88 SIDELINES MARCH 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
e
The Tale of the
Galloping
Grocer
By Maria Wynne
Sidelines Writer Across the Pond
Simon Middleton was a grocer. To this day, he lines up all the
tins in the cupboard to face the same way and even secures
the top of the sugar bag with an elastic band to prevent any
stray granules from escaping.
Today, he is the managing director of the distribution
company Zebra Products in the UK. Having started out with
one small white van and a couple of product ranges, he now
heads the company that is recognised as the leading distributor
of premium European brands in the UK and is responsible for
11 product lines. From Amerigo to Gersemi, Schwenkel and
Cavallo, his products are favoured by some of the leading
riders in the UK and he has forged strong friendships and
partnerships with them all.
The company now resides in its own building, with an office
staff, reps and vehicles out on the road. And at the world
famous BETA International Trade Fair, Zebra Products has
gone from a small corner stand to one of the biggest in the
exhibition hall – a testimony to how well liked Simon, his team
and his products are.
Somehow, he also manages to event at a high level. He
has previously ridden around Blenheim Palace CCI*** aboard
Beau Diddler, a little horse that he started at the pre-novice
level with when he was 22-years-old. Simon now spends most
weekends during the season successfully competing in the
open intermediate level on his beloved Irish bred Trigger, aka
the appropriately named Shenanigan, who came to him as the
result of a horse swap with Team GBR medallist Karen Dixon.
Despite the fact that Trigger initially preferred to spend most
of his time on his hind legs and was “very rude and naughty,”
Simon maintains that he got the better half of the deal. As a
duo, they are instantly recognisable. Trigger is a bright chestnut
with a flaxen mane and tail who very much likes to think he is
in control, and Simon describes himself as “short and not really
built for the job.” However, his wife Lindsey, who he describes
as his rock and who also competes, refuses to accept that as
an excuse. She tells him, “You are the same build as Michael
Jung, and he hasn’t done too badly!”
The sport of eventing provides Simon with the relaxation and
alternative mind time that enables him to continue enthusing
his staff and customers alike with passion for what they do. “I
relish the mental challenge that eventing provides,” he said.
Eventing also enables the Zebra brand to be highly visible
on the circuit. All the products they distribute are truly tried
and tested by both Simon and Lindsey. “We don’t stock
anything we don’t believe in,” they said. This honest, open
approach and the subsequent popularity of this couple are
reflected during the regular prize giving they attend. They are
raucously applauded when accepting the rewards of their hard
endeavours, enlivening what are ordinarily rather subdued and
restrained affairs.
The same vigorous beliefs also apply to the riders who they
work with and who become ambassadors for the company. Not
only do these riders work closely with the brands, but they also
train Simon and Lindsey. The guest room in their home has
been christened “The Golden Bedroom,” thanks to the regular
presence of Charlotte Dujardin and Blyth Tait.
Extraordinarily enough, Simon comes from a totally non-
horsey family, but one that is infused with the need for adrenalin,
via the sport of cycling. His father, the late Harry Middleton,
managed the Barcelona Olympic Gold Medallist Cyclist Chris
Boardman and his brother Matthew was the Junior National
Cyclist Champion. Matriarch of the family is mum, Frances, a
keen cyclist who looks 20 years younger than she actually is
and who is a constant presence at the events.
If drive and enthusiasm are the yardsticks by which we
measure success, then I am sure that this galloping grocer is
on his way to further glory … in his spare time.
About the writer: Maria Wynne has spent her entire life with horses and
her family background is steeped in them. She is a proud (single) Mum of the
adorable five-year-old son named Theodore Denman, who is named after the
2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner.
Simon, the galloping grocer, and his high-flying partner
Shenanigan.
Photo by Maria Wynne
