Showjumper, Amy Graham had her first FEI level success on Transatlantic in the season of 2008, when she won the World Cup Qualifier at Glenelg. Amy purchased the Holsteiner stallion, Bella Beloubet on the Sunshine circuit in 2007 and the horse was an immediate success in young horse classes in Australia.

In 2009 Amy moved to Europe, and since 2014, has been based in Normandy at Haras du Ry. Amy and Bella Beloubet were members of the Australian showjumping team at the WEG in Caen.

It’s been a long haul – you and Michelle Strapp found Bella Baloubet on the Spanish Sunshine tour, six, seven years ago…

“Seven years ago now, and he’s showed every bit of the quality we expected, it was just a matter of producing it, and nurturing it, and competing him in the right way. Without Michelle (Strapp) and now Katie (Monahan-Prudent), it would not have happened.”

I noticed that you were talking a lot with Katie at the final selection for the WEG, is that a new relationship?

“I’m really excited about that relationship. This is our second show together with Bella. We trained together about three or four months ago with some young horses because Bella was injured. It’s really exciting to work with her, I need someone to help me, and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to work with one of the best. Katie is just super experienced – both she and Michelle originate from George Morris, Michelle worked with George for years, and George considers Katie a daughter to him. All the basics, all the fundamental training is the same, it’s the same language. There are slight differences in the way they build their training but it is all about producing each horse in the best way, each horse is unique and they both understand that. Katie is brilliant, and without Michelle, Bella wouldn’t be here.”

New challenges for you in 2014 – a new home, a fiancée and an instant family of two little boys…

“I have a beautiful instant family, two little boys, Toni and Cristi, great kids – that’s the way life takes you and you just have to embrace it. My fiancée, Julian Marian Ursu and I will be getting married next year in August and hopefully we can marry on our farm in Normandy.”