AP McCoy jumps Olympic gold medal winner Big Star

Sir AP McCoy jumping Big Star at Nick Skelton's stables in November 2016.

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Take a look back in the H&H archives to see how the legendary jockey got on when taking to the saddle on Nick Skelton’s Olympic showjumping champion

Towards the end of 2016 Horse & Hound asked the 20-time champion jockey AP McCoy if he might come out of retirement to try his hand at showjumping. And to tempt him, we lined up a very special horse for him to ride — Nick Skelton’s Olympic gold medal-winning partner, Big Star.

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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.

#Throwback to when… AP McCoy jumped Olympic gold-medallist Big Star

“I thought it was a brilliant suggestion from Clare and, although AP didn’t seem too keen on the idea on the night, I suspected he wouldn’t be able to resist the opportunity to do it on a really top class horse — which is why Big Star immediately sprung to mind,” said Jennifer.

Nick needed very little persuading to let AP ‘have a go’ on his multi-million pound horse — Nick has a huge amount of respect for AP as a horseman and Big Star’s owners were happy to go along with it, too, and for that we are very grateful.

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Legends of the sport: 20-time champion jockey AP McCoy H&H Plus

Nick Skelton’s Hickstead Derby memories: ‘Apollo knew the course, virtually – he was brilliant to ride round there’

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Watch AP McCoy and his Olympia team’s showjumping lesson