Our staff

Our biggest assets are our brilliant staff and lovely horses and ponies.

ARC is an approved BHS training centre, recognised by the BHS for its excellence in training both staff and career students. Whilst we always have qualified staff on duty, we are also constantly training individuals through the BHS career pathway and helping them become qualified by funding aspects of their training and exams. ARC believes in investing in firstly their own staff, but also in professional development for all professionals in the area. To this end, we regularly provide free or subsidised training for local coaches, hold mentoring days and allow free access to career students who wish to come and study our coaching/assessment system. ARC also sponsors the Anne Balfour-Kinnear training bursary which is administered by the British Horse Society Scotland and provides a £500 training bursary for the successful applicant each year.
our staff
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Ali Bertram

Ali has been a club member for over twelve years and now heads up our reception team. Ali has a degree in Management from the Robert Gordon University and was heavily involved in the relocation project to Anguston, supporting Sally with the admin side and making sure nothing was forgotten. Following a few months of travelling in 2017, Ali returned to ARC to take up a full-time post as Office Supervisor, running the admin side of the business. Ali has her own horse, Spring, who lives on the livery yard.

Ali has been a club member for over twelve years and now heads up our reception team. Ali has a degree in Management from the Robert Gordon University and was heavily involved in the relocation project to Anguston, supporting Sally with the admin side and making sure nothing was forgotten. Following a few months of travelling in 2017, Ali returned to ARC to take up a full-time post as Office Supervisor, running the admin side of the business. Ali has her own horse, Spring, who lives on the livery yard.

Person in a blue shirt standing against a white background

Ali Bertram

Ali has been a club member for over twelve years and now heads up our reception team. Ali has a degree in Management from the Robert Gordon University and was heavily involved in the relocation project to Anguston, supporting Sally with the admin side and making sure nothing was forgotten. Following a few months of travelling in 2017, Ali returned to ARC to take up a full-time post as Office Supervisor, running the admin side of the business. Ali has her own horse, Spring, who lives on the livery yard.

Person in blue shirt and jacket standing against a white wall

Elle Russell

Elle has grown up as an ARC member and has owned her horse, Longo, for over six years. They have competed in numerous show jumping events over their time together. Elle previously worked at a successful show jumping yard and so has plenty of experience handling and working with young horses. Elle is currently studying for a Law degree at Glasgow University.
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Grace Muller

Grace is the newest member of the team. Grace works part-time in reception and does some cover work around her school studies. Grace has been involved with the club for a number of years as she learned to ride as a beginner at ARC and now has her own horse, Jimbles, who lives on the livery yard.
Person in a blue polo shirt with a name tag reading "Martin"

Martin Dargie

Level 3 Coach in Complete Horsemanship with Level 4 Riding and Teaching

Martin has been involved with ARC for many years, having completed an initial training programme back in 2003. Martin enjoyed travelling the Australia in 2008/09 and returned to work with the club when he came back to Aberdeen. Martin teaches all standards of rider and, having competed previously, is popular for jumping lessons. Martin is also responsible for some staff training, holds his BHS 4 teaching qualification and BHS Stage 4 riding and is a qualified first aider.
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Laura Cargill

Level 3 Coach in Complete Horsemanship

Laura has been with the club since 2014. She worked as the livery yard supervisor for a couple of years before progressing through her coaching assessments. Laura is a very popular coach at ARC with both riding school and livery customers.

Laura has her own horse, Tayto, who lives at the club. She enjoys riding and competing regularly with Tayto. Laura is also available for riding and schooling of livery horses, which can be booked through Ali in reception. Laura holds her full BHS Stage 1, 2, and 3 riding, care and lunge qualifications, her Stage 2 and 3 coaching qualifications and her Stage 4 Management.

Person in a blue polo shirt with the name "Ellis" embroidered on it, standing against a white background

Ellis Rugg

Ellis is a training student with us, who works on the livery yard. Ellis joined us when she left school as she was keen to find a position with horses where she could continue to train and learn. Ellis is excellent at handling all the livery horses and is very thorough with their care. Ellis keeps her horse, Cyrus, at the club.

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SALLY MCCARTHY

Executive Director and Club Manager

BHS Stage 4 Senior Eventing Coach
BHS Stage 5 Horse Care and Business Management
BHS Coaching4All
RDA Group Coach
First Aid at Work
Mental Health FirstAid
Safeguarding certificate
PVG checked.

Sally did her initial equine training at a dressage yard in Portugal aged 16, then returned to the UK to do her BHS Qualifications at a local riding school. In 2003, Sally led the project for ARC to relocate to new premises at Oldfold Farm, resulting in ARC becoming the first UK fully not for profit equestrian centre. Sally coaches all standards of lesson, private and group and has overall responsibility for all operational activity at ARC. With a strong drive to increase accessibility to horses for everyone, it was Sally’s vision that resulted in ARC becoming an Accessibility Mark Centre and she has also done further qualifications with RDA coaching and the BHS to qualify to deliver sessions for RDA groups and participants who are accessing horses as a form of therapy.  Sally also delivers our educational sessions, providing training and interactive sessions on everything from horse behaviour to equine business management and is one of the lecturers for the provision of SRUC HNC/D in Equine Studies. Sally has also volunteered as a trustee for the British Horse Society since 2019 and is currently the Chairperson of the organisation.

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MARTIN DARGIE

Executive Director and Club Assistant Manager

BHS Stage 4 Senior Eventing Coach
First Aid at Work
Mental Health First Aid
Safeguarding Certificate
PVG checked

Martin has worked with Sally at ARC for 20+ years (apart from a brief break where he travelled to Australia). A very popular coach, Martin coaches all standards and also lectures on the SRUC HNC/D course. Martin is responsible for a lot of the BHS training we deliver and in particular the training for those aiming for their Stage 3 Ride, Care or Coach. Martin is also a BHS RideSafe advisor and does a lot of training for those who wish to achieve their Riding Out Safely award. Martin rides a variety of the school horses to keep their skills up and has a young family at home which keeps him busy in his time off. 

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LAURA CARGILL

Coach

BHS Stage 3 Complete Coach
BHS Stage 4 Care, Lunge and Management
BHS Coaching4All
First Aid at Work
Mental Health First Aid
Safeguarding certificate
PVG checked

Laura has worked at ARC for seven years – initially working with our liveries, but then she decided she would like to start coaching so went down that professional pathway. A very popular coach, Laura coaches all standards of group and private lessons and delivers a lot of BHS Pony Stars sessions. Laura is currently training towards her Stage 4 Ride and Coaching assessments and has regular training both on her own horse (Tattie) and Lily, a jumping schoolmistress owned by ARC.  Laura is also qualified in Coaching4All through the BHS, meaning that Laura has taken further training and assessment in providing groundwork and riding sessions for those who access riding as a form of physical or mental therapy.

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LIAM SKEA

Coach

BHS Stage 3 Complete Coach
RDA Group Coach
First Aid at Work
Mental Health First Aid
Safeguarding Certificate

Liam has worked at ARC full time for four years now, joining the club on leaving school and starting on the professional pathway. He has now achieved his BHS Stage 3 Coach, meaning that he is now able to coach private and group lessons and is becoming a very popular coach. Liam is particularly good with young participants and delivers a lot of Pony Stars sessions and intensive courses in the school holidays. Liam also has a keen interest in increasing participation with horses and holds his RDA group coach qualification meaning that he can coach sessions for the RDA groups who use ARC as a facility. Liam also does a lot of work with riders who attend ARC for therapy riding or groundwork with horses. He is currently training towards his Stage 4 Ride, Care, Lunge and Coaching and has his own horse Millie, who he likes to compete at SJ and Eventing when time allows.

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We also have quite a few teenage/young adult temporary staff who cover some evening yard shifts and weekend shifts – ARC is a great believer that providing both paid employment and work experience gives people a great start in their career so we also offer work experience for vet students, vet nurse students and are also happy to take on school age work experience placements as an approved provider with both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Local Authority.

Administrative Staff

Our reception is open every day (apart from a Friday) and our team members in reception are responsible for greeting members, ensuring they know where to find their horse/coach and taking payments for sessions.

ALI BERTRAM

Office Supervisor

Management BA(Hons)
BHS Stage 1 complete
First Aid at Work
Mental Health FirstAid
Safeguarding certificate
PVG checked.

Ali leads our administration team and is responsible for a lot of the important work that goes on behind the scenes at ARC but is also front of house and the first point of contact for most of our participants.

Ali does all our invoicing/payments/credit control/stock control and is also responsible both for each Coach’s individual coaching diary but also for the master group lesson diary and ensuring all our additional sessions are booked correctly and organised.

Ali also delivers customer care sessions and business management sessions to the SRUC students and works closely with Sally to ensure the smooth running of the business side of ARC. Ali has her own horse Spring who lives at ARC and enjoys taking lessons when time allows – she recently sat and passed her BHS Stage 1 and Riding Out Safely award, which whilst not required for her role, means that she has a great understanding of how assessment candidates feel when booking and attending assessment days as Ali is responsible for the admin behind booking devolved assessments (Stage 1) and liaising with the BHS re Stage 2, 3 and 4 assessments.

Ali leads a team of temporary and part time receptionists to ensure we always have reception cover and again we try where possible to employ individuals in these roles who would benefit from getting a “start” in a professional environment or who are trying to build a CV of experience for Uni applications e.t.c.

MAX TURNER

Level 2 Riding and Stable Management

Max has worked with horses from a young age, she works full time at the club on the livery yard. After graduating from Aberdeen University with a degree in Zoology, Max turned her lifelong passion into a job. Max also works in reception on a Thursday and is a valued member of our team.