Over the 12 days of Christmas this festive season, we are shining a light on up-and-coming talent across the disciplines. These are people you really need to keep an eye out for in 2019...
This year has been a big one for 18-year-old Heidi Coy, who won team and individual silver medals at the junior European Championships in Fontainebleau, France.
“This has to be the highlight of my career so far,” says Heidi, who has produced her medal-winning ride, the eight-year-old Royal Fury (Rory) from a green four-year-old.
“He has the biggest heart and always wants to please. His only weakness is that he can become quite strong, purely because he can’t contain his excitement when he sees a jump. However, I take it as a positive because it’s always nice to know he’s taking you and loving the job.”
Heidi has just completed her A levels and is based in Harby, in the vale of Belvoir, Leics.
“I’m fortunate that my dad is a dairy farmer so I have land and stables at home,” she says. “We have a small school that was built about 12 years which I would love to extend and put a new surface on.
“My whole family is very supportive and put a lot of time and money into my riding. My mum is out there every day helping me do the horses and without her it wouldn’t be possible. There are lots of other key members to my team — my coaches Caroline More and Ian Woodhead for their support and guidance, my amazing farrier Bob Blackwood and Laura Hill, who rides my horses if I’m ever away and does a fabulous job.”
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Heidi has eight horses, six of them being eventers. She owns Royal Fury, five-year-old Indiana Du Vlist and six-year-old Happiness DHI and co-owns four-year-old Jack-Ass with her jumping trainer Caroline Moore. She also has a four-year-old she rides for an owner.
Last season, Heidi finished sixth in the Goldman Cup League — the British Eventing points league for under-21s — and was the top under-18 rider. As well as Royal Fury, she has also produced the six-year-old Halenza from a four-year-old to intermediate level.
Next year, Heidi will aim for young riders with Rory and the eight- and nine-year-old CIC3* at Blenheim.
“I would like to have my younger horses aiming for Osberton in the five-, six- and seven-year-old classes,” she adds.
In the long-term, she says Badminton is her biggest ambition.
“I have always loved Badminton and after finishing third in the BE90 grassroots championship in 2015 on my pony Riversdale Magic Heart, I have always wanted to go back and do the BIG Badminton,” she says.
Did you know…
1. Heidi played the flute up to grade six.
2. Her special skill is herding her father’s 750 dairy cows when they escape in the middle of the night.
3. Heidi’s drink of choice for a night out is a pink gin and tonic — but she says it’s apple juice all the way for daytime rehydration.
4. Her favourite foods are pizza and lasagne.
5. Heidi was short-listed for the Saracen Horse Feeds Young Rider of the Year title at the H&H Awards in 2018.
6. Her equestrian inspiration is eventing world champion Ros Canter. “She is so cool and calm. Also, she is small and controls such a range of horses,” says Heidi, who is 5ft 4in, just two inches taller than Ros.
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