Sky now the limit for Chloe after Badminton surprise

BRECKENBROUGH’S Chloe Bell admits her long-term dream is to emulate her mum Helen’s achievements as an international eventer.
Chloe BellChloe Bell
Chloe Bell

“It might take a while to get there!” Chloe laughs.

Maybe so, but the 15-year-old is already on her way having shone at this year’s Grassroots Championships at the Badminton Horse Trials.

Chloe and 16-year-old brother Toby are the children of Helen Bell – Breckenbrough’s former international eventing star, who now heads up Helen Bell Equestrian.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In previous years, Helen was a regular at four-star events such as Badminton where her best-placed finish was an impressive third in the main event of 1991 on Troubleshooter.

And now her daughter has experience of the Gloucestershire extravaganza with Chloe, who only turned 15 in March, finishing sixth in the BE90 2012 Grassroots event on Foxhill Jet, a horse her rider describes as “a pleasure.”

Among the onlookers was Chloe’s mother – making her first return to Badminton since her own glorious days there. Given Chloe’s progress – and her older brother’s for that matter – the proud mum can be expected to be cheering on again in the coming years.

“My ambition is to do as well as mum did and compete at that level,” a passionate Chloe told the Yorkshire Post. “But it might take a while.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It was lovely competing at Badminton because my mum has done the big thing there and she hasn’t been back since she competed.

“It was really nice for her to go back and she said it was like deja vu all the time.

“Mum has done Badminton eight times I think and the best result she has ever had is coming third in the main event. What she has done has been amazing.

“It was quite scary as lots of people were speaking to my mum and I didn’t know who they were. But quite a few knew who she was.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Now those people will be hearing more and more of Chloe, who exceeded her expectations with a sixth-placed finish in Badminton’s BE90. Also, among the support team was dad Tom – designer and builder of Breckenbrough’s course and fences – who built his own fence at Badminton for his daughter to practice on.

“I was really happy with how I went as I wasn’t expecting to come anywhere really,” said Chloe, who attends Cundall Manor School along with her brother. “It was quite scary as you see all the people on the bigger horses. Then there’s me on a pony.”

But there was clearly no fluke about the teenager’s triumph with her superb Badminton effort followed by a runners-up berth in a BE100 class at Richmond last weekend. Chloe even finished with the same score as the victorious Amy Lawrence and only lost out through not having the optimum time.

You get the sense, however, that a big win is just around the corner and it’s likely to be a similar story with brother Toby, who is quickly resuming the excellent progress he had shown prior to breaking his pelvis in a riding accident in 2011. Now the older brother is back on track on ponies Strawberry Box and Finn with a healthy rivalry with his little sister having returned.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’re good rivals and we’re always competing against each other,” said Chloe, who is in action at Floors Castle this weekend.

“If he gets a better dressage or I get a better dressage you kind of say, ‘it was a different judge’ or later ‘the wind blew the pole down’ or something like that. He hasn’t done Badminton – he says he only wants to do Badminton if he does the real thing.”

Which is also the target for his sister – who also competes on Bombay Mix – and who is hoping to return to Badminton’s Grassroots Championships next year with Foxhill Jet being aimed at a step up to the BE100 class.

Two other younger horses – six-year-olds Dodger and Sam – are also being lined up for the BE90 event by Chloe, who also hopes to compete at Bramham this summer in the Pony Club showjumping competition.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

All roads could then lead back to Badminton next May where victory is the ultimate dream.

“If I could ever win at Badminton it would be amazing,” added Chloe.

“It would just be outstanding and my mum would be so proud as well.”

Rest asssuered she’s already proud of the next generation.

Related topics: