks down easily on contact with moisture.

“The humic acid is excellent for root development and gives us the recovery and growth we want, where with other products you’d only get one or the other! We applied C-Complex® Sport just once last year in late spring and had fantastic field longevity with it.” Alongside C-Complex® Sport, Andrew is also using C-Complex® 5-2-10 on the greens, applied once a year as a ‘spring starter’. “The combination of different nitrogen sources respond well at cooler temperatures – doing a good job of getting growth going.”

“After summer renovations we then change to the C-Complex® 4-3-4 analysis which, thanks to the soft granular make-up, breaks down fast to encourage healthy root development and quick recovery to bring the surfaces back into play ASAP.” He adds, “Peter is a fantastic sounding board, and backed up with the Headland soil sampling and a thorough understanding of our objectives has given us a programme that is ticking all the boxes.”

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New Turf Rewards for UK and Ireland

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New Turf Rewards for UK and Ireland: ICL and Syngenta have launched Turf Rewards for 2022 which now features separate schemes for the UK and Ireland.

Turf Rewards provides the opportunity for customers to earn points from purchases that can then be exchanged against a fantastic selection of agronomic or turf related items and learning opportunities.

New Turf Rewards for UK and Ireland

New Turf Rewards for UK and Ireland

New for 2022, Turf Rewards products will have lower thresholds to earn points. Here’s an example:

In 2021, Turf Rewards customers would need to purchase 25 bags of SierraformGT or ProTurf to get 5 points. However, this year customers would only need to purchase 12 bags of either to earn 3 points.

With an extensive range of items already on offer, new rewards for 2022 have also been announced.

New UK Turf Rewards

  • An SGL TurfPod with 1 year’s subscription.
  • Join or renew your British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) membership.

These great new rewards join popular rewards such as Machine Mart vouchers and agronomy tools including the TDR150 moisture meter and the Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station.

New Turf Rewards in Ireland

  • Join or renew your Association of Turfgrass Professionals Ireland (ATPI) membership.

This new reward has been added to popular rewards for the Irish market such as Caulfield Industrial vouchers and the TDR350 moisture meter.

If you would like to find out more about Turf Rewards in the UK visit www.turfrewards.com or for Ireland www.Turfrewards.ie.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

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Billy Goat’s Outback® 4WD Rider

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Billy Goat’s Outback® 4WD Rider: Tackling over-grown areas and banishing debris can be a difficult and tiring job, especially when dealing with hand tools or small machinery. Billy Goat – supplier of a powerful and robust range of property clean-up equipment – has the answer to stress-free brush maintenance with its jungle-busting Outback® 4WD Brushcutter Rider.

The BCR3626BVECE model allows grounds professionals, landscapers, gardeners and contractors to effortlessly tackle large overgrown jungles thanks to its four wheel, self-propelled drive system, low centre of gravity and powerful Vanguard EFI V-twin engine.  Whether it’s stubborn branches or unruly grass, the Outback® 4WD rider easily glides over these hard-to-reach places that wouldn’t be accessible with traditional machines, drastically reducing the time it takes to transform outdoor spaces.

Billy Goat’s Outback® 4WD Rider

Billy Goat’s Outback® 4WD Rider

As well as a spacious platform, providing operators with sufficient space and comfort, it also boasts a heavy duty mower deck. To protect wildlife and help prevent any damage to the mower, the mower deck is designed with swing-back cutter blades that swing away when accidental contact is made with an object.

The brushcutter also has five adjustable positions, between 3.5 and 13.5cm, allowing operators to select the most appropriate height to effectively remove debris. Plus, a certified Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS) that comes equipped with a safety belt, protects the machine and operator from rolling over. It can also fold 180 degrees backwards to allow for easier loading inside a van or trailer.

For the ultimate brush cutting experience, the BCR3626BVECE also provides users with superb manoeuvrability thanks to its soft start function, steering wheel tilt function and spinner knob and cruise control option, helping to take the backache out of property clean-up.

Billy Goat products are available nationwide through Henton & Chattell’s dealer network. For more information and to see videos demonstrating their performance visit www.billygoat.co.uk

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GMA boosts commercial & communications capabilities

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GMA boosts commercial & communications capabilities: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) has welcomed two new Directors to its senior leadership team as the association embarks on a period of investment for growth.

With the support of its Chairman and board, the GMA has appointed Sarah Cunningham as Director of Commercial & Events and Andrea McMahon as the new Director of Communications. Both will play a key role in delivering the association’s strategy.

GMA boosts commercial & communications capabilities

GMA boosts commercial & communications capabilities

Sarah has spent over a decade managing large-scale trade events primarily in the media industry and within not-for-profit organisations, previously working for the association in an interim capacity to support the successful return of SALTEX in 2021. Sarah’s experience and leadership will add significant value to the team delivering the grounds care industry’s largest, must-attend trade exhibition, SALTEX, as well as helping to extend the GMA’s products and services to those operating in and with the sector.

Andrea brings multi-sector communications experience to the association having held senior communications roles in high-profile public and not-for-profit organisations, including in a membership trade association, central government departments and law enforcement organisations having previously spent over a decade in the private sector. Andrea will help the GMA to reach new audiences and raise the profile of the valuable contribution made by volunteers and professionals who makes sport possible at grassroots, amateur and elite level.

Grounds Management Association CEO, Geoff Webb says:

“We’re delighted to have Sarah and Andrea join the GMA family. They both have extensive experience in their fields and will be a great addition to the team. With almost all stands already taken and industry colleagues embracing a return to normality post-pandemic, we are seeing signs that SALTEX 2022 will be busier than the 2021 show and provide the perfect opportunity to showcase our sector, network, and celebrate those working in it. With the return of other events, like the GMA Industry Awards, we look forward to building on the success of 2021 and working towards creating a better future for the grounds care sector.”

To contact Sarah about SALTEX, awards sponsorship or other commercial opportunities, please email scunningham@thegma.org.uk.

For enquiries relating to GMA communications activity, please email Andrea at amcmahon@thegma.org.uk.

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