Classic Eventing Nation

Welcome to The Debrief, where we’ll recap the experience of a rider following a big result or otherwise memorable competition.

This week, with the dawn of the 2024 eventing season drawing ever closer, we looked back to Pau, where Helen Bates and her long time partner, Carpe Diem (or Diego, as he’s known at home), made their 5* debut. It was a sparkling start to their top-level career: they delivered a classy double clear that landed them in the top 25, a result that Helen had scarcely dared to dream possible. She sat down to tell us a little more about Diego and their journey together, and to talk us through the ‘fever dream’ of their week together in France…

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023.  Photo by Laura Dupuy. 

How long have you had Diego, and can you tell us a little about your journey together?

He came over from Holland for the Brightwells Auction — he would have been four. We’d looked at the catalogue, and I’d really liked him, and went to sit on him, as there’s two trial riding days before the auction.

He then tried to put me on the floor twice, he was so sharp! But I loved him, and I was based with Mark and Tanya Kyle at the time, so they said they would help me with him.

I spent the next six months just trying to ride a 20 metre circle on him… hence his nickname, Demon!

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023. Photo by Laura Dupuy.

You’ve come a long way since then. What made you choose Pau as your first 5*?

That’s a good question. I asked Kevin McNab, my trainer, about Pau – my thoughts at the time were either Pau or Boekelo because I don’t know how many opportunities I am going to have to have a horse like Diego, who I trust so implicitly. In all honesty, neither of those courses would be that well suited to him – he’s known for being quite strong, so twisty wouldn’t be ideal! But as I said to Kevin, it had to be in the autumn – but Burghley is a bit much. It’s quite tough on horses physically, and I didn’t want to throw him in at the deep end for his first 5*, because he has had an old injury, so it had to be one of those two. So Kevin said, “Maryland! It would suit him really well.” Unfortunately, I don’t have that sort of budget, so that was never going to happen!

Anyway, after some more discussions with him, and a few other riders, I came to the conclusion that I’ve got a horse that’s sound and happy, so we may as well take the chance; it’ll be a learning experience for us both, and hopefully we’ll have a nice time out there.

Helen and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023. Photo by Dix Sept Photographie.

Pau is often (erroneously!) thought to be a ‘softer’ 5*, though this year certainly proved that this is not the case! What were your first thoughts on walking the cross country course?

Yes, I have heard that thrown about in the past – I think that’s quite a common thing for people to think. I’ve never been, though I have spent years watching it on the TV, so my first thought was how claustrophobic it felt – everything was so much closer than what it seemed when I had watched it on TV. When I walked it the first time with Bella Innes-Kerr, who I travelled over there with, it felt like there was no let up, anywhere! Everyone says it’s flat, too, and maybe it was, until they built like, 100 artificial mounds!

A lot of the galloping stretches were on straight ground, but every other fence was either on a mound or on a turn. I can’t even think of a fence on a flat bit of ground – because there wasn’t one! The skinnies looked very skinny, too, and the turns very tight – turning wouldn’t be our strong point, so I was getting quite stressed. But at the same time, I’m confident in Diego; I knew that if I could get him to see the question, he would jump it, and I have total faith in that. I just needed to get him to the point where he knew what he was doing.

When you came to ride the course, did it mostly go according to the plan you had before you set out?

I think so…! I had my game plan, and a backup plan, because I think you need to. There were still a couple of things which surprised me, that Kevin had warned me about, which was interesting. It was actually very interesting riding round the course after I had walked it. For example, I thought at the first drop combination I could have gone on three rather than four, but actually the four came up really nice. I also ended up doing five strides at the first water rather than four. I think I’d been planning so hard to be on the four stride line, I’d ended up almost going too wide, and ended up adding a stride. It still rode ok, but Kevin had warned me that that can happen at Pau!

I actually ended up riding my first ever long route on Diego, as far as I can remember. But we just felt like it was the safer option; I didn’t know how he would jump into the third water [on the racecourse]  with all the crowds gathered round, so we went long there. Overall though, he gave me such an amazing ride. Easy doesn’t sound like the right word, but I was just so chuffed with him – he just kept going and jumping all the way home!

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023. Photo by Digital Equine Photography.

What was your overall goal for Pau?

One of the main aims was just to get the experience; to go and ride around a track that was unlike anything I had seen before. That, and just to be grateful for being there.

But at the same time, I knew he was capable of a double clear; he’s the most insanely talented jumper, but also so brave, so on a jumping basis he’s got everything you need and I knew he definitely could do that.

So overall, my aim started with jumping clear cross country, then it would have been finishing in the top 50%, because that’s then a qualifier for Badminton — and then it would be jumping double clear, and he managed to do all three!

Did you focus on anything in particular in the build up to Pau?

I did a lot of work on his fitness – I knew that, if anything, I wanted him to be over-prepared rather than under-prepared. I knew that physically, he would cope better with the test of doing a lot of turning and a lot of jumping and galloping over the biggest track he’s ever done if he was fitter than he ever had been. But at the same time, it’s so hard to tell if you’ve done enough until you get there and do it. I wanted to know that he would still have something in the tank when he got home [off the cross country] and he did, so that’s certainly the area I focussed on the most.

But I didn’t want to change too much else. He’s capable of such a good test, and some of his work in the warm up was really lovely, he just lost his mind a bit at the big screens! As far as his jumping goes, we actually spent two days at Kevin’s working through a few exercises with the jumping and with the cross country, just to try and make sure that I had the manoeuvrability to be able to take on a track like that.

How would you describe your feelings after cross country, in three words.

Oh my god. That’s three, isn’t it?! Ha! Exhilarating…incredible. Proud.

He’s always been amazing, and I’ve always told everyone how amazing I think he is but to go around a track like that the way that he did, I feel like he really made a bit of a name for himself. Just the way that he went around boldly. I ended up having a few people afterwards — idols of mine! — saying ‘well done’ and what a good round we’d had. That’s basically down to the horse I’m sat on — he’s incredible.

Now that it has sunk in, how does it feel to get such a great result – top 25 — in your first 5*?

It still hasn’t properly sunk in – it feels like a bit of a fever dream! But I am still incredibly proud of Diego. Being able to watch back some of it as well was really useful, just to see how hard he tried. He’s a legend, but I think I’m just happy that he’s finished well, he’s pulled up sound and he’s feeling really well in himself — like I say, he’s always the priority. So the fact that he’s finished it well is such a relief – and it’s exciting to think of next year, too!

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023. Photo by Tim Wilkinson.

What is next for you and Diego?

The absolute dream would be Badminton in the spring, but there are a lot of things that have to fall into place. But it’s great to know that we’ve qualified, and that’s certainly what we will be working towards.

Ultimately, I’m just grateful for everything that we’ve achieved so far, and whatever it is that comes next.