Background


Philip was brought up surrounded by horses. His father Tony Hobbs farmed, and had a permit to train for many years, breeding several good horses to run in the family colours. 

After school at Kings College, Taunton, Philip went on to Reading University and achieved a BSc honours degree. He rode at Hickstead, show jumping as a junior, and rode several point-to-point winners and winners under National Hunt rules as an amateur before turning professional at the age of 21. Riding Career Philip rode 160 winners in a ten year career including  The Black and White Gold Cup at Ascot, The Killiney Novice Chase and The Midlands Grand National on such good horses as West Tip and Artifice. With a career as a trainer firmly in mind, whilst still riding professionally, Philip married Sarah in 1982 and then started training in August 1985 with only 6 horses.

Family Sarah (nee Hill) is in her own right a successful horsewoman and is daughter of Olympic Gold Medallist Bertie Hill. She evented, and rode for England in the Junior European 3 day event team in Rome, has ridden winners point-to-pointing, under National Hunt rules and on the Flat, and is now an essential part of their business.   Philip and Sarah have three daughters, Caroline, Katherine and Diana, who ride out the racehorses, as well as riding in point-to-points.