Paris-bound equestrian mothers hail family support as key to medal chasing

Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic-bound mothers have paid tribute to the support networks allowing them to balance their medal chasing with bringing up children.

Ros Canter and Natasha Baker will both be part of British equestrian squads this summer, with Canter making her Olympic debut in Paris and Baker looking to add to her eight Paralympic medals, six of which are gold.

Canter trains on her family’s Lincolnshire arable farm and her mother helps manage the horses day to day in what is a true 24/7 operation.

“My mum has always loved horses and introduced me to riding as a small child, but we are a sporty family and I’ve always played a lot of sport,” Canter said.

“Mum’s support is instrumental in my success and as a farmer, not only does she instil an amazing work ethic in us all, but we benefit from her knowledge about things like field management.

“While dad is not horsey, he is always there to help muck out the lorry when we get home late from competitions.

“And Chris, my husband, is a hands on dad with our five-year-old daughter Ziggy.

“This support allows me to successfully combine being a mum with training and competing horses at this level.”

Equestrian events were amongst the very earliest sports to join the Olympic roster, and are the only ones in which men and women compete on equal terms in all events.

With two young mothers named for Britain’s equestrian teams for the Paris Olympics and at least one more a front runner for the Paralympics, the sport is also on target to have a higher percentage of mothers on its Olympic teams in 2024 than perhaps any other.

“It was my Mum who inspired me to take up the sport, and she has always been an incredible support,” Baker added.

“Combining my own new role as a mother with that of an international Paralympic athlete campaigning for place in Paris takes the need for organisation and flexibility and support from my Mum to a whole new level.”

Both Canter and Baker are sponsored by Agria, one of the world’s leading animal insurers.

“We are so proud to support two athletes who are both combining parenthood with elite sport, and are the product of true family operations,” says Agria CEO Vicki Wentworth, herself a mother and rider.

“Providing horses with the best care is unavoidably expensive, and it’s sponsorship like Agria’s that helps ensure that anyone can reach the top in equestrian sport with the right support, enough hard work and talent — not just those with deep pockets.”

Agria, the UK's only lifetime equine insurance, has been enriching lives with animals since 1890