Seventeen-year-old Flora Hayes is a dressage rider based in the East of England. Flora is currently at college studying A levels of History, Politics, and Psychology alongside competing her two horses, Woodcroft Jamais Noubliez (Neville) and Moonlight Dancer M (Blake). For 2025, Nev and Flora are campaigning the FEI Junior circuit with an exciting season ahead,whilst also gaining some more experience competing at PSG and the higher levels. Additionally, Flora and Blake have been selected as one of 12 athletes for the Sport England funded National Academy programme of 2025. This programme provides excellent training and talks from top experts in different fields and will be very valuable for the pair’s development. This year is going to be a busy one for the talented Flora and her horses. As she says, “I do definitely love being busy and absolutely love everything with the horses”.
How did horses come into your life?
at the Home Nations 2022
I have always grown up around horses due to both my mum and brother riding, I was always very intrigued and loved to help out with whatever I could when I was small. It was only when I was three that my true love for horses started which was when I sat on my brothers event pony, then very soon after I managed to persuade my parents to get me my first pony. At first I did everything from pony club to showing at Horse of the Year Show and Royal International Horse Show on my show ponies and show hunter ponies. Although I did all of this, it was only when I was eleven that my dressage journey kick-started when I was lucky enough to get my first dressage pony, Fern. We did everything together from Inter-counties, Inter-regionals, regionals, Nationals and so much more – winning lots of trophies and rosettes on the way. My love for dressage carried on and I have never looked back since, I am basically living little eleven-year-old-me’s dream currently as I always looked up to those riding at Internationals in the Youth classes.
Do you have a regular coach?
Flora and Nev in action
Throughout my riding career I have had a large number of coaches and have definitely learnt lots from every trainer who I have trained with. I currently train with Jacqui Campbell and Malcolm Holtshausen and have weekly lessons with both horses. I have been very fortunate to have trained with Jacqui since I was eleven years old at the start of my journey, and it is so special that she has trained me from my first dressage pony (a little coloured cob) to now my two dressage horses. I have only recently started training regularly with Malcolm; however I have known him since I was very young when I would watch my mum train on her dressage horse. It could be said that he started my true love for dressage when I was allowed to play with piaffe, passage, and flying changes on my mum’s dressage horse at the end of their lessons together – even before I started doing dressage as my main discipline with the horses.
What do you love about riding and why dressage?
Flora and Fern won two regional titles, multiple petplan titles plus inter counties individual and team titles together
I believe I have always loved horses due to finding them to be such calm animals and loving the time I can spend by myself with them which is separated from my college life. I find it so special by how trusting they can be when you build that bond with them, as well as the challenge of always wanting to understand each horse individually to the best of my ability. I originally chose dressage for many different reasons, however I always loved watching dressage on the TV at the London International Horse show (Olympia) and at the Olympics as I was always fascinated by how it looked like the riders were ‘dancing’ with their horses. Although I love training my horses and building my bond with them which allows them to trust me (and vice versa), allows us to perform at our best and make many memories together. I find that when everything goes correctly with dressage it always looks so elegant and harmonious, which is what I am always striving to look like when riding my horses.
It takes a team to do dressage, who is in your support team?
My support team is definitely very large as I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without those who help me. It would start off with my parents who devote a large amount of their time, energy and money in supporting my passion, then Steph who grooms for me at home, my trainer Malcolm Holtshausen and then the boys’ farrier, physio, saddler and vet plus everyone else who helps us. This is definitely not an individual sport as it is impossible to perform at your best without the help of anyone – which is why I always see my success as the results of everything else that goes on behind the scenes.
What does 2025 look like for you?
2025 is definitely looking to be a very busy and exciting year for me. It is my last year in the Junior category with Neville, so I am hoping to gain lots of experience competing at Internationals and improving as much as we can. We have a very exciting first competition of the year which will be Tolbert CDI in the Netherlands in April, it will be our first abroad international for the both of us so I am super excited for what it will be like. Blake will be having a quieter summer whilst I focus on Nev, although I am hoping to get him out to some local competitions gaining experience at medium – and eventually advanced medium when we can master that change.
What would you like to be doing in the future?
I think the future is still a very uncertain thought for myself, being only seventeen I have many different options. I have always loved the idea of doing horses for the rest of my life – whether that is as my career, part time career or just riding for fun. The first option would be my go-to choice if everything goes right, although I completely understand that it is a very difficult sector to work in many different ways. At this moment in time (although it is very much in the thought part and not my definite plan), I would love to take a gap year after my levels and do lots of work with horses, saving money and going travelling for a month or two and then continue onto University before making my final decision on how I will juggle horses and a career/what option I will choose. I think it is very important for me to have a university degree if anything were to change later down the line, as we all know how unpredictable horses can be and have no control on the future, and it may give me more options in the future. Law has always interested me, so the option of going down an equine law route is also a possibility of what I may do.
Do you have any rituals before competing?
No not really to be honest, though I always saviour my time plaiting the horse up before riding as I find it a good way to settle my nerves and get my head in the right place.
Your Top Tip
My top tip would be to never lose sight of where you came from in the bid to get to the top, not everything goes to plan so remembering this from time to time will show you the amount of progress you have made and help you always keep your love/motivation for the sport.
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?
I think the best piece of advice I have been given has definitely been to do what you enjoy and love, as the puzzle will always come together as long as you are passionate and loving what you are doing.
Want More?
If you enjoyed meeting Flora you might like to view more dressage rider “chatting with” interviews here. You can keep up with Flora’s progress and visit her instagram page here