Welcome to Ambassador Diaries, our behind-the-scenes series where we catch up with the incredible Racesafe ambassadors. From training tips and personal stories to the highs and lows of life in the saddle.
In this edition, we meet Jess, also known as Life On The Buckle on social media, a full-time working mum and dedicated amateur event rider who’s currently deep in training for the regional finals. Jess shares what it really takes to juggle life, riding, and the road to her biggest goals yet.
Jess Maye-Clarke
Jess began her riding career in Ireland, spending long summer holidays at the yard, learning the ropes. Over the years, she’s explored everything from dressage to team chasing, but her heart lies in eventing.
One of her proudest milestones this year was qualifying for regionals in just her first BE90 season with her horse, Jimmy, a huge achievement for the pair.
Introducing Jimmy
Jimmy is a 9-year-old Irish gelding she’s owned for three years. The two have grown together as a team, especially after Jess returned to riding post-pregnancy and reignited her competitive ambitions.
“Jimmy is my confidence-giver. He’s bold, brave, and absolutely loves cross country — we’ve tackled everything from BE events to Intermediate team chases, and he’s always up for the challenge. I owe a lot of our success this year to him.”
Throughout the summer months they focus on eventing, and during the off-season, you’ll find them out most weekends hunting with the Nar Valley Bloodhounds.
Goals for 2025
This eventing season, Jess set her sights on some major milestones:
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Complete a regional final
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Qualify for the Badminton Grassroots Championships – a dream for so many amateur eventers
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Compete at Bicton’s 3DE (Three-Day Event) later this month
“The Bicton 3DE will be our first long-format event — roads, tracks, steeplechase — the full works. Plus, it’s our first stay-away show together!"
Road to Regionals
Since qualifying for regionals, Jess has been fine-tuning her training — focusing on dressage for long-format tests and perfecting her show jumping technique.
“We’ve been working on our fitness, and recently completed our first 100 at a local unaffiliated event. Bicton is going to be a true test, especially as it's a direct Badminton qualifier — we’re giving it everything.”
Why Racesafe?
Safety and comfort are top priorities for Jess, which is why she chooses to ride in Racesafe kit.
“I ride in the HX3 body protector — it’s insanely comfortable, feels almost weightless, and gives me the confidence to ride with purpose. I love that it offers top-level 3 protection without compromising on flexibility.”
Jess also designed her own custom cross country colours in her signature green and burgundy — even matching her lorry.
“I really value that Racesafe is a British brand, with everything made in Northamptonshire. Supporting local, top-quality manufacturing is important to me, and it shows in the kit.”
Discover our full range of safety-wear here — and don’t miss the latest rider stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and expert tips in our Ambassador Diaries series.
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