Holly Jessett and her own 13-year-old gelding, Lombard Lad, secured a memorable victory in the 2026 BE90 LeMieux Badminton Grassroots Championships today (6 May), describing the result as “just amazing” having harboured ambitions of a top-10 finish.

Holly, who works as a primary school teacher in South Northamptonshire, admitted she had arrived at Badminton with strong expectations, having previously competed in the same class in 2023 with “Joey”, when they finished third.

“To be honest, I am quite competitive when it comes to eventing, and because I had already done well in this class three years ago, I had quite high expectations to finish in the top 10,” said Holly. “But I was secretly wanting a bit more, but wasn’t telling anybody! To come first is just amazing – I’m just so proud of him.” 

Holly’s win marks a significant milestone in a long-term partnership with Joey, who she sourced from Ireland as a relatively unproven six-year-old.

“I bought him when he was six and he’d done nothing,” explained Holly. “So it’s such an achievement for me, thinking that I’ve produced him from scratch – he couldn’t even stand square at that point, and now he’s doing these lovely tests and consistently jumping lots of double clears, it’s just really exciting.” 

While Holly acknowledged that Joey can still lack consistency at times, she believes the potential is there to continue progressing up the levels.

“He sometimes has a tendency to stop here and there, but it’s more at 100 level,” she said. “When we get to the regional finals, that’s when he’s like, ‘oh, I’m not sure about that one’, but he’s got so much potential and I need to just kick on.” 

Looking ahead, Holly hopes to return to the Badminton Grassroots Championships next season with the aim of stepping back up to 100 level, having been eliminated across country in that class last year.

“I would love to come here again next year and do the 100 and see and step up to that challenge,” she said.

Reflecting on today’s cross-country track, Holly praised said it was “fair and it flowed, with plenty of combinations.”

“I thought it was challenging – there were a lot of questions,” she said. “It was quite nice at the start because you got to get the feel for it, then the combinations came towards the middle and end. The crowds were huge – there were so many people here today.” 

Away from competition, Holly balances eventing with a full-time career in teaching, currently working with younger pupils at a primary school.

“At the moment I’m teaching year one,” she said. “I like how every day is different and you’re not just sat at a desk.” 

Holly credits the support network around her as the key to being able to juggle work and Joey, who is her only horse.

“I get a lot of help on the yard, which is great, and my dad, Howard, is my biggest supporter – he’s amazing. He’s always there with me at every event, making sure I’ve got the minute markers and helping with everything,” said Holly.  

Summing up her 2026 Badminton Grassroots experience, Holly said: “I just love coming here. It’s an amazing venue.”

Natasha Bailey and Wild Confetti finished second on their 28.3 dressage, while Olivia Turner and Odin Van De Koolhof were third on the 28.3 dressage too, but they finished a little further away from the 6min39sec optimum time.

Image: © Tim Wilkinson

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