Our latest interviewee for our Equestrian Conversations Blog series is all-round equestrian and thrill seeker, Georgina Bathurst.
We are delighted to be sponsoring Georgina for the 2025/26 Point to Point and Hunt Race Season. We first got to know Georgina back in 2022 when she visited our stand at Badminton having bought, tried and tested Version 1.0 of our Hunting Breeches. We then incorporated her feedback into our best selling Version 2.0. She is a regular face out with the Vale of the White Horse Hunt, often seen hopping a gate or two (or three!).
With horses in her blood, Georgina was in the saddle before she could walk! After developing and honing her riding skills on the hunting field, Georgina took to Hunt Races 7 years ago and then latterly Point to Pointing. She has had a lot of success in her career so far, most notably winning the Melton Hunt Club Race in 2024. She has two horses to run this season – Jan Maat and Danton. We’re looking forward to supporting her throughout the season and seeing her fly the G&G flag!
What first sparked your passion for horses and riding? Tell us about the horses you have now and what you love most about hunting and race riding?
I’ve grown up around horses and was sitting on one before I could even walk, so they’ve always been a huge part of my life. I currently have three Thoroughbreds. One of them is a true ex-racehorse, Swift Crusader, who was last in training with Neil King. After his racing career, he went on to complete three seasons in hunt service with the VWH, and he’s now with me.
Jan Maat is my superstar hunt racehorse, having won the Melton Hunt Club Race in 2024. I also bought him from Neil King, as he looked the perfect type for hunt racing with the way he covers the ground and his natural jumping ability. However, in our first season together he was quite “windy” into a hedge out hunting, so I decided it was best not to hunt race him just yet. Still needing my adrenaline fix, I turned to point-to-pointing instead. Jan Maat proved to be the perfect schoolmaster and never missed a beat with his jumping, but sadly his heart just isn’t in it anymore.
That led me to find another horse for point-to-pointing - my third, Danton. I bought Danton from the Goffs Doncaster May Sales, and he came from Harry Fry’s yard. This is our first season together, and we’re planning to make our Point to Point debut at the Vale White Horse Point to Point on 21st March.
Above: Georgina riding Jaan Mat in the Cotswold Scurry 2025, photo by Mark Thistlewood.
Can you give us a bit of background on how you got into P2P and Hunt Races?
I started hunt racing about seven years ago with the Yeomanry Ride. My Dad had actually started his racing career there too, and being naturally competitive, I was keen to give it a go myself; hopefully doing a bit better than him!
That experience gave me a real taste for it, and from there my interest grew into point-to-pointing as well. I loved the adrenaline, the challenge, and the partnership with the horses, which naturally led me to explore more opportunities to compete.
Who is your ride for this season? Tell us a bit about them and their experience
Jan Maat ran in the Cotswold Scurry on 28th February. We next look ahead to the Courtfield Cup and then we’ll make a plan from there. Given the nature of these races, we tend not to plan too far in advance.
Danton is being aimed at the Vale of the White Horse Point to Point at Siddington on 21st March. After that, I’ll look at the Old Berks Point to Point at Lockinge on Easter Monday, but we’ll see how the first outings go before making any firm decisions.
Above: Georgina riding Danton in the Cotswold Team Chase.
What does the fitness programme look like for both you and your horse? And does this change throughout the season?
It’s a long, steady fitness plan that begins in July, with the aim of gradually building them up so they are ready for the Melton Hunt Club Race in November, which has been our main target over the past few seasons. The work also sets them up well for the start of the hunting season. Some of the best conditioning you can give a horse comes from the hunting field. The level of fitness they gain is second to none.
I follow the programme alongside the horses. I am fortunate to be naturally fit, so I do not tend to do any additional fitness work myself.
Above: Georgina on her way to winning the Melton Hunt Club Race in 2024, photo by Nico Morgan
Who makes up the team behind you, both at home and on race days?
My team is really just my Dad and me. We both put a huge amount of time and effort into the horses. On race days, I rope in a few friends to lend a hand, and I am very lucky to have people who are willing to give up their time to come and support me while I gallop around!
How much do you think trail hunting has helped your skill set in race riding and contributed to your success?
Hunting has been instrumental to my success in racing. In many ways it is much harder to stay out of trouble on a day’s hunting than it is in a race. It teaches you how to judge the ground and, just as importantly, how to read to horses around you as well.
Above: Georgina hunting with the Ledbury Hunt in the G&G Classic Hunting Breeches, photo by Angela Lock.
What’s one essential piece of equipment or clothing you couldn’t do without?
A neck strap, Clare King always laughs at me for having so many!
