Twenty-eight-year-old Helen Bates has come from a non-horsey background all the way through the grades to line up at her first Mars Badminton Horse Trials this week (8-12 May).
“On my eighth birthday, my parents took me for a riding lesson,” explains Helen, who grew up in Dorset, but now operates out of a yard near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. “I carried on with those lessons once per week and helped out at the riding school during the weekends. The first pony I bought was a yearling – it was an interesting start!”
Helen says she and her family could never afford to buy a “made” horse.
“By the age of 17, I was still super-passionate and I was very fortunate that my parents sold their car to purchase a nice youngster from Cooley Farm in Ireland.”
Helen then moved to work for five-star event riders Mark and Tanya Kyle in Leicestershire, where she remained for six years.
“With Mark and Tanya’s guidance, I bought unbroken young horses to buy and produce to make money,” she explains.
Helen Bates: “Spending time with horses away from riding is so important”
Helen will be riding her own and mother Christine Bates’ 14-year-old Carpe Diem at Badminton. She has produced him from scratch having purchased him from a Brightwells Auction as a four-year-old.
“We call him Diego at home, but he also has the nickname ‘Demon’,” laughs Helen. “He was really tricky as a young horse. He had a quirky brain and is quite weird, although you wouldn’t know it now.
“He was sharp and it took us six months to get him to go around the outside of the arena as he was so spooky. He would also go to the back of his stable and stare at the wall. He was terrified of life but has always absolutely loved jumping.”
Spending quality time with his rider has proved to be the making of Diego.
“I did a lot on the ground with him, so he has come out of his shell – we know where we’re at with each other and we have a really good bond,” states Helen. “Spending time with horses away from riding is so important.”
Diego’s strong point is his jumping, says Helen, who finished 23rd in Pau’s five-star in October 2023 with the gelding, jumping double clear.
“I’m absolutely obsessed with his jump and even now is still the best horse I’ve jumped,” she says. “He finds dressage difficult because it’s outside of his comfort zone and he can get stage fright at a big show – he is a good mover, but struggles to demonstrate that at times.
“He loves the job and really looks for the flags, so he must get some kind of buzz out of it. Another slight weakness is where we’re going and at what pace across country, which is why I go slower in national classes so that we get a good rapport and communication ahead of going to a big international event.”
Helen says that she has “had a look” at the online Badminton cross-country course preview with her trainer Kevin McNab.
“There is enough to do and we will be tested right until the end at any event at this level. I’m excited to take it on, but there’s no horse I’d rather do it on.”
First and foremost, Helen explains that she wants to “have a great time” while at Badminton.
“I have imposter syndrome being on the entry list,” she laughs. “Ultimately, I want to give my horse the best ride I can and not let him down.”
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