Oliver Townend, British event rider

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Oliver Townend was born in 1982. A dealer’s son from Yorkshire, he first represented Britain as an individual at the 2005 European Championships at Blenheim with Topping, having earned this slot with 12th place at his first Badminton earlier in the year.

A year later Oliver finished third and best of the British at Badminton with the grey Flint Curtis. The pair were 11th at the World Equestrian Games in 2006 as individuals.

In 2007 Oliver won his first medal, a team gold with Flint Curtis at the European Championships. A year later he was listed as a reserve for the Hong Kong Olympics with both Flint Curtis – who was later withdrawn from selection by his owners the Nicholsons – and Coup De Coeur.

Oliver won the first Express Eventing competition, in November 2008 in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Flint Curtis. The partnership then went on to win Badminton Horse Trials in spring 2009. Oliver also won Burghley in the autumn, this time riding Carousel Quest.

Oliver and Flint Curtis were on the team at the 2009 European Championships in Fontainebleau, France, but Oliver’s luck ran out and he failed to complete, having two stops across country and then being eliminated at the final trot-up

Oliver is based in Shropshire, and is one of the busiest and most successful riders on the national circuit – rarely a week goes by during the season without at least one Townend win.

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