Lauren Shannon, British event rider
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British event rider Lauren Shannon was born in Brighton in 1987 but grew up in America where her family moved when she was three.
At the age of 16 she returned to England having finished school and began working for Mark and Tanya Kyle in the midlands.
When Lauren completed her degree at Loughborough University she decided to start up on her own, renting a yard off the Kyle’s at their new base in Wymeswold, Leicestershire.
She runs the small yard of event horses and youngsters – which she produces to sell – with the help of Jenny Olley.
Lauren’s Zero Flight -“Louie” – is her top horse. The 14-year-old gelding finished 12th in 2010 and 9th in 2011 overall at Burghley, winning the best under-25 prize both times.
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Her 2011 result earned her a place in British Eventing’s World Class Programme’s Potential Squad, which consists of riders who have the potential to ride at European and World Championships and the Olympics.
Lauren has also had notable success with her mare Quixotic – “Delphi” – winning young rider team gold in 2006 and at Aston-le-Walls in 2009.
She was retired in spring 2011 after finishing 17th and taking the British mare and owner-rider prizes at Badminton.
Quixotic was put in-foal in autumn 2011 as a 16-year-old maiden mare to Cevin Z of the Billy Stud.
Lauren also has two mares competing at intermediate level; 6-year-old, Gentel Lux and eleven-year-old Smart Lady.
Lauren does a lot of teaching including training the eventing teams for the Cottesmore branch of the Pony Club as well as teaching the Owston Riding Club.
In 2011 she acquired Equitimos Horseboxes as a new sponsor, marking the growth of Shannon Eventing as a business and the end to a string of unreliable boxes!
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