Young Rider: Bella Napthali

YOUNG RIDER

Flying high

When it comes to moves like the flag, mill and scissors, Bella Napthali has it down pat. Making a serious mark in the world of equestrian vaulting, she spoke to AMANDA MAC about her very promising career.

Seventeen-year-old Bella Napthali, who’s currently studying for her HSC, already has a string of equestrian vaulting successes behind her.

Based in the NSW’s Southern Highlands, she’s the only equestrian in the family and arrived at the sport while taking gymnastics lessons from coach Lani Maher, a talented vaulter herself. Spotting potential, Lani offered Bella some vaulting training, and the then nine-year-old Bella, who has no problem with being upside down and delights in a challenge, fell in love with the sport and to this day is coached by Lani and Lani’s mother Kerri Wilson.

And then there’s Andre. Owned by Bella’s vaulting club, Andre, an ex-police horse, is a 17.2hh Warmblood x Quarter Horse who’s built quite a bond with Bella. “He’s very gentle and kind. He does get a bit anxious at times,” she says, “but we work together really well.”

To no small degree, Bella’s success is the result of sheer hard work. Although she vaults only three times a week, training is a daily occurrence. “I do endurance work so I’m fit enough to vault,” she tells me, “and I work on the barrel [a wooden horse] to improve my technique and strength.”

Because flatwork is essential for building the muscle and balance a horse needs to lunge on a circle while the vaulter performs, Bella and Andre also train in dressage up to five times a week. Interestingly, 50 per cent of competition scores are dressage based, and therefore directly related to the horse’s performance. “Every couple of weeks we have a lesson with dressage rider Janice Usherwood, who has been amazing in helping us improve,” she says.

Bella’s most recent pre-COVID success was placing third at the 2019 Nationals, which, she says, was “pretty exciting.” But prior to that was a European sojourn, largely courtesy of Bella’s Austrian citizenship. “My mum’s family is Austrian and I was born there. So as a family we spent nine months in Europe in 2019, and I was lucky enough to compete and

FACING PAGE: Flying high at the 2019 Nationals in Scone (Image by Samual Noakes Photographics). RIGHT: At the 2019 FEI Junior World Championships in Ermelo, the Netherlands (Image by Daniel Kaiser). BELOW LEFT: Competing in the 2020 Sydney Vaulting Group Christmas event at Evans Park, Glossodia (Image by Rodney’s Photography). BELOW RIGHT: Bella and ex-police horse Andre (Image by Maridi Napthali).

train in Austria, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, where I went to the Junior World Championships. I came twentieth overall, the best score for any Australian in that particular championship,” an achievement of which Bella is justifiably proud.

Bella hopes to be back training and competing in Europe by the end of the year. She’d also like to do as many CVIs as possible and maybe another championship if she’s selected. “My main goal is to keep working as hard

as I can for as long as I can, as long as I’m loving what I’m doing. And I’d love to help grow the sport in Australia,” she adds with remarkable maturity.

When I ask her who she’d like to thank, she’s momentarily lost for words: “That’s such a big question. I’m so grateful for every single person in my life that makes vaulting happen for me, but number one I’d like to thank my mum, her never ending love helps me fulfil my dreams. All of my coaches, trainers, mentors, physios, lungers, and of course all the horses that I ride. Just so many people and I’m so very grateful for them all.”

My main goal is to keep working as hard as I can for as long as I can, as long as I’m loving what I’m doing.

We wish Bella every success and look forward to seeing all her dreams come true.