Matilda got into riding through her parents – her dad was a professional showjumper and her mum evented to a high level. She started riding before she could walk, and as a child took part in Working Hunter Pony showing classes because her parents felt it would be a good way for her to learn the basics. She switched to jumping when she was about 13 or 14, and starting competing in Children on Horses classes.
She made her championship debut in 2017 as part of the team that won gold at the FEI Children’s Jumping European Championship – joining fellow P3 jumper Olli Fletcher. In the following years, she jumped on numerous Junior Nations Cups, before COVID put a halt to the series. With her championship ride now getting on a bit, Matilda is focusing on bringing on a string of younger horses and she has high hopes for their future.
Matilda balances her riding alongside full-time education, and is currently on a gap year while she decides on her plans for university. She really values her education and doesn’t plan to make a decision about whether to pursue jumping professionally until after she’s gradated. In the meantime, she aims to keep riding at this level and hopefully compete on more teams in the future.
| Date | Event | Horse | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Children on Horses European Championships | Newbridge's Master Brown | Team gold |