Biography

Holly brings two horses to Badminton this year, both Irish-bred. 

It will be a first run here for the 11-year-old Ballyneety Silver Service, on whom she finished 14th at Burghley last year and 20th at Bramham CCI4*-L. 

The 15.2hh Irish Sports Horse Ballyneety Silver Service was found in Ireland by Karen Dixon as a young rider horse for his owner, Issy Saxby, who took him to three-star level. Holly took on the ride in the second half of 2023 when Issy went to university.

Her other ride, Bally Louis, took Holly to her first Badminton, in 2024, but they did not complete. She started riding Bally Louis, who was produced to two-star level by James Sommerville, in 2019 when his owner Sarah Wingfield injured her shoulder. Holly, who starting riding out for British Olympian Karen Dixon from the age of 12, lives near Richmond in Yorkshire on the family farm. She is trained by Chris Bartle, Helen Bell and Melissa Chapman. 

She has a first-class honours degree in biomedical science from Durham University and, away from horses, enjoys reading, doing laboratory work and following equine science. She is from a non-horsey family, who are well known in the trials and enduro biking world.