North Lincolnshire entrepreneur wins Equine Therapist of the Year at The Equestrian Business Awards

Donna Barker of DB Equine Therapy pictured with Ebony Douce, horse, Ringo and Steve LyonUKSE of UKSE.

Donna Barker Equine Therapy takes home the prestigious award

Donna Barker Equine Therapy, based in Broughton, has claimed the Equine Therapist of the Year title at the Equestrian Business Awards, held on November 30th at the Holiday Inn Peterborough-West.

In 2023, Donna made it to the final four for Equine Therapist of the Year, narrowly missing out on the award.

Founded in 2021, this is the 4th year of The Equestrian Business Awards, which was set up to celebrate the achievements of small equestrian businesses and professionals across the UK and highlight the unsung heroes of the equestrian industry who are often overlooked or taken for granted.

The awards received 16,185 nominations across thousands of businesses during the nomination phase at the beginning of the year.

Donna set up Donna Barker Equine Therapy in 2017 when she received a kickstart grant from UKSE—a local investment company that provides finance of up to £1.5m to growing companies and support for start-ups. This grant enabled her to purchase logoed clothing for herself and sponsored riders, plus logoed saddle cloths and rugs, too.

Donna takes a whole horse approach and is currently working towards an International Diploma in Equine Osteopathy to further expand her knowledge and skills.

Winning the Equine Therapist of the Year 2024 is a testament to her commitment to helping horses, after they had given her ‘so much happiness and pleasure in the past’ it was her way of giving something back to them.

Commenting on her award win, Donna said: “To be shortlisted for two consecutive years is incredible, but winning this year feels surreal and overwhelming.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be named Equine Therapist of the Year 2024. I hope my win inspires other therapists as they grow their businesses.”

Steve Lyon, Regional Manager at UKSE, said: “Donna’s journey from receiving the Kickstart Grant 7 years ago to becoming Equine Therapist of the Year is truly inspiring.

“Her dedication to innovation and improving the well-being of horses has left a remarkable mark on the industry.

“We’re proud to have supported her early steps and look forward to seeing her continued success in the years ahead.”

UKSE also provides loan and equity finance of up to £1.5m to existing companies which are growing, particularly those creating jobs – for further information please contact the team on 0800 915 1188.