Our sponsored riders’ 2025 goals.

With the new eventing season about to begin and a packed competition calendar ahead across all the equestrian disciplines, it’s time to see if a winter of hard work will pay off. In this month’s blog we’re catching up with our sponsored riders as they gear up for the season and checking in on their goals for 2025. Plus, we’re introducing you to a new addition to the team, eventer Jemima Stratton. Let’s dive in!

Jemima Stratton

Jemima is a 22-year-old 4* event rider based on her family farm in the Wiltshire countryside. Competing a string of horses she has produced from the very beginning of their career alongside riding out for local trainer Ralph Beckett, we’re thrilled to have Jemima on board. Here are her aims this year:

My main plans for the 2025 season are to aim my six- and seven-year-old horses for the young horse classes, with my absolute aspiration being to compete at the Le Lion D’Agers world young horse championships. My 7-year-old, Warrenstown V De Muse, was 4th at Wellington 2* and 10th at the Cornbury 2* National 6-year-old Championship last year, as well as being reserve for Le Lion, so this should be a very exciting year for him! My 6-year-old KPCM Hugo Boss hasn’t evented yet, having only show jumped in Ireland, but he is such an exciting young horse, and we are so excited to see what he can do this year.

My third ride, Biggles, is an 8-year-old ex-racehorse who was a successful seven-furlong handicapper who came out of training last year from Ralph Beckett’s yard. One of the highlights of his career was winning the Class 2 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket’s July Course in 2023. He has taken to his new career very well, and has already been clear round a hunter trial, and jumped round his first 100cm showjumping. He is showing incredible promise and has the most amazing trainable brain. He will be making his BE debut in the BE 90 at Moreton this year and our big aim would be the Cornbury ROR championships either this year or next.

Unfortunately, my 4* horse Global Exotic sustained an injury over the winter so we are just taking every day as it comes, but we are hoping he will be back out jumping around the big tracks soon!

Mel Chapman

Mel heads up Team Chapman Equestrian and is based near Catterick in North Yorkshire. Mel works incredibly hard, often taking a lorry full of horses to competitions and riding eight or nine tests in one day! She also coaches, holds clinics and camps and produces her stable of homebred sports and dressage horses. Mel has some really exciting horses to campaign this year and build on her superb 2024, so without further ado, here are her aims for the year ahead:

“I am hoping to set the ball rolling with Romeo stepping up and doing his first Grand Prix in the spring - as everyone knows I am very excited about what we can hopefully achieve together. I would also like to see a couple of my other horses step up to Inter 1 level and, fingers crossed, we get to compete at another couple of international shows again this year.

I also want to continue to support my awesome clients, have some good successes and help Holly Richardson again throughout the season. I just want to keep pushing on and working hard to achieve my goals and results. Plus, I have made a commitment to myself to make sure my fitness levels are as good as they can be.”

Sara Bowe

Sara Bowe is our sponsored event rider who’s based in Bedale, North Yorkshire and competes alongside teaching and bringing on youngsters and homebred horses. Sara had an excellent season last year, so we’re excited to see how she gets on this year! Let’s take a look at her aims for this year:

“I am aiming to step my top horses up a level, so Rinwood MJ up to advanced and 4* and to cement MHS Global Cooley at Intermediate and 3*. We are working hard to get them fit and ready for the season. MHS Global Cooley has been having some fun hunting and they are all getting out dressage training, showjumping and we’ve been on some trips to Somerford over the past month.

I also have a couple of lovely young horses who will be making their debuts, including my homebred who is Seaworthy (my advanced winning mare)’s baby by Cevin Z who is proving sassy but talented! Just like her mum! Hoping the weather improves so that we can get going as soon as the season starts! I also have some really smart showjumpers to compete this year, so it will be nice to have a mini string for that too.”

Lucinda Atkinson

Lucinda is an event rider from Yafforth in North Yorkshire who joined the Horse Bit Bank team at the end of 2024 after a superb season. We’re excited to be following along with her as she prepares for the season ahead, so let’s hear about her goals:

"I have an amazing string of horses for the 2025 season including some new rides for me. I always think plans and goals need to be moveable and adaptable when it comes to horses as there are so many variables, including the great British weather! I have an incredible team of young horses which I will be aiming at the six-, seven- and eight-year-old Championships, as well as two who will hopefully be competing in the Burghley Young Event Horse series.

I am also so lucky to have three horses that will hopefully step up to be great 3* horses this season, so keep an eye on that. More generally, I really want to continue to build on the successes and achievements I have achieved over the last couple of years and am excited to be sharing the 2025 season with the Horse Bit Bank followers!"

Holly Richardson

Holly is a 5* event rider based on her family’s farm in North Yorkshire who works closely with our dressage rider Mel Chapman. Holly and her top ride Bally Louis had an exciting 2024, competing at both Badminton and Burghley last season, so we can’t wait to see how she gets on this year - let's hear about her goals:

"I hope to keep progressing all the horses from their good runs at the end of last year and, most importantly, keep them all happy and healthy and enjoying themselves. My competition aims are hopefully Ballyneety Silver Service will compete at his first CCI4* L and Madame Revolution and Rock N Roll Star will step up to 3*, as well as aiming Orson at the six year old championships at the end of the year. Some new five year olds will make their eventing debuts, which is always exciting, and I'm very lucky to be trusted to start the season as stand in jockey for a couple of friends who are having babies. I am so excited to get going - let's hope the rain stays away!!

Good luck to all our sponsored riders and our readers as you prepare for you seasonal debuts. We know how much effort goes into getting ready for the season and keeping horses happy, healthy and sound all spring and summer, so we hope you smash your goals in 2025.