26 Horse&Hound 22 August 2019
Illustrations
by
David
Stoten
HAVING IT ALL
“
E
VERYONE told me I
wouldn’t have time for
horses once I had a baby,
that I’d never be able to ride.
But I didn’t take any notice.”
Amateur showjumper Laura Upton was
determined to prove her doubters wrong. Nine
years later, she is competing at a higher level
than before the birth of her daughter Jessica
— including finishing sixth in the 2016 bronze
league final at the Horse of the Year Show.
“I knew I’d carry on because horses are my
life,” Laura says. “If you want to do it enough,
you will.”Mary King set the benchmark on riding internationally after having a child and
Ros Canter now joins the fray. Eleanor Jones asks how other new parents cope
Laura credits a supportive husband and
best friend, who looked after Jess to allow her
to ride, or mucked out her horses.
“One piece of advice I had was that there
would be times I wouldn’t be able to ride, if the
baby was poorly, say, and that I’d have to take
it on the chin,” she adds. “But otherwise, I got
great at multi-tasking.
“When she was tiny, I’d put her in the car so
she went to sleep, drive to the yard and park by
the school, so I could keep an eye on her while
I rode. When she was awake, I’d park her pram
in front of my horse’s stable and he’d blow on
the cover. That kept her entertained for ages.”Laura also cited bottle-feeding as essential
and, as Jess got older, she was easier to
entertain. She loved water, so could be trusted
to fill all the buckets.
“She hates that job now, though,” laughs
Laura. “She’ll only do the waters under duress.
But we share the same interests. She has
her pony and wants to register to do British
Showjumping. We do everything together.”I
T is tough combining being a parent with
riding, whether you’re a happy hacker or
competing at the highest level.
Olympic gold medallist Laura Tomlinson,