Before the international arenas, the 1.60m courses and the South African flag beside his name, there was a 12-year-old boy in Brazil facing a surprisingly decisive question: was he prepared to wear jodhpurs?
Charlie Bays and his brother began riding in 1999 at their mother's initiative. Horses already belonged to the family's history — their maternal grandfather had been a steeplechase jockey — but only Charlie stayed when riding became more than an occasional lesson. His brother was unconvinced by the trousers. Charlie carried on.
That childhood choice became a life divided between horses, students, owners and airports. Bays grew into a South African international rider and trainer whose professional base was built in Brazil. He later studied Equine Science at Hartpury College, bringing biomechanics and exercise physiology into the practical work of producing horses for the highest level.
A partnership made, not assembled
Ninety Stone Pullman is a Brazilian Sport Horse born in 2014, by Zavall VDL and from an Emilion dam line. The chestnut came into Bays's programme when he was newly broken. The rider did not inherit the finished version of the horse now named in South Africa's Aachen entries; he helped build it.
Years of decisions sit behind that entry: when to ask for more, when to protect confidence, how to vary surfaces and how to keep an experienced horse mentally fresh. Bays has explained that Ninety responds especially well when his work goes beyond the arena. Variety, not endless repetition, became part of the system.
The result is knowledge that cannot be recreated in a few warm-up shows. Bays knows how Ninety feels before a jump, how he responds after travel and how much pressure the horse can absorb without losing his willingness. Aachen will test every part of that relationship.
The season that changed their scale
The breakthrough came in February 2025 at the Clube Hípico de Santo Amaro. In the 1.45/1.50m Clássico of the Torneio de Verão, five combinations reached the jump-off. Bays and Ninety were the only pair to return clear, winning in 40.38 seconds. It was the first Clássico victory for both horse and rider.
Three months later they moved the story up another level. The Grand Prix of the Copa São Paulo, the Troféu Roberto Luiz Joppert, was built at 1.55/1.60m over two rounds. Bays and Ninety carried four faults from round one, then produced the only clear second round to win. Their first Grand Prix together showed that the long development process could hold at Senior Top height.
The 2025 campaign also took Bays to third in the FEI Jumping World Cup South American South League standings. More importantly, a successful Brazilian season opened the door to a sustained European campaign.
Europe, clear rounds and new pressure
In 2026, the combination left the familiarity of the Brazilian circuit and began accumulating international mileage. At the Nations Cup in Lisbon, Bays and Ninety delivered a clear first round for South Africa. In July at the CSI4* in Valkenswaard, they finished fourth in a 1.50m class and eighth in the 1.55m Grand Prix.
Those results do not make them World Championship favourites. They do something more useful: they show that the partnership has already answered questions about height, travel and unfamiliar European arenas. They arrive in Aachen with current evidence, not only ambition.
What can be expected in Aachen?
Aachen is different from winning a national Grand Prix. The championship format rewards consistency across demanding rounds, and the depth of the field leaves little room for a single loss of rhythm. South Africa's published entries name Bays with Ninety Stone Pullman; the final starter declaration remains the official confirmation before competition.
The realistic expectation is not a medal prediction. It is that a carefully produced combination, now tested at four-star level in Europe, has earned the chance to measure itself against the world's deepest field. Their strength is continuity: the rider knows the horse from his first years, the horse climbed each level with the same rider, and their best recent results came as the technical demand increased.
If Aachen is a test of trust under pressure, Charlie Bays and Ninety Stone Pullman arrive with the one thing that cannot be rushed: time together.
Charlie Bays is a Vainqueur Cheval client. Vainqueur produces competition jackets for Charlie and his team. This relationship is disclosed for transparency; it is not an event, federation or national-team sponsorship.
Sources and live updates
This portrait draws on Bays's interview with Eyewitness News, official reports from the Clube Hípico de Santo Amaro and Federação Paulista de Hipismo, and the official FEI athlete record. Follow the final start list and results on the FEI Aachen jumping page.