Grant Bazin

Grant Nicholas Bazin was born in Epping, Essex, but was raised in the Northamptonshire countryside. He started riding from a very early age, competing at all the county and major shows – representing England at Pony Club level at the age of 14. His family over the years were all involved in the horse business, his father and sister running a successful wedding carriage company, and his brother Darren is a three times world champion farrier.

Upon leaving school, Grant harboured ambitions to be a National Hunt jockey and rode successfully for leading trainers Kim Bailey and Geoff Hubbard at all the major racecourses.

We first saw Grant on the racecourse riding Stoney Creek, trained by Bailey, at Uttoxeter on October 5, 1991, finishing second, beaten 12 lengths, in the North Staffordshire Advertiser Selling Handicap Hurdle.

Uttoxeter was also the scene of his first victory when Simple Arithmetic, also trained by Kim Bailey, landed the Levy Board N.H. Flat Race on December 19, 1992, scoring by a length and a half. 

He had to wait more than 18 months for his second success but it eventually came at Huntingdon on Bank Holiday Monday, August 29, 1984. There were only four runners in the Hemel Hempstead and Peterborough Child Protection Centres Hurdle for three-year-olds, and approaching the last flight Grant looked to be booked for third place on the Mark Tompkins-trained Jubilee Royale. However, the clear leader, Mr Moriarty, fell, then second placed Window Display weakened rapidly on the run-in, opening the door for Grant’s mount to come through and win by two and a half lengths. 

Jubilee Royal was making his hurdling debut. Next time out, at Plumpton on September 12, a win again looked unlikely until Grant forced his mount up to catch Adrian Maguire on Swedish Invader and take the A. R. Dennis Bookmakers Hurdle by a short head. Grant had three more rides on the colt that season but they were well beaten each time. 

Those three wins were the highlights of his career as a jockey. His last ride came when pulling up on Thouwood in the Walton Maiden Hurdle at Hereford on May 6, 2000.

When weight problems forced Grant out of the racing saddle, he left the UK and took up a career in the rodeo arena as a bull rider where he rode with much success competing at many international events in the USA, Australia and New Zealand his final ride being at the Westpac arena in New Zealand in front of 14000 people. During this time he also began to hone his skills with horses by working on a leading thoroughbred stud from time to time in Australia, starting all the young horses.

Upon returning to the UK he began to work with Ian Vandenberghe (a Monty Roberts Instructor). Grant writes, ‘I had been using body language and pressure/release in my training but it was only when I began working with Ian that I leant the reasons behind why it worked and the psychology with it’. During his period of working with Ian Grant found it was like going back to school – every day he learnt so much and he continues to learn from the horses each day.

In 2001 Grant began to ride for Monty Roberts on his European Tours. He remembers, ‘It was a great honour to ride for Mr Roberts and I relish the opportunities he has provided for me, both in the UK and abroad. Every demonstration was an opportunity to learn and I grabbed it with open hands’.

IN 2007 Grant began touring and demonstrating his work with horses on his own tours, demonstrating in many countries from as far afield as Sweden to Zimbabwe, Germany to Singapore and continues to do so.

IN 2014 he won (with his business partner Dan Wilson) the first-ever British Championship of Horsemanship.

Grant’s home is now an established yard near Banbury, Oxfordshire where he takes in young and problem horses to be trained using the non-violent concepts he has learnt and continues to study and promote. He has truly made horses his life and the love of his work shines through in every demonstration he gives and horse that he works with.