Dan Skelton

Dan has worked with horses for his whole life and spent nine years as Assistant Trainer to Paul Nicholls before setting out on his own in 2013. 

Dan’s equine pedigree is second to none and his early experience with showjumpers brings a unique perspective to the horses jumping which, combined with almost a decade of experience under a master National Hunt Trainer allows Dan to bring out the best in the horses entrusted to his care. The facilities at Lodge Hill are superb and boast fantastic all-weather and indoor schooling areas. Since 2013, Dan has trained 561 UK National Hunt winners with 32 Graded/Listed races to his already impressive record. Dan scored his first Cheltenham Festival winner in 2016, with his charge Superb Story winning the County Hurdle, his brother Harry in the saddle. In 2018, Dan enjoyed festival success in the same race, this time Mohaayed battling through the testing ground to secure victory.  

The 2018-19 season saw an unprecedented level of success, with the team turning out over 200 winners to match the feat achieved before only by Martin Pipe during the 1990s. A first success for Team Skelton at Grade 1 level came courtesy of Roksana in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, whilst Ch’tibello added a further victory in the County Hurdle to previous successes in the race.  Aux Ptits Soins was also a first Aintree Festival winner for the team.

Dan is another young trainer that has a fantastic future in the sport, and one that Highclere is delighted to be associated with.