Honorary Award Holders

Michelle Wang Qiang

Michelle is the Chief Executive Officer of Equuleus Equestrian Club, Beijing, one of China’s leading equestrian centres and a pioneer in the growth of the sport within the country. Over the past 25 years, Michelle has played a central role in shaping equestrianism in China, overseeing the development of Equuleus into a world-class facility that excels as both a competition venue and a hub for training, coaching, and equestrian culture.

Since its founding, Equuleus has hosted or co-organised almost 400 competitions, including international FEI events, national championships, and regional shows. In 2024 alone, under Michelle’s leadership, the club delivered 45 national and international competitions across show jumping and dressage, welcoming over 6,000 horse-and-rider combinations and reaching millions of online viewers. Equuleus also organised China’s first ever dressage competitions and continues to play a vital role in delivering the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup China League.

Michelle’s commitment to equestrian development extends beyond sport. Equuleus has been recognised multiple times for its cultural and tourism impact, including as one of Beijing’s Top 10 Sports Tourism Events and as a China Sports Tourism Boutique Event. The club’s charitable programme, the “Pursuit of Dreams” initiative, received international recognition with the FEI Solidarity Award in 2021.

Michelle has enjoyed a close relationship with Hartpury University for more than two decades, supporting collaborations, staff and student exchange opportunities, and the promotion of Hartpury’s expertise in China. Her vision, commitment, and leadership have not only transformed equestrian sport in China but also strengthened valuable international connections. This Honorary Degree is awarded to Michelle for her outstanding contribution to the development of equestrian sport.

Martin St Quinton

Martin is an accomplished entrepreneur and sports leader whose influence has spanned both international business and British sport. Born in Yorkshire, he graduated from Durham University in 1979 before completing an MBA in the United States.

In 1980, Martin founded The Saint Group, which he later sold to Danka plc, going on to serve as CEO of its International Operations. During his tenure, he acquired more than 50 companies across 30 countries, helping the business grow into the world’s second largest photocopier company with sales exceeding £1 billion. He went on to found Azzurri Communications in 2000, building it into a £150 million turnover business before its sale in 2006. In recognition of his achievements, he was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003.

In recent years Martin has devoted much of his energy to sport. As owner and Chairman of Gloucester Rugby Club, he has supported Hartpury’s long-standing relationship with the club, helping to grow rugby at all levels, including the women’s joint venture. His commercial approach to running Gloucester is regarded as a model for sustainability in the professional game. He also serves as Chairman of Cheltenham Racecourse, strengthening the equine synergy with Hartpury’s world-leading equestrian provision.

Beyond business and sport, Martin and his wife Judith are trustees of The Fold, a children’s home in Limpopo, South Africa, reflecting their commitment to young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Now based in Gloucestershire with his family, Martin continues to champion excellence in business, education, and sport, while fostering opportunities for the next generation. This Honorary Fellowship recognises Martin’s outstanding services to sport.

Sarah Urwin 

Sarah is a highly respected counsellor, psychotherapist, and pioneer in the field of animal assisted counselling, psychotherapy, and ecotherapy. Her academic journey began at Hartpury College as a mature student, where she achieved a distinction in her Advanced Diploma in Agriculture. She went on to work in the dairy industry for 20 years, before the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak proved a turning point. Determined to combine her love of animals and the outdoors with therapeutic support for people, she retrained in health and social care, counselling and psychotherapy, and with the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS).

From her own smallholding, Sarah created a care farm and developed a wide range of animal and equine assisted therapy programmes, including for residential care organisations such as The Priory. She worked with horses, dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, and guinea pigs, offering clients a unique therapeutic connection with animals and nature. Alongside her own practice, she became a trainer for SCAS, provided placements for students, and later expanded into clinical supervision, mentoring, and CPD for professionals in allied health and social care.

Her leadership has extended to national and international levels. She has served on steering committees helping to shape standards and codes of practice, and for the last decade has been Chair of Trustees for Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship, a charity supporting disadvantaged young people. A sought-after speaker at conferences, she also sat on the steering committee of the Human Equine Interaction Register (HEIR) and has contributed to the development of Hartpury’s MSc in Animal Assisted Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Passionate about the healing power of animals, farms, and nature, Sarah continues to inspire as a role model for students, exemplifying a lifelong commitment to professional development, safe practice, and animal welfare. This Honorary Degree is in recognition of Sarah’s significant contribution to mental health and animal assisted therapy.

Charlie Whitehouse

Charlie is a fourth-generation farmer based in Mitcheldean, nestled in The Forest of Dean. After leaving school at 16 and spending a year at Shuttleworth Agricultural College, he returned to the family farm in 1990. By 2000, the farmed area had expanded significantly, and in 2007, Charlie diversified the business by introducing a herd of 1,000 milking goats.

In June 2005, at the age of 34, Charlie joined the board of Hartpury College. His deep knowledge and passion for agriculture positioned him as a key contributor to the college's growth in this field of academia. Over the next 17 years, he played an active role on the board, chairing various committees and serving as Vice Chair before retiring in 2022.

Charlie's commitment to education is evident in his support for aspiring agricultural professionals. Approximately 30 Hartpury students, along with others from local schools and colleges, have gained valuable work experience on his farm. Beyond his work with Hartpury, Charlie has chaired several Agricultural Societies, including Gloucestershire Root, Fruit and Grain, and The Herefordshire Agricultural Club. He remains dedicated to sharing his expertise, regularly welcoming visitors to his family farm to promote modern agricultural practices.

This honorary degree is in recognition of Charlie’s outstanding contribution to agriculture and to developing Hartpury into the educational institution it is today.

Lucinda Green

Lucinda is renowned as one of the greatest eventing riders in history, celebrated for her extraordinary achievements as a world and double European Champion, Olympic team silver medallist, dual Burghley winner, and record six-time Badminton champion. Since the early 1980s, she has shared her vast knowledge by teaching riders at all levels, from grassroots enthusiasts to Olympic contenders.

In recent years, Lucinda has gained significant recognition through the Lucinda Green XC Academy, where she showcases her teaching abilities while collaborating with experts worldwide to enhance her members' skills in horse management, training, and competition.

Her deep passion for promoting eventing, both in Great Britain and globally, is evident in her unique training philosophy. Lucinda emphasises the importance of allowing the horse to think independently whilst still listening to their rider, encapsulated in her ‘Greenprint’—a set of fundamental principles derived from over 50 years of competing and coaching.

This honorary degree is in recognition of Lucinda’s outstanding contribution to equestrian sport and coaching.

Lyn Dance

Lyn has worked in education for nearly 40 years. Her experience spans teaching and forging bright futures for those in her care through deputy and head teacher roles at special education schools in Gloucestershire, Surrey, and Hounslow.

Lyn was CEO of SAND Academies Trust (of Special Schools) in Gloucestershire and supported special schools with their leadership and Ofsted training through her role as a School Improvement Partner. Lyn’s leadership style encourages innovative working and developing future leaders. Outward looking in her quest for continuous school improvement, she contributes to several collaborative working groups with both special and mainstream schools. Her work has international reach, having advised on special education in South Africa and Belarus.

Lyn is passionate about special education and supporting the whole family. She has met with various MPs to campaign for additional funding for special education. In October 2021, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to special education.

This honorary degree recognises Lyn's outstanding contribution to education and specifically special education.

Anne McBride

Anne’s passion for understanding why individuals, of any species including humans, do what they do has been at the heart of her career and life aim. Her aim is to improve human-animal interactions and thereby improve animal welfare, human wellbeing, and that of the environment.

Anne completed a Psychology degree before investigating rabbit behaviour during her PhD. Though best known for her activities in the pet world, she has experience working in various animal contexts including zoos, hill farms, and laboratories. As Anne started practicing as a trainer and clinical behaviourist in the mid-1980s, emerging evidence revealed that owner miseducation, often at the hands of veterinary professionals and trainers, was an exacerbating factor in many problem behaviour cases.

On discovering this lack of understanding of ethology, learning theory and/or human psychology, Anne became passionate about accessible education and her career changed course.

To this day, Anne continues to advance and teach both theory and practice, sharing her expertise with professionals and members of the public a like, including adults and children. Since its inception in 2010, Anne has been an active supporter of the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). She advocates for standards of knowledge and skills for training and behaviour professionals as the only long-term route to improving welfare for animals in all contexts.

Anne is aware that none of us journey alone. We learn from and are supported by many others along the way – people from all walks of life. To learn we must engage with an open mind, to remember there are no stupid questions, and always ask why. Only then can we keep our sense of the curious and objectivity alive.

This honorary degree is awarded in recognition of Anne’s outstanding work within the field of companion animal behaviour.

Mel Nicholls

Mel brings her values and experience from world-class sport, her adventurous spirit as a Paralympian, and her motivation as an ultra-endurance athlete, to advocate for disability and women in sport.

Following a series of life-changing strokes in 2008, Mel’s passion for all things equine, sport, and adrenaline-inducing saw her embark on a journey to racing on the world stage.

Mel’s unstoppable spirit was sparked whilst watching the Bejing Paralympics from her hospital bed. Here was an outlet for her love of physical activity and competitive nature, beyond the perceived barriers of physical loss. Parasport became her therapy and ultimately enabled her to regain sport as a core part of her identity.

Four years later, Mel competed in wheelchair racing at the London 2012 Paralympics – 15 months after starting the sport – before representing her country as part of GB Athletics, achieving track world records as well as European and World medal success.

Following the Rio 2016 Paralympics, Mel turned to endurance and road wheelchair racing, alongside her new sport of handcycling, once again achieving international medal success.

Whether solo handcycling the archipelagos, the coasts of Britain and Ireland, or smashing world records handcycling Britain End to End (crew-supported) in just six days, Mel’s blazing a trail through male-dominated ultra endurance and leading the way in ultracycling.

In 2022, Mel embraced her Dream Big motto to complete a paratriathlon – combining handcycling and wheelchair racing with swimming, her biggest challenge yet – and raced for GB once again at her first World Series paratriathlon, finishing just 20 seconds shy of the podium.

Now part of the GB Paralympic world-class programme with British Triathlon, Mel’s leaving no stone unturned in her journey to Paris 2024.

This honorary degree recognises Mel’s significant contribution to the areas of athletics and sports science.