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Motherhood and elite sport 'is a big juggling act'

David McKennaand
Suzy Lawson,East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Suzy Lawson/BBC Ros Canter pictured with a pram and baby outside a stable. She is wearing a blue padded jacket and is standing next to a field enclosure.Suzy Lawson/BBC
Olympic champion Ros Canter is carrying on as normal, despite a few sleepless nights

When champion equestrian Ros Canter broke records at Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday, it was just 16 weeks after she had given birth to her second child.

Canter, from Lincolnshire, and Lordships Graffalo became the first rider and horse combination to win the prestigious event three times.

And the 40-year-old said she felt incredibly lucky to be able to compete while caring for her newborn daughter.

"It's a big juggling act. I knew when I was pregnant the timing might work for me to get back to Badminton, but I knew it might be a push. Life is very busy, but I do have fantastic people around me," she said.

Getty Images A female rider on a brown horse clears a jump during a showjumping round. She is wearing a black jacket, white jodhpurs and a black riding helmet. The jump has green and white barriers. Green trees are in the background.Getty Images
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo have formed a winning partnership

Canter was back in the saddle a month after giving birth and competing again after eight weeks.

"It's fairly quick but... it's what my body knows," she explained.

"I ride every day so it didn't take too long to start to feel normal again.

"Fortunately for me, I had a fairly straightforward birth and I've just had a fantastic team of people around me."

The Olympic champion is managing to juggle motherhood and training despite a few sleepless nights.

"I'm very lucky that [my daughter] is able to come to work with me every day – it's our family home, so mum's about," Canter said.

"We are in a bit of a routine where she sleeps well in the mornings, so I can ride while she is asleep.

"I'm sure the tiredness will hit at some point, but for now I think we are still on a high from Badminton."

Getty Images Equestrian eventing team gold medallists Ros Canter and Laura Collett pose for a photo at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. There are crowds of people in the background, standing in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.Getty Images
Ros Canter with Laura Collett and their gold medals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris

Canter helped Team GB to team eventing gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

In September, she won a second successive Burghley Horse Trials, just weeks after announcing she was expecting.

As for her 14-year-old bay gelding, also known as Walter, Canter said: "He's just the most fantastic character.

"He's very lovable – a little bit like a dog. He's really affectionate, but when it comes to competing he is an absolute professional.

"He just loves performing in front of a crowd. It really brings out the best in him."

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