Stormy Girl
A first breakthrough at Listed level, landing the Flying Fillies' Stakes at Pontefract.
Rebecca Menzies is a dual-purpose racehorse trainer — success on both the Flat and over jumps — based at the state-of-the-art Howe Hills Farm, just a stone's throw from Sedgefield racecourse. In little over a decade she has risen from relative obscurity to become one of the leading yards in the North.
It is the perfect home for our horses: hands-on, ambitious and genuinely welcoming to owners. Our unbeaten sprinter Adonius is trained here.
After a grounding with Ferdy Murphy — a stalwart of the northern jumps scene and trainer of ten Cheltenham Festival winners — Rebecca took the plunge in 2013, becoming Britain's youngest trainer at just 24. It didn't take long to silence the doubters: that November she became the youngest ever female to saddle a winner in Britain when Pistol Basc struck at Sedgefield.
Following an initial spell at Brandsby — the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning yard of Peter Beaumont — the big move came in 2016, when Rebecca took over the reins at Howe Hills, the County Durham facility of veteran trainer the late John Wade. Her string almost doubled overnight, and with extra barns and stables the yard can now house up to 100 horses. Just off the A1 and 45 minutes from Newcastle, it is ideally placed to travel the length and breadth of the country in pursuit of success.
Having since bought Howe Hills outright following John Wade's passing, Rebecca has shown her commitment to building the yard for the long term — with hugely improved gallops and schooling facilities now in place.
A first breakthrough at Listed level, landing the Flying Fillies' Stakes at Pontefract.
Listed gold over jumps with two different horses in the spring of 2022.
Third at Royal Ascot — proof of a talented dual-purpose operation competing at the highest level.
A memorable double over jumps in Ireland, adding to a tally of 450+ winners under both codes.
Even with a three-figure string, Rebecca and her team keep a small-yard mentality — every horse looked after on an individual basis. Attention to detail is everything: specialist nutritionists, physiotherapists and vets are always on hand to keep horses happy, healthy and in the best possible shape to reach their potential on the track.
There's an open-door policy at Howe Hills. Owners are actively encouraged to come and watch their horses work and catch up on plans over a coffee (or something stronger) in the owners' room. Whether you own outright, with friends, or as part of a syndicate like ours, everyone is made to feel part of Team Menzies — exactly the welcome we want for our owners.
See what a horse in the care of Rebecca Menzies can do — then join us for the ride.
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