3 minute read
Young Rider: William Bates
YOUNG RIDER
Firmly grounded
After recently talking to young eventer William Bates, SUZY JARRATT is of the opinion that he has all his ducks in a very well thought out row.
Horses are not the only animals keeping William Bates busy: there are three Jack Russells, some ducks, guinea fowl, various chooks and a peacock with a harem of hens. Each day they demand attention. As does his schoolwork – and
as William’s goal is to become a vet, he must study hard. Sixteen-year-old William is the son of
Matthew and Christine Bates and it was
inevitable he would grow up with horses.
His father is a breaker and former 3*
eventer, his mother a 5* eventer and
coach. Together they run a busy training
and agistment business in Wilberforce, William’s first rides were on a miniature pony when he was two, there’s some YouTube footage to prove it! “But I didn’t start riding properly until I was five and then I began eventing at nine.” In just a few years William has notched up points on the board, winning and placing at major equestrian competitions (some of his ducks and chickens also won prizes at the 2022 local ag show, and at the recent Penrith ag show, William was awarded Champion Poultry Judge).
Today his main horse is 12-year-old Lamondale Reveller a.k.a. Reuben. “He’s three-quarters Warmblood, one quarter TB,” William explains. “He’s friendly and cuddly, not sharp or spooky, and the plan is to keep going up the grades. At Tamworth in July we competed in our first 95cm where we placed ninth overall. I was super happy with how he went for me, consistent in all three phases.”
He is also riding Adelaide Hill the international eventer formerly campaigned by his mother and owned
by family friend Beth Turner. “I’ve recently taken him into straight dressage events which can be fun, especially on an experienced horse like him, whereas eventing dressage can be boring. He’s 20 now - I’m just going slowly and might eventually bring him back to eventing. Mum and I call him Spooks. He’s vastly different to Reuben who you have to kick when you get on. If you did the same to Spooks you’d get bucked off. It took Dad three years to break him in!”
Beth is delighted William has taken Adelaide on. “He’ll learn from him and Adelaide will enjoy being ridden by William,” she says. “Trained horses do respond well to gentle, kind, young riders and they like competing. I’ll be following their progress just as I did throughout Christine’s career with Adelaide.”
Christine, who helps her son with the three eventing phases, always encourages him to seek new advice. “I love getting dressage lessons from Prue Barrett and I recently went to a showjumping school with David Cameron which was fantastic,” he tells me.
William knows that without his parents he could never participate in the sport he has grown to love. “Mum and I work the horses around four o’clock when I get home from school. Mum will ride one, I’ll get on the other and we’ll rotate them the next day. People assume I’ll become a professional rider but knowing how hard Mum and Dad work, I’ve decided against that and am aiming to be a vet. I’ll look into going to university in America or England. My parents have said they’ll move to where I go and then they can keep my horses with them which will make it cheaper for me.”
Although only young, William Bates seems to be well-grounded and wise. What qualities does he think are necessary to make a good horseman? “Definitely patience,” he says. “You also need to love animals and be able to build a connection with them. Until I have a good bond with horses I cannot ride them well.”
