One of the greats: a look back at William Fox-Pitt’s extraordinary career in pictures
William Fox-Pitt announced his retirement from top-level eventing at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday 12 May. The British rider is one of the sport’s all-time greats, having achieved extraordinary success on a vast number of different horses.
Let’s take a look back at some of his career highlights…
William Fox-Pitt’s five-star wins
William won 14 five-stars during his career, more than any other event rider. Burghley Horse Trials has been the big event where enjoyed most success, with six wins on six different horses.
His first Burghley – and first five-star – win was at Burghley in 1994 on Chaka.
Badminton final scores
His second came eight years later, when he piloted Highland Lad to triumph.
Victories came thick and fast after that. In 2005, he won on Ballincoola.
Then in 2007, he piloted Parkmore Ed to victory.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
The following year, a wet one, he rode Tamarillo – already a Badminton winner at that stage – to complete the horse’s five-star double by winning Burghley.
In 2011, he won achieved his final Burghley win, on Parklane Hawk.
William also won Badminton Horse Trials twice, his first victory there coming in terrible weather in 2004 on Tamarillo.
In 2015, William scored his second Badminton victory, on Chilli Morning. He is the only person to win the event riding a stallion.
William with his sons Oliver and Thomas after Chilli Morning’s Badminton victory.
William also won three times at the Kentucky Three-Day Event in the USA. His first win there was in 2010 on Cool Mountain, who was a world team gold and individual silver medallist at the same venue later in the year. He also took the title in 2012 on Parklane Hawk, the horse’s second five-star victory after Burghley in 2011, and in 2014 on Bay My Hero.
William won just once at Luhmühlen Horse Trials, in Germany. That was in 2008 on Macchiato, who is pictured at Chatsworth the same year.
Finally, the French five-star at Pau Horse Trials played host to two of William’s wins at the top level, in 2011 on Oslo and in 2013 on Seacookie.
William Fox-Pitt: his championship success
William Fox-Pitt was also a phenomenally successful team rider. In a senior team career that lasted nearly 20 years, from the 1995 Europeans to the 2016 Olympics, he won 20 senior championship medals.
William’s first Olympic medal was in Athens 2004, when the Brits won team silver, although he was unable to complete individually after Tamarillo was found to have chipped a bone in his stifle after an excellent cross-country performance.
The pair had some recompense with individual silver and team gold at the following year’s Europeans, which were held at Blenheim Horse Trials – many will remember the extremely wet cross-country day.
Here he is piloting Parkmore Ed to help the Brits to team bronze at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong.
In 2010, William won team silver and individual gold at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky riding Cool Mountain.
At the London Olympics in 2012, William was part of the British team which won silver, riding Lionheart.
William Fox-Pitt suffered a serious head injury in the autumn of 2015, but made a remarkable comeback to be selected for the Rio Olympics. He led the dressage on Chilli Morning and it felt like he might finally win the individual title that had evaded him for so long, but 20 penalties across country put paid to that. He still finished 12th and best of the Brits.
His last five-star horse
William had his final top-level ride at Badminton last week, finishing 13th on Grafennacht, who was also the runner-up at Maryland 5 Star last autumn.
- What are your favourite memories of William Fox-Pitt’s career? Send your thoughts to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, and nearest town and county, for possible inclusion in our letters page.
You might also be interested in:
‘There are no tears and sobbing, this is the right thing to do’: William Fox-Pitt announces retirement at Badminton
‘A true horseman and a master of his craft’: riders’ tributes as William Fox-Pitt bows out of top level
‘I’d like to jump the jumps and think thank God I haven’t got to do that again’: William Fox-Pitt hints at his final Badminton ride
‘Her dam was incredible’ – breeder tells remarkable story of William Fox-Pitt’s Badminton ride, and her dreams to create a clone
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.