Latest news with #Wincanton
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Trainer who rode zebra to local pub fighting for his life after horse accident
Bill Turner, a West Country racehorse trainer who once broke in a zebra and rode it to his local pub, is on a ventilator in hospital fighting for his life after being knocked over by a horse and fracturing his skull on Monday. In racing circles, Turner, 78, who is based near Wincanton, is a small-time trainer best known for his precocious two-year-olds having won the Brocklesby Stakes, traditionally the first juvenile race of the season on Turf at Doncaster in March, no less than six times and most recently with Mick's Yer Man in 2013. Rare has been the Brocklesby this century without a Turner runner. But long-distance chasers – I won a hunter chase for him in the 1980s – or speedy two-year-olds all come alike to Turner, a proper old-school horseman. But it was his exploits with a zebra, a scatty animal which is notoriously difficult to train, which brought him national fame. In 2009 he bought the young zebra, Zebedee, for £4,500 from a Dutch wildlife park, to fulfil his ambition to see whether the animal could be trained or not. Unlike horses, which have been domesticated for thousands of years, zebras see everything that moves as a predator, so much so that describing them as 'flighty' is an understatement. They are unpredictable and easily startled with a tendency to panic. But before long Turner was riding Zebedee to his local pub, the King's Arms near Sherborne, for a pint after work and attracting as much attention as Lord Rothschild, whose mode of transport in 19th century London was a carriage drawn by zebras. Speaking to the Racing Post at the time, the former jockey said: 'I have broken hundreds of horses over the years, and always wanted to try my hand with a zebra, but they are very hard to get hold of. I approached Longleat a few years ago and we were going to get one of them when a mate of mine was supplying some of the meat for the lions but, unfortunately, that fell through. 'They say zebras are so hard to break in because they haven't got any brains and they do panic very easily but I approached him as if he were a horse. He had never been touched and at first he was coming at me with his front feet and biting but I tried to treat him with complete and utter kindness. At the moment it is working.' When he first arrived at the pub, he added, one or two of the drinkers wondered if their beer was a bit strong. Turner has had just one flat winner this season but has trained in a career lasting nearly half a century, a feat in itself. Red Snapper is due to run for him at Chepstow on Thursday and his family are keen for the horse to run because it is what the trainer would want.
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GXO encouraged by pre-peak season activity, well positioned for 2026
Contract logistics provider GXO Logistics touted new business wins and slightly raised its 2025 outlook on Tuesday after the market closed. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based company cited increased interest from e-commerce and reverse logistics companies as a reason. GXO (NYSE: GXO) reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 57 cents. The result was 2 cents higher year over year and 1 cent ahead of the consensus estimate. (Adjusted results exclude nonrecurring expenses from acquisitions and a restructuring, among other items.) Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $212 million was 13% higher y/y. GXO inked $307 million in new deals during the second quarter, pushing total business wins to $535 million in the first half of 2025. The company's pipeline was $2.4 billion at the end of the period, a modest step down from $2.5 billion at the end of the first quarter, however it continues to convert the pipeline into revenue. (The pipeline excludes any contribution from the Wincanton acquisition, which was cleared by the UK Competition and Markets Authority in June.) Management described the pipeline on a Wednesday call with analysts as 'more diverse than ever before,' and noted it contains more warehouse automation opportunities than in the past. It said many of its new wins in the e-commerce space include the use of AI inventory replenishment tools. Consolidated revenue of $3.3 billion was 16% higher y/y and ahead of the consensus estimate of $3.1 billion. The bulk of the growth was tied to recent acquisitions. Organic revenue grew by 6% in the quarter. GXO reiterated its full-year 2025 outlook for organic revenue growth of 3.5% to 6.5% and adjusted EPS of $2.43 to $2.63. (The consensus EPS estimate was $2.50 at the time of the print.) It raised adjusted EBITDA guidance by $5 million to a new range of $865 million to $885 million. This was the second increase to the EBITDA outlook since it released first-quarter results in May. 'We're seeing customers really preparing in earnest for what will be a good holiday season,' said GXO CEO Malcolm Wilson on the call. He said the activity provides 'a strong level of confidence in delivering the full-year organic outlooks.' He also noted that the company is set up well for 2026 given the recent business wins, noting it will enter a new year with more incremental revenue booked than ever before. Wilson also acknowledged the management team has a reputation for 'being prudent' with guidance. While acknowledging 'several opportunities' to outperform the new guide, he said a level of conservatism is warranted given market uncertainties and the company's upcoming executive leadership transition. GXO announced in June that supply chain veteran Patrick Kelleher will succeed Wilson, who is retiring as CEO this month. It also announced on Tuesday that Chief Financial Officer Baris Oran is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities but will remain in place until a new CFO in named. Shares of GXO were off 0.2% at 11:29 a.m. EDT on Wednesday compared to the S&P 500, which was up 0.6%. More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden: Lineage says high food prices weighing on warehouse occupancy Freight market's 'holding pattern' continues in July Beleaguered TL carrier Pamt Corp. names new CEO The post GXO encouraged by pre-peak season activity, well positioned for 2026 appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Woman cannot attend funeral after Citroen recalls
A woman says she cannot attend her friend's funeral after her car was recalled without a replacement. About 120,000 drivers in the UK have been left unable to drive their Citroens after a lethal fault with airbags prompted car giant Stellantis, which owns Citreon, to say people should stop using versions of the Citroen C3 and related DS3 altogether until fixed. Pamela Slater, of Wincanton, Somerset, is one of those people and cannot get her car repaired until the end of August. "I should be going to a friend's funeral and I can't get there now," she said. "I was going to take a friend to a hospital, she can't drive because of an eye problem. This is awful, I'm totally lost without a car." More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset The "stop-drive" instruction issued by Stellantis, which owns Citroen, followed growing concerns about the safety of airbags fitted to these models, following a fatal accident in France last month. It is the latest drama in the 20-year scandal over now-defunct Japanese manufacturer Takata, whose airbags were installed by nearly all the world's leading car-makers. "It was news to me because I hadn't heard anything about these recalls and I was mortified," Ms Slater said. "I tried contacting a local garage but they were inundated, a garage in Trowbridge quoted me the end of August to get it done. "I contacted my insurance and they said I'm not covered if I'm in an accident. I'm fortunate in that I'm retired but there must be people who are working who can't get to work." Stuart Masson, a motoring journalist known as the Car Expert, said while vehicle recalls were quite common, stop-drive notices were "very rare". "It's even rarer when they involve large numbers of cars, we're talking about 120,000 in the UK, in Europe about 900,000," Mr Masson added. "Unsurprisingly it's not the easiest thing to make it all fixed immediately." Stellantis said it had no plans to provide compensation, while adding it had "mobilised the whole company" to source the number of replacement airbags required. A spokesperson said: "It is inevitable, with such a large number of vehicles affected, that customers will be inconvenienced in the short term." What is not clear is how customers should get their cars to dealerships for the repair work, as they cannot be driven. Industry experts say drivers should check with their insurers before getting behind the wheel. The company said it was "investigating options of airbag replacement at other sites, in addition to our Citroen network, including at [the owner's] home". Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Citroen owners left stranded over airbag safety risk Deadly airbag fault sees 2.5m cars recalled in France Vehicles damaged as 'community terrorised'
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Wincanton woman cannot attend funeral after Citroen recalls
A woman says she cannot attend her friend's funeral after her car was recalled without a 120,000 drivers in the UK have been left unable to drive their Citroens after a lethal fault with airbags prompted car giant Stellantis, which owns Citreon, to say people should stop using versions of the Citroen C3 and related DS3 altogether until Slater, of Wincanton, Somerset, is one of those people and cannot get her car repaired until the end of August."I should be going to a friend's funeral and I can't get there now," she said. "I was going to take a friend to a hospital, she can't drive because of an eye problem. This is awful, I'm totally lost without a car." The "stop-drive" instruction issued by Stellantis, which owns Citroen, followed growing concerns about the safety of airbags fitted to these models, following a fatal accident in France last is the latest drama in the 20-year scandal over now-defunct Japanese manufacturer Takata, whose airbags were installed by nearly all the world's leading car-makers."It was news to me because I hadn't heard anything about these recalls and I was mortified," Ms Slater said."I tried contacting a local garage but they were inundated, a garage in Trowbridge quoted me the end of August to get it done. 'Very rare' "I contacted my insurance and they said I'm not covered if I'm in an accident. I'm fortunate in that I'm retired but there must be people who are working who can't get to work."Stuart Masson, a motoring journalist known as the Car Expert, said while vehicle recalls were quite common, stop-drive notices were "very rare". "It's even rarer when they involve large numbers of cars, we're talking about 120,000 in the UK, in Europe about 900,000," Mr Masson added."Unsurprisingly it's not the easiest thing to make it all fixed immediately."Stellantis said it had no plans to provide compensation, while adding it had "mobilised the whole company" to source the number of replacement airbags required.A spokesperson said: "It is inevitable, with such a large number of vehicles affected, that customers will be inconvenienced in the short term."What is not clear is how customers should get their cars to dealerships for the repair work, as they cannot be driven. Industry experts say drivers should check with their insurers before getting behind the company said it was "investigating options of airbag replacement at other sites, in addition to our Citroen network, including at [the owner's] home".
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After Last Week's Surge, Is GXO Logistics Ready for a Comeback?
GXO Logistics has struggled in recent years amid a slowdown in the industrial economy. The company raised its guidance after its plan to acquire Wincanton finally gained approval from U.K. regulators. It also named a new CEO six months after outgoing CEO Malcolm Wilson said he would retire when his successor was found. 10 stocks we like better than GXO Logistics › GXO Logistics (NYSE: GXO) shareholders have had to be patient in the years since the company was spun off from XPO in 2021. That event came at the height of the pandemic stock market boom, which was particularly kind to e-commerce businesses, and the new stock jumped out of the gate. However, GXO's stock tanked during the market-wide sell-off of 2022, and since then, the stock has struggled to build momentum amid broader weakness in the transportation and logistics industries. More recently, it has been held back by concerns about how President Donald Trump's tariffs will impact the global economy. However, the company, which is the world's largest pure-play logistics operator, got two pieces of good news last week that helped send the stock price up 12% on Friday. First, GXO's acquisition of Wincanton, a U.K.-based logistics company, was finally approved by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, more than a year after GXO announced its plans for the deal. The purchase was approved pending the divestment of a few grocery contracts, and integration will be allowed to go forward once certain administrative conditions are met. That is key because GXO has not been able to capture the benefits of the acquisition without integrating it. Management expects integration to begin in the third quarter and sees Wincanton adding value, in particular in the aerospace and defense industry. As a result of both that approval and other trends, management raised its guidance for the year. It now expects organic revenue growth of 3.5% to 6.5%, up from a previous range of 3% to 6%. It also raised its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) forecast to a range of $860 million to $880 million, from a prior range of $840 million to $860 million. Its adjusted EPS guidance was lifted from a range of $2.40 to $2.60 to a range of $2.43 to $2.63. In addition to the expected benefits from the Wincanton acquisition, outgoing CEO Malcolm Wilson noted, "Across our operations, we are seeing better than expected volumes and accelerated productivity gains in existing operations and new start-ups." Additionally, on Friday, the company named Patrick Kelleher as its next CEO. Wilson, who headed GXO since the spin-off, announced in December that he would be retiring once his successor was found. Kelleher was most recently the North American CEO of DHL Supply Chain. He also held a number of other executive positions with DHL and helped lead its advanced robotics initiative. Additionally, Kelleher oversaw four M&A transactions, making him a good fit for GXO, as the company has made M&A a key part of its strategy. "Patrick is a world-class operator with the relevant experience to lead GXO through the next phase of growth," said company Chairman Brad Jacobs in the press release announcing the hiring. With those two announcements, GXO put a lot of uncertainty behind it. The company has been waiting more than a year to capitalize on its Wincanton acquisition. Now, it can begin integrating the two operations, cutting costs and leveraging Wincanton's assets and expertise in areas like aerospace and defense. Naming Kelleher as the next CEO eliminates the uncertainty around the company's leadership and positions it to move forward and execute its strategy. Investors shouldn't overlook the other key factor that it revealed -- that its performance and productivity gains have been better than expected. In its first-quarter earnings report, the company pushed back on the assumption that uncertainty around tariffs was hurting the business by reaffirming its guidance. At the time, it noted that its contracts are designed to withstand macroeconomic volatility, and emphasized that its geographical diversification makes the company more resilient in challenging times. In sum, management asserted that the business can continue to grow even with a volatile economic backdrop. GXO's growth may not accelerate until there's some greater clarity about the trade war situation, but the stock still looks like a good value over the long term. This could be the beginning of GXO's recovery. Before you buy stock in GXO Logistics, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and GXO Logistics wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $664,089!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $881,731!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 Jeremy Bowman has positions in GXO Logistics and XPO. The Motley Fool recommends GXO Logistics and XPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. After Last Week's Surge, Is GXO Logistics Ready for a Comeback? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
