Halls backs a winner as amateur jockey takes on role

John Smith-Maxwell, 27, has joined Halls and will be based at the company’s Kidderminster office, which is managed by director Sarah Hulland.

In addition to his role as a chartered rural surveyor, John will help his parents to run their 500-acre beef and arable farm at Hanbury, near Droitwich and continue to compete as a point-to-point jockey, sponsored by Halls.

A graduate of the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, he worked for Rendells and Stags in Devon, where he specialised in estate management and valuations, before joining Halls at the start of 2024.

He is Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and a Fellow of the CAAV, Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.

He said he is delighted to return home to Worcestershire to join Halls, one of the UK’s leading regional independent firms of estate agents, chartered surveyors, auctioneers and valuers.

“If you want to be based in Worcestershire as a chartered rural surveyor and valuer, then Halls is an obvious choice, as I like working for progressive, regional partnerships,” explained John. “This is an excellent opportunity to continue developing my career in the West Midlands.

“I shall be looking to introduce new concepts to grow the estate management department and develop my professional work at Halls, whilst also helping my parents to run their farm and continuing to race. I am looking forward to meeting existing and introducing new clients.”

John’s family is strongly connected with horse racing. His late grandmother, Pat Tollit, won the national women riders’ title six times and his sister, Alex Dunn, has trained and ridden more than 200 winners in the UK and France.

Having made his Cheltenham Festival debut in 2020, John won the Lord Ashton of Hyde Men's Open, a Point-to-Point 'Classic', at Cocklebarrow in 2020, riding a horse trained by his sister and owned by his mother, Katherine.