Medal-winning rider back in the saddle after second child – on a mechanical horse, as she considers her future in the sport

Multiple para dressage gold medallist Natasha Baker has been back in the saddle for the first time since she had her second son – on a mechanical horse, as she considers her future in the sport.

Natasha and her husband Marc Jaconelli welcomed their son Oliver last June, a brother to then two-year-old Joshua, less than a year after she won bronze at the Paris Paralympics with Keystone Dawn Chorus (Lottie).

Natasha had not ridden for 16 months, as Lottie was sold to Irish rider Katie Reilly, until she went back to the South Bucks Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) branch, where she started riding aged nine, for a session on “Mickey”.

“Returning to riding has been very different after Oliver’s birth to how it was after my first pregnancy,” said Natasha. “That time I had Lottie waiting at home and the Paris Paralympics on my radar. This time I don’t and I haven’t ridden since November 2024.”

Natasha said a return to her sport will mean finding a new horse, which is always hard, adding: “Also, my mum wants to take more of a back seat now and enjoy being a nan rather than a full-time groom, so management at home will have to look a bit different.

“Riding and competing has been my entire life for 26 years – I don’t know what my life looks like without it. I know coming back will be a challenge, juggling it with two small children, so I need to ask myself the difficult questions and try to work out how and if I can make it work. What I do know is I need to get back on a horse to help me figure it all out.”

Next steps

Natasha said she enjoyed her first session on Mickey, with coach Lizzie Ragg. She plans to ride him this spring, then hopes to move on to real horses while she “decides her next steps”.

RDA chief executive Michael Bishop said: “RDA is very proud of our long connection with Natasha and all the equestrian Paralympians who began their journey with us.

“Across the UK, nearly 450 local RDA groups provide inclusive opportunities for 39,000 disabled people to take part in equine activities that improve health and wellbeing, build skills and confidence, and open pathways to elite sport. Natasha is a shining example of this.

“We are delighted she is returning to South Bucks RDA and getting back in the saddle on Mickey, with the expert support of Lizzie Ragg.”

Natasha is one of insurer Agria’s sponsored riders. Chief executive of Agria UK Vicki Wentworth said: “At Agria we have watched Natasha’s career unfold with such admiration, and how clever she is to explore her future options with the help of the RDA, one of Agria’s treasured charity partners.

“Riding as a young mum always brings challenges, and especially so for a rider with disabilities, but Natasha will continue to be a huge asset to the horse world, whichever path she takes next.”

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