Welcome to the Tryon World Equestrian Games 2018, brought to you by Horse & Hound. Our reporters Pippa Roome and Polly Bryan were on site in North Carolina, United States throughout the Games (11-25 September 2018) to report all the highs and lows. The World Equestrian Games (WEG) brings together the world championships of eight disciplines to a single location once every four years, and once again this proved to be a very challenging undertaking, made more so by the arrival of Hurricane/Storm Florence at the end of the first week of competition.

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Jump to the latest William Whitaker news

William Whitaker was born on 26 July 1989 into the Whitaker showjumping dynasty. Nephew of John and Michael, William’s father Ian is the only brother in the family who doesn’t showjump, but the sport is clearly in William’s blood.

Cousin to Ellen and Robert Whitaker, William grew up surrounded by horses and has competed since he was a child. In 2001 aged 12, William won the Horse of the Year Show 138cm championship on his pony Mystic Starlight Express. Two years later he won the Junior Foxhunter riding Devlin and in 2005 he won the Junior Show Jumper of the Year.

William won individual European gold (and team bronze) as a junior plus team gold and team bronze as a young rider, before stepping up to senior ranks. He also represented Britain in the Australian Youth Olympic Final, riding a borrowed horse, and brought home a bronze medal.

When William left school he trained with American showjumper Aaron Vale, who helped him with the transition from ponies to horses. On his return to England William worked on Michael’s yard. He set up on his own in 2011.

William has a son and a daughter with his girlfriend Elisabeth Fredlund.

William, who is the tallest of the Whitaker family at 6ft1in, has represented Britain in a number of senior Nations Cups. He has won three World Cup qualifiers, the first in Mechelen in 2007, followed by Stuttgart in November 2014 and Olympia in December 2018.

Bubby Upton is a British event rider who has won medals at under-21 championships and is now impressing at senior level.

Bubby first rode on a British team at the 2014 pony European Championships, where she took team and individual silver on Alfie.

She then contested two junior European Championships on Eros DHI, taking team bronze at the first in 2016 and individual gold and team silver at the second a year later.

Bubby rode at the young rider Europeans in 2018 and 2019 on Cola and came home with individual silver and team gold in the second year.

In 2021, Bubby won the under-25 CCI4*-L at Bicton Horse Trials on Cannavaro.

“It feels good finally to be a British champion,” said Bubby after her victory – she reckoned she had held the lead six times in under-age championships, without ever winning one. “They always ended up pulling it out the bag at the pony, junior or young rider Europeans so I didn’t mind. But there’s no under-25 Europeans, so it’s nice actually to seal the deal.

“Cannavaro really deserves it. He’s got a heart of pure gold and he showed it all week, so I’m delighted for him.”

After her Bicton win, Bubby was long-listed for the senior European Championships with both Cannavaro and Cola, but was unable to fight for a place when she contracted Covid and then broke her back.

She made her comeback in the autumn by contesting her first five-star at Pau Horse Trials, with both Cannavaro and Cola. She retired Cannavaro on the cross-country, but finished 12th on Cola.

Bubby had a devastating run-out at the last fence on her Badminton Horse Trials debut in 2022, but finished 14th at Burghley Horse Trials that autumn and went on to rack up a string of good five-star results on Cola.

Bubby had a very serious riding accident at home in August 2023, but has made a remarkable comeback to continue riding at the top level.

In 2025, Bubby made her senior championship debut at the Blenheim European Championships. She and Its Cooley Time were eighth after dressage but Bubby fell off across country.

Is Bubby at university?

Bubby has now graduated with a degree in sports management from Edinburgh University.

“I hope my degree will help if I event as a career,” said Bubby in an interview in 2019. “It’ll help me to make financial sense out of this and make it a successful business.

“I’ve always juggled education with riding as I was away at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire and commuted back and forth at the weekend and Mum would drive the horses to school.

“We are based just outside Newmarket, which is half an hour from Stansted and the most regular flights to Edinburgh are from Stansted. That makes it affordable and do-able — if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have been allowed to apply to Edinburgh.”

What is Bubby Upton’s real name?

Bubby’s real name is Isabelle.

What age is Bubby?

Bubby’s date of birth is 25 January 1999.

Has Bubby Upton had a riding accident?

Bubby broke eight vertebrae and her collarbone when she fell from a youngster while cross-country schooling at home in early August 2021. She returned to competition in September and went on to complete her first five-star at Pau that October, finishing 12th on Cola III.

Two years later, in August 2023, Bubby had a fall riding on the flat, which led to spinal surgery. She made a spectacular comeback in the spring of 2024, finishing 10th at Badminton on Cola.

Where is Bubby based?

Bubby is based at a yard at her parents Rachel and Hugo’s home near Newmarket.

Britain’s Ben Maher MBE is one of the world’s leading showjumpers and the new Olympic champion having won individual gold at the Tokyo Games with his current top horse Explosion W. Ben is also an Olympic team gold medallist from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Born in Enfield in 1983, Ben Maher began riding when he was eight and competed in pony classes from an early age. After leaving school, he trained with British rider Liz Edgar, before travelling to Switzerland where he spent two years riding for Swiss show jumper Beat Mandli. He has since gone on to become one of the most successful riders in the world, including being ranked as the world number one for some time.

He now runs his global equestrian enterprise Ben Maher Stables and splits his time between his stables in Florida and Hertfordshire. He’s engaged to fellow showjumper Sophie Gracida from USA.

Ben underwent serious back surgery in 2020 after suffering with pain for many years.

“I’d had a couple of bad falls and in the end it catches up with you,” he said. “Riding wasn’t at all comfortable, but it was the best place to be. Through the European Championships in 2019, I struggled with simple things like putting my boots on and walking the course. You get tired of fighting that all the time. Now, I feel like a new person.”

Ben Maher and Explosion W

Ben Maher’s current top horse is Explosion W, a huge 12-year-old gelding by the stallion Chacco-Blue, known at home as the “BFG”, and widely considered to be one of the best horses in the world. Pamela Wright and Charlotte Rossetter stepped in to buy the gelding from previous owners Poden Farms after “multiple offers and a series of negotiations headed up by owner Neil Moffitt, whose priority was to keep Explosion W with Ben and under the British flag”.

Talking about his “horse of a lifetime”, Ben says: “He’s so powerful off the floor, even over a cross-pole. But I think that’s what separates him from other horses. He’s such an intelligent animal and loves attention.”

Among Ben’s other top horses in recent years have been Concona, Cella, Diva II, Tic Tac, Robin Hood W, Rolette and his home-bred London 2012 Olympic horse, Tripple X III, who was sold as part of the resolution of a long-term legal dispute between Ben and his former backers Michael and Emma Phillips of Quainton Stud LLP.

What else has Ben Maher achieved?

• In addition to his team and individual Olympic gold medals, Ben has also represented Britain at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong and the 2016 Games in Rio.
• Ben won team bronze at the 2011 European Championships in Madrid, claimed individual silver and team gold at the 2013 European Championships and most recently he claimed individual silver and team bronze at the 2019 European Championships.
• He also represented Team GB at the 2009 European Championships in Windsor and the 2015 European Championships in Aachen. 
• Ben was selected to compete at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2014 with the brilliant grey mare, Cella but a late training injury ruled them out.
• In 2005 Ben became the youngest person to win the Hickstead Derby
• He won one of the world’s richest prizes, the Global Champions Super Grand Prix, in Prague in 2019 with Explosion W.
• He has won many other international grands prix including Olympia, Madrid and the King George V Gold Cup at Hickstead.
• In 2013, Ben Maher reached number one in the world ranking.
• He won the Longines Global Champions Tour championship two years in a row.

Ben Maher’s offical social media pages

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Michael Whitaker is one of the best known names in showjumping. He has won an astonishing 15 championship medals during a 40-year career in the saddle.

Michael is one of the senior members of the Whitaker family showjumping dynasty, and began competing at the young age of seven. Michael trained with legendary Swedish coach Lars Sederholm when he was 16, the age at which he made his international debut. At the age of 20 he became Hickstead Derby’s youngest winner in 1980 and went on to win it three times in succession with his great horse Monsanta.

Michael Whitaker has ridden in five Olympic Games, the first time being in 1984 and most recently in Rio in 2016. Michael has competed in more than 20 FEI World Cup finals, finishing second in 2005.

In 2013, Michael helped Britain win team gold at the Europeans with Viking as well as playing a vital role when gaining team qualification for the Rio Olympics at the 2015 Europeans in Aachen. Britain fnished fourth to claim their Olympic spot.

Michael Whitaker lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife Melissa and three children. Oldest son Jack Whitaker is a rising star on the international showjumping circuit.

Izzy Taylor is a professional event rider who has proven herself repeatedly at the top level. She is based on her family farm near Banbury in Oxfordshire.

Izzy has had a prolific eventing career since a young age. She won team silver and individual bronze at the 2004 young rider European eventing Championships riding Flurry Knox.

The mother of two was first selected to represent her country at senior championship level in 2013 when she rode KBIS Briarlands Matilda at the European Championships in Malmö, Sweden.

She also represented Britain at the Europeans at Blair Castle in Scotland in 2015 where she finished sixth with Briarlands Matilda and at the Europeans in Avenches, Switzerland in 2021, where she landed 10th place on Monkeying Around.

Other notable results include winning the British open in 2021 on Monkeying Around, winning Bramham CCI4*-L with the same horse in 2022, seventh twice at Burghley in 2012 and 2014 with KBIS Briarlands Matilda and eighth at Badminton 2015 with Allercombe Ellie.

Izzy Taylor has had more than her fair share of bad luck through horse injury – she was selected for the 2014 World Equestrian Games, the 2015 Blair Europeans and the 2016 Rio Olympics with Allercombe Ellie, but the mare was withdrawn on all three occasions due to injuries.

Jonelle Price is a leading event rider who lives in Britain and represents New Zealand.

Jonelle was born on 14 October 1980 in the South Island of New Zealand. Her family is not horsey, as she explains: “My mum is terrified of animals full stop, and there’s no competitiveness anywhere in my family. I just had a weird obsession with horses and was determined to ride from a young age. Finally, Mum realised it wasn’t a passing thing and we leased a pony.”

She found school easy and her mother, keen that she pursue an academic career, bribed her to go to university by saying she would keep supporting her horses if she continued in education. However, she dropped out after the first year of her law degree at Canterbury University to follow a career in eventing.

Jonelle (née Richards) and her then partner (now husband) Tim Price started to catch the eye of the New Zealand selectors ahead of the Athens Olympics and they suggested the pair travel to compete at Burghley Horse Trials in 2003. Jonelle spent her life savings on the airfare for Mazetto, but he suffered from travel sickness and was unable to compete at Burghley. But they made it to Badminton in 2004, finishing 17th, and were the Kiwi team’s travelling reserve for Athens.

In January 2005, Jonelle and Tim moved to Wiltshire permanently.

Jonelle says: “I remember saying to Mum that it would take us three years to get established in Britain. She said, ‘No, five.’ Really it took us seven years to get to a level we vaguely wanted to be at in terms of income versus expenditure and a couple of decent horses to ride.”

Tim and Jonelle got married in 2013 at Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough, New Zealand.

Has Jonelle Price won at five-star?

Jonelle has three times at five-star level, at Badminton Horse Trials in 2018 on Classic Moet, at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in the same year on Faerie Dianimo and at Pau Horse Trials in 2022 on Grappa Nera.

Has Jonelle won any medals?

Jonelle made her Olympic debut at London 2012 and collected a team bronze medal with Flintstar.

She also rode Faerie Dianimo at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but the New Zealand team finished fourth and out of the medals.

She piloted Grovine De Reve on the fifth-placed New Zealand Olympic eventing team at the Tokyo Games in 2021, finishing 11th as individually.

Jonelle has also ridden at three World Championships and won team bronze at the 2022 event in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, on McClaren. The pair were 10th individually. Individually, Jonelle‘s best championships result is fourth at the 2014 worlds on Classic Moet.

Has Jonelle Price had a baby?

Yes, Jonelle and her husband Tim have two children. Otis Price was born in August 2017 and Abel in February 2020.

Jonelle admitted that finding out she was pregnant was a bit of a surprise.

“Never in a million years did I think we would have a baby in 2017,” she said in an interview in February 2018. “But if if didn’t happen then, possibly it would not have happened. The time when we should have been thinking about a family, our careers had just started to gather momentum. I’d definitely been dragging my feet about it.”

She rode two to three horses a day right up until Otis was born and found pregnancy physically easy, but mentally tough.

“It was the first time in my life that I had no focus and drive. Plus I’m a control freak, so handing over the horses was hard.”

After her 2018 Badminton win, Jonelle said: “I was pregnant here last year and sitting on the sidelines incredibly frustrated. It’s not that I wasn’t hungry before, but I’ve come back even hungrier.”

Where is Jonelle based?

Tim and Jonelle Price based themselves at Tim and Melissa Brown’s Mere Farm, a few miles outside Marlborough, when they moved to Britain in January 2005 and stayed there until the spring of 2023.

In the spring of 2023, they moved to Dorset, to a yard on Dr Geoffrey Guy’s Chedington Estate.

Great Britain’s Joe Stockdale is one of the country’s leading young riders and was selected for the 2021 European Showjumping Championships in Riesenbeck, Germany, with his top horse Equine America Cacharel.

Based in Northamptonshire, Joe is the 21-year-old is the son of the late Olympic showjumper Tim Stockdale. He was a keen member of the Oakley Hunt West branch of the Pony Club, competing in tetrathlon, showjumping and mounted games teams.

Through Joe’s teenage years, horses took a back seat while followed his dream to be a professional cricketer and he played for Northampton County.

However, Joe was selected for his first junior showjumping team in 2017, he jumped at the British Showjumping national championships in 2018 and, following the tragic death of his father, Joe decided to concentrate full-time on his riding – and he hasn’t looked back since!

What are Joe Stockdale’s biggest achievements?

– won the under-25 championship at Royal Windsor in 2019

– represented Great Britain on young rider teams

– jumped on senior Nations Cups teams

– selected to compete for Great Britain at the European Showjumping Championships

– won the five-fence challenge at Horse of the Year Show in 2018

John Whitaker is one of the most admired showjumping riders worldwide and is still going strong at the age of 63. He has competed in dozens of major international championships collecting 24 medals at Olympic, World and European championships during his long and successful career to date.

John was selected to represent Britain at the Rio Olympics with the talented, yet inexperienced, mare Ornellaia. The daughter of For Pleasure had been on great form ahead of selection. He ruled out his top ride Argento, despite the stallion winning at grand prix level this season, saying: “Argento is a great horse, he’s a real fighter but he has his limits and I don’t want to push him beyond them.”

John Whitaker has also won numerous major classes such as the Hickstead Derby. One of his most famous horses, Milton, was the first showjumping horse to win more than £1 million in prize money.

John is married to Claire and they have three children, Joanne, Louise and Robert.

Go straight to the latest Kauto Star news

Legendary chaser Kauto Star retired from National Hunt racing in October 2012 having won 16 Grade One races. His impressive list of achievements include winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice (2007 and (2009) and the King George VI Chase at Kempton a record five times (the final one in 2011).

Bred in France by Mrs Henri Aubert (Village Star x Port Etienne), the bay gelding was owned by Clive Smith and was trained by champion jumps trainer Paul Nicholls.

After his retirement he moved to event rider Laura Collet’s yard in Lambourn to be retrained for dressage. The popular gelding was put down at the age of 15 following a field accident in June 2015.

Kirsty Chabert (née Johnston) is a British event rider who has been longlisted for the senior championship team and finished on the podium at five-star.

Kirsty is from a horsey family – her father John evented at the top level and her mother Debbie, who died when Kirsty was 12, was a grand prix dressage rider.

Her parents John and Debbie Johnston founded the Landford Common Stud in Wiltshire and their foundation stallion was Fleetwater Opposition. The first horse they bred was the French Olympic team horse Yarlands Summer Song.

“Mum and Dad have a huge legacy of breeding some serious event horses – they’re not conventional types, but they’re true event horses,” says Kirsty, who rides lots of home-bred horses, many of them carrying Opposition in their names. 

Has Kirsty ridden at five-star?

Kirsty has competed at five-star a number of times.

She was the best British debutante at Badminton Horse Trials in 2016, when she finished 42nd when she was 27 years old.

Her ride Opposition Detective was bred by her father Johnny, by his late stallion Fleetwater Opposition. Johnny gave him to Kirsty for her 18th birthday.

“He’s my best mate and would be your perfect husband — I’ve just got engaged, so I hope my husband can live up to ‘Barney’,” said Kirsty after completing.

Kirsty rode at Badminton again in 2022 on Classic VI, but was eliminated for three jumping problems across country.

However, the pair re-routed to the German five-star at Luhmühlen Horse Trials, where they finished second.

Kirsty and Classic VI also won two CCI4*-Ss in Ireland during 2022.

Their good results led to Kirsty and Classic being listed for the British squad for the eventing World Championships. Kirsty was also on the reserve nominated entries with Opposition Loire, who finished third at Bramham in June that year.

Who is Kirsty’s top horse?

Kirsty’s top horse Classic VI (Betty) was bred by Peter Charles and is owned by her father John Johnston and Carole Somers.

“She’s beautiful – if you ever wanted to draw a horse she is your most perfect model,” Kirsty says. “But she’s very, very quirky. We still have to shoe her in an alleyway with horses next door, she doesn’t spend much time in an arena and I can’t do polework or grids. 

“She wasn’t naturally brave initially but I went out with my best friend and her New Forest pony, crossing every bit of safe terrain in the forest – dirty, muddy bits of ground, ditches. She learnt to go and to be sure-footed and to this day that’s what we do. As long as there’s no pressure on her and she enjoys her job, she is phenomenal.”

Does Kirsty Chabert have a child?

Yes, Kirsty had her son Henry in December 2018.

Kirsty had an easy pregnancy, but was in labour for five days and ended up having an emergency caesarean section.

“That was fine and I was riding at Tweseldown in March,” she says. “Then towards the end of that year, I started to get really severe hip pain. I basically couldn’t do sitting trot.”

Medical care was complicated by Covid-19 and doctors tried to pass Kirsty off with a groin strain diagnosis. Things came to a head at Aston-le-Walls in July 2020.

“I was on Classic, it was a monsoon and I was slipping around left, right and centre. I said, ‘I can’t go into the test like this, I can’t grip, I can’t sit.’ So I didn’t take her in and I just sort of broke down a bit.”

Kirsty saw a consultant and discovered scar tissue from her caesarean section had attached itself to her pelvis, necessitating an operation, which was successful.

Kirsty, her French husband Arthur and Henry live in a house in the village near the yard. The couple were married in 2016 after first meeting at a party at Osberton.

Arthur runs the sites for JJ Acquisitions, the property development business Kirsty’s brother Ben owns with his business partner Christian Osorio, and now runs the sites. He also events a couple of horses and was 17th at Burghley in 2019 on Goldsmiths Imber.

Kitty King (née Boggis) is a British Olympic event rider. She was the first event rider to represent Great Britain at all European levels – pony, junior, young rider and senior.

Is Kitty King from a horsey family?

Her mother Jane Boggis was also a three-day event rider who competed at Badminton and Burghley. She rode on the Flat as an amateur and had a yard of pre-trainers when Kitty was growing up.

“My brothers and sisters would be making dens or mud pies, while I was doing water buckets and skipping out with the girls and mum in the evenings — I found picking up sh*t far more entertaining than playing like a normal child,” jokes Kitty.

Kitty is the oldest of four children. Her youngest sister Lucy was a heptathlete — and the Gladiator Tempest on the TV show.

What championships has Kitty ridden at?

Kitty’s first call-up was in 1998 at the pony European Championships in Le Touquet, France, where she collected team silver riding Red Alert. Kitty also won team silver at junior level in 2000, piloting Leading Edge at the championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy.

She rode Five Boys at two young rider European Championships, picking up team silver in Wiendorf, Austria, in 2000 and finishing her under-21 career with team gold in 2001 in Bialy Bor, Poland. She just missed out on an individual medal on that occasion, finishing fourth.

Kitty first represented Great Britain at senior level in 2005 at the European Eventing Championships held at Blenheim Palace, riding Five Boys. The pair retired across country.

Kitty had some frustrating years after this when she was unable to quite capitalise on opportunities to score impressive results at the top level, with some late falls across country, including when she was in the lead at Saumur in 2013 and fell at the last fence. But she never thought of giving up eventing.

“I could never see myself doing anything else,” she says. “I had some lovely horses and lovely owners — who I’m still friends with — and I still really enjoyed what I was doing even if I wasn’t on a championship team or riding at Badminton.

“Even if someone said I was never going to get to the Europeans again, I think I would still carry on, because I just love working with the horses and trying to get the best out of each one at its level. With the young ones, there’s that dream of what might be.”

Kitty finally achieved that coveted next senior-call-up for the 2015 European Eventing Championships at Blair Castle, where she took on the role of team pathfinder.

“It never came into my head that I’d go out first and I wasn’t sure how I’d deal with that added pressure,” she said in an interview later that year. “I wasn’t sure if I’d get to Blair and crumble. But I actually really enjoyed going first.”

She finished just outside the individual medals in fourth place riding Persimmon. She was the highest-placed British rider and led the British team to silver, becoming the first British rider to win a medal at all four European levels.

Kitty rode at the Rio Olympics in 2016 with Ceylor LAN and finished 30th individually.

In 2019, Kitty was selected for the European Championships in Luhmühlen, Germany, with Vendredi Biats. The pair competed as individuals and finished best of the Brits in seventh place.

Two years later, Kitty and Vendredi Biats were on the team for the European Championships in Avenches, Switzerland, where they finished ninth individually and were on the gold medal-winning team.

In 2023, Kitty won her first individual medal when she and Vendredi Biats claimed individual silver and contributed to team gold at the European Championships at Haras du Pin, France.

Which are Kitty King’s most famous horses?

Kitty first sprang to prominence with the ex-racehorse Five Boys.

She admitted later in her career: “Everyone told me this was a hard sport and to stay in education, but Five Boys made everything — winning three-day events, getting on teams — seem really easy. When he retired I suddenly realised I’d just been incredibly lucky to have such a nice horse at a young age.”

She has later become known for her partnerships with horses such as Boondoggle, Zidante, Ceylor LAN, Persimmon, Vendredi Biats and Cristal Fontaine.

Is Kitty married? Where is she based?

Kitty is based in Wiltshire with her husband Ben, a former National Hunt jockey.

“He does understand the disappointment of horses and the sport,” she says. “He’ll know when to walk away and not speak and when you actually need someone to rant at. He’s pretty good at knowing when to be about and when to scarper at events.”

Is Kitty King related to Mary King?

No. Kitty is no relation to the event rider Mary King or her daughter, Emily King.

Laura Collett is a British event rider who won team gold medals at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics on London 52, as well as individual bronze in Paris and individual gold at the 2025 European Championships.

She started her competitive equestrian career in the show ring, winning the supreme pony title at Horse of the Year Show in 2003 when she was 13.

When she moved across to eventing, Laura proved a force to be reckoned with through the pony, junior and young rider ranks. She won nine medals during her youth career, including three individual golds (juniors in 2006 on Fernhill Sox, juniors in 2007 on Rayef, young riders in 2009 on Rayef).

What senior championships has Laura Collett ridden at?

Since moving into senior competition, Laura has been selected for three European Championships as an individual. She was eliminated on the cross-country on her senior championship debut at Luhmühlen in 2011 and also at the 2019 Europeans at the same venue, but finished 13th at the 2015 championships at Blair Castle on Grand Manoeuvre.

The following year Laura was selected to represent Britain at the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 on London 52 and finished ninth individually there, contributing to Britain’s team gold medal.

Laura and London 52 were also members of the British team at the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy.

In 2023, Laura rode on the British team at the European Championships in Haras du Pin, finishing ninth individually on London 52 and contributing to team gold.

In 2024, Laura led the Brits to team gold at the Paris Olympics and claimed her own individual bronze.

The following year, 2025, Laura won the individual gold at the Blenheim European Championships on London 52.

Has Laura won at five-star?

Yes. Laura achieved her first five-star win in October 2020 when she took the title at Pau Horse Trials, France, riding her own, Keith Scott and Karen Bartlett’s London 52.

The horse had previously been the 2018 eight- and nine-year-old champion at Blenheim Horse Trials, as well as winning the Event Rider Masters at Chatsworth Horse Trials and the CCI4*-L at Boekelo Horse Trials, both in 2019. But he had also fallen at the 2019 European Championships in Luhmühlen having sat third after the dressage, so this result proved Laura’s faith in him was justified.

“It’s always been my dream to win a five-star but I had started to feel like maybe it wasn’t going to happen,” she said in an interview shortly after her win.

“I knew the horse was good enough, and it is so nice to prove that. There was a reason behind everything that went wrong last year, but he feels so different now, like he has finally grown up and started to believe in himself.

“The only thing he lacked along the way is self-belief, and I thought if we could get that he could win a big one, so I was putting pressure on myself to show that to everyone.”

Laura’s Pau victory meant she had the honour of winning the only five-star of 2020 because the eventing calendar that year was decimated by Covid-19.

In 2022, Laura and London 52 added victory at Badminton Horse Trials to their Pau win. The following year they won another five-star, at Luhmühlen Horse Trials.

Who was Laura’s Olympic horse in Tokyo and Paris?

Laura also rode London 52 in Tokyo and Paris.

“It’s been an unbelievable experience from the moment I was selected,” she said after collecting team gold in Japan.

“It was a tough fight to be chosen and you had to be competitive at every event. We knew we’d left several riders at home with brilliant horses, who would think they should have been here if we’d messed up. It’s a relief to get the job done.

“We came out here knowing we had three of the best horses in the world – horses of a lifetime – and that’s why we’re sat here with a gold medal.”

Where is Laura based?

Laura is based at a yard on the Salperton Estate, in Gloucestershire. The estate belongs to Jason Houghton, who owned her successful junior and young rider horse Rayef. She moved there in February 2018 after four years in Lambourn.

Has Laura Collett had an accident eventing?

Laura had a rotational fall at Tweseldown in 2013 which left her with a fractured shoulder, punctured lung, lacerated liver and broken ribs. She also lost the sight in her right eye.

“When I was in hospital and realised I couldn’t see out of one eye I was told the sight would come back,” she said in an interview in the autumn of 2020.

“Two weeks later I returned for a scan and they realised it wouldn’t. It really hit me – if they had told me that straight away I might have dealt with it better, but as it was I really struggled, and wasn’t very pleasant to be around.

“In the end I had to give myself a bit of a talking-to, and I realised that it didn’t have to stop me doing what I wanted to do.”

Does Laura have a husband?

No, Laura is not married.

Is Laura involved with racehorses?

Yes, Laura assists with the training of racehorses for various trainers.

“I’ve always been passionate about jump racing and I find working with racehorses so rewarding, either teaching them to jump from scratch or helping the if they’re have any problems,” she says.

At the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, Harry Whittington’s Simply The Betts and Saint Calvados benefited from a morning’s work with Laura before going on to win and finish second in their respective races.

William Haggas also credited Laura for turning the Flat horse Dubai Honour around.

USA showjumper Laura Kraut has been one of the sport’s leading riders throughout a glittering career spanning several decades. She has been selected to represent USA in the Olympic showjumping at the Tokyo Olympics with a relatively new horse, Baloutinue. Laura will be bidding for her second Olympic medal at her fourth Olympic Games, having won team gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Born in South Carolina, USA, in 1965, Laura Kraut had her first riding lesson at the age of three. She and her sister Mary Elizabeth spent their childhood on ponies.

“We groomed them, iced their legs, cleaned stalls, rode them bareback in the field with no halter or bridle. We’d take them swimming. As I got older, I drove the truck and trailer. We learned every aspect of it, which made you appreciate the horses, not just the competition. And that’s important. In our world,” she says.

Laura and her sister still work together today with Mary Elizabeth acting as head of operations for the business.

Laura’s big break came when she was selected to join the US squad for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona but the 27-year-old had never left the US and had to obtain her first passport in order to compete. She has since gone on to represent her country at championship level, also winning some of the most prestigious grand prix titles all over the world.

Laura Kraut and Nick Skelton

Laura Kraut splits her time between her base in Florida, USA, and her home in Warwickshire which she shares with her partner, the double Olympic gold medallist Nick Skelton. 

“Nick is very motivated to see me succeed and go forward, which is great,” she says.

Laura has a son, Bobby, from her first marriage, who competed in international showjumping for several years. As well as competing at a different event nearly every week of the year, Laura is a very respected trainer, taking in students from all over the world.

Laura Kraut facts

• Laura has been to four Olympic Games – 1992, 2000, 2008 and 2016
• Laura dropped out of college after one semester to pursue a career with horses
• Her partner Nick Skelton is the reigning Olympic champion, having won individual gold at Rio in 2016
• Laura has won three championship medals – Olympic team gold, WEG 2006 team silver and WEG 2018 team gold
• She had to be taken to hospital after breaking her nose and suffering concussion in a serious fall in 2020.

Laura Kraut’s horses

Laura’s Olympic horse Baloutinue, was bought by her sponsor St Bride’s Farm on 9 April 2021, the last day horses could be purchased to be eligible to compete for the US in Tokyo. He is an 11-year-old by Balou Du Rouet and the pair won the first major competition they entered. Laura describes him as “one of the best in the world”.

She has also enjoyed success top horses including Confu, Deauville S, Zeremonie, Nouvelle, Simba Run, Anthem, Miss Independent and the great Cedric, with whom she won the Olympic team gold medal in 2008.

The world-famous Grand National is held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. It is a handicap steeplechase over 4 miles 3½ furlongs with horses jumping 30 fences during two circuits. The race is currently sponsored by Randox Health and is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million.

When was the 2026 race?

The 2026 running of the world’s most famous steeplechase took place at 4pm on Saturday, 11 April.

• How to watch the Grand National

• Grand National runners

• Grand National weights

• Grand National tickets

• How to get to Aintree

• Where to stay near Aintree

Who won the 2026 race?

I Am Maximus won the 2026 Randox Grand National, becoming the first horse to regain the title since the great Red Rum. After winning in 2024 and finishing second in 2025, he carried top weight of 11st 12lb. He was ridden by Paul Townend, trained by Willie Mullins and is owned by JP McManus.

Why is this race different to most races?

The fences in the race differ from the typical steeplechase fences used in Britain, as the cores are topped with at least 14 inches of spruce. It is also longer than most races at with 30 fences to be jumped over 4 miles 3½ furlongs.

In 2013 a number of changes were made to the race in response to the deaths of four horses in the previous two meetings. These included changing the core of the fences from traditional wooden stakes to birch and plastic cores in an attempt to make the fences more horse-friendly and moving the start.

Further changes were brought in for the 2024 race, including reducing the field size to a maximum of 34 runners, the first fence being moved closer to the start, a standing start being reintroduced and the start time being changed, as part of changes designed to further improve safety.

Jump straight to the latest news about Lottie Fry

Charlotte (Lottie) Fry is the reigning world dressage champion and one of Britain’s most successful international riders. She won double individual gold and team silver at the 2022 World Championships with Glamourdale, having already helped Britain secure team bronze at the Tokyo Olympics with Everdale.

She went on to claim team gold and individual silver at the 2023 Europeans, plus team and individual bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, again with Glamourdale.

Lottie was born on 11 February 1996. She is the daughter of the late dressage Olympian and European silver medallist Laura Fry, who died in September 2012 from breast cancer. Lottie credits her mother as her biggest inspiration and the reason she pursued a career in dressage.

Lottie began competing internationally as a teenager, representing Britain at the 2010 pony Europeans Championships and the 2013 junior Europeans.

At 18, with guidance from Carl Hester, she moved to the Netherlands to train with Anne and Gertjan van Olst, where she has remained based ever since.

Lottie’s championship career began in earnest in 2018, when she won individual gold and team bronze with Dark Legend at the under-25 European Championships, and rode the promising stallion Glamourdale to victory in the seven-year-old class at the World Breeding Championships.

She made her senior championship debut in 2019 and soon became a mainstay of the British team. In 2021, she and Everdale helped win team bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and team silver at the European Championships. But it was with Glamourdale that she hit new heights: the pair stormed to double individual gold and team silver at the 2022 World Championships in Herning. They followed this with team gold and individual silver at the 2023 Europeans, team and individual bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and capped it all by winning the 2025 FEI Dressage World Cup.

Her top rides have each played a defining role in her rise. Glamourdale has become her standout partner – a double Olympic medallist, double world champion and World Cup winner, also named KWPN Horse of the Year three times and Horse & Hound Dressage Horse of the Year in 2023. Everdale anchored her first senior team medals, while Dark Legend delivered her early international titles. Lottie’s pipeline of talent continues with horses like Kjento, the world six- and seven-year-old champion and KWPN’s 2022 Horse of the Year.

Lottie continues to train and compete for Van Olst Horses in the Netherlands, balancing championship pressure with producing the next generation of stars.

Lucinda Fredericks

is an Austrialian eventer. She has competed at two Olympic Games, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, winning a silver medal in the team event in Beijing.

Go straight to the latest Lucinda Green articles

Born in Hampshire, Lucinda Green (née Prior Palmer) began riding when she was just four years old but didn’t own her own horse until the age of 15, when she was given Be Fair for her birthday.

Lucinda and Be Fair worked their way up through the eventing grades, before going to the 1973 Olympics and winning Badminton some seven years later. This was only the beginning of Lucinda‘s success, as she went on to claim a number of gold and silver medals and two European Championships.

In 1977 Lucinda scored a hat trick, coming first at Badminton, Burghley and the European Championships. She is the only rider to have won Badminton six times, on six different horses: Be Fair (1973), Wideawake (1976), George (1977), Killaire (1979), Regal Realm (1983) and Beagle Bay (1984). Lucinda has won the Tony Collins Trophy, awarded to the rider with the most British Eventing points in an eventing season, a record seven times and in 2008 won the outstanding contribution to equestrianism award.

While she still competes, Lucinda is now also well known as an equestrian journalist, team selector, commentator and trainer. She is passionate about cross-country safety and runs a series of cross-country clinics each spring, called ‘Cross-country, the safe way’ in association with Petplan Equine. Lucinda also has an infrequent series in Horse & Hound, ‘Lucinda rides’, in which she assesses top horses from across the disciplines. The fact that riders and owners allow her to ride these elite equine athletes demonstrates the high regard in which she is held by her peers.

Lucinda has two children: Fred, born May 1985, and Lissa, born February 1989. She was married to David Green from 1981 to 1992. Lissa Green is following in her mother’s footsteps as a professional event rider.

Lucinda Green videos

Olympic dressage rider Fiona Bigwood has represented Britain at junior, young rider and senior championships, including at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Fiona was a member of the British team at the 1993 Junior European Championships and the Young Rider European Championships from 1994 to 1996. In 1996 at 21-years-old she became the youngest British rider ever to be selected for a senior European Championships with Dance & Fly. That year she also took the British Dressage national elementary title with Afrikka.

Fiona Bigwood was shortlisted for the 1998 World Equestrian Games and was ranked number one in the British Puffa International Rider Rankings in that year. In 1999 and 2005, she was a member of the European Championship team.

On 26 April 2014, Fiona fell off a horse in a freak accident at a local show and sustained major concussion to her head. After four days in the hospital she was able to return home but her life had changed dramatically. The accident left her vision seriously impaired as an eye nerve got damaged. One year later she still has double vision and has to ride with an eye patch.

Fiona and her husband Anders Dahl, a Danish grand prix rider, are based in West Sussex with their three children.

Fiona Bigwood helped Team GBR win a silver medal at the 2015 European Dressage Championships in Aachen riding Penny Bigwood’s Atterupgaards Orthilia (stable name Tillie). Although they qualified to go forward to the grand prix special, unfortunately the mare developed an extreme sensitivity across her back after doing her team test in pouring rain, which prevented her from contesting the individual competition.

Fiona and Tillie were selected for the British team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where they helped Britain claim team silver earning 77.157% to finish eighth individually in the grand prix and 74.342% in the grand prix special. This saw them qualify for the freestyle, where they scored 76.018%.

Tillie was sold to Danish international grand prix rider Agnete Kirk Thinggaard in early 2017. At the time Fiona said: “It was a very hard decision, but Tillie is in the prime of her competition career and I want the best for her.”

See Fiona Bigwood’s beautiful indoor dressage training arena

Gemma Stevens (née Tattersall) is a British event rider who has ridden at the Olympics, won a world team gold medal and won the Event Rider Masters series title in 2017.

What championships has Gemma ridden at?

Gemma gained her first team experience as part of the junior and young rider European Championship squads and won two team gold medals at young rider level in 2005 and 2006.

Gemma Tattersall first represented Great Britain at senior level at the 2015 Longines FEI European Eventing Championships at Blair Castle Horse Trials. She finished ninth as an individual riding Arctic Soul.

In 2014, Gemma and Arctic Soul were reserves for Great Britain at the World Equestrian Games, but as they weren’t called upon, they went on to finish the year with a fifth place at Burghley Horse Trials.

Gemma was a member of the British squad at the 2016 Rio Olympics on Quicklook V and the pair also represented Britain as individuals at the 2017 Strzegom European Championships, where they finished eighth.

In 2018 Gemma won her first senior championship medal when she and Arctic Soul were the pathfinders for the gold medal-winning British team at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in the USA.

Has Gemma won at five-star?

In 2021, Gemma achieved her first five-star win when she and the home-bred Chilli Knight took the one-off CCI5* at Bicton Horse Trials, laid on to replace Burghley, which was cancelled due to Covid-19.

Gemma says of Chilli Knight: “He’s a funny little horse. I wouldn’t say he’s the brightest horse in the world, but what makes him is that he always tries his absolute best in training and in competition. I describe him as typical gelding, and a ‘yes man’. If I ask him to do something, he’ll give it a go. Very rarely is he difficult or in any way naughty.

“He’s a poppet and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him put his ears back in his life. I don’t think he really knows how to be horrible or nasty or anything like that.”

Gemma has also finished third at Badminton Horse Trials in 2016 with her “horse-of-a-lifetime”, the ex-racehorse Arctic Soul, and third at Burghley in 2017 on the same horse.

She achieved a runner-up placing at the top level at Pau Horse Trials on Pamero 4 in 2018.

Where is Gemma’s yard?

Gemma is based in West Sussex at a yard belonging to her main owner, Chris Stone, who was also the chief force behind the Event Rider Masters series and the owner of the stallion Chilli Morning, who won Badminton 2015 with William Fox-Pitt.

The Stones have a breeding programme at the yard and Gemma is involved in producing and competing the Chilli Morning progeny.

The Bicton five-star winner Chilli Knight is a son of Chilli Morning, out of Kings Gem, who Gemma rode at five-star level.

Gemma also has one of Chilli Morning’s three clones to produce. The others are based with Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian and German Olympic champion Julia Krajewski.

Is Gemma from a horsey family?

Yes. Gemma grew up with horses because her mum Marcelle (Marcy) had a riding school. Marcelle is still very involved in Gemma’s career and often grooms for her at big competitions.

Is Gemma married?

Yes. Gemma’s boyfriend Gary Stevens proposed to her at the press conference after she won Bicton CCI5* in 2021 and the pair were married on 31 May 2022. Gemma now rides under her married name, Stevens.

Isn’t Gemma Tattersall a lawyer?

There is also another Gemma Tattersall who works as a tutor at the University of Law.

Gareth Hughes is one of Britain’s top international grand prix dressage riders. He is a European and world team medallist and was the travelling alternate for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with Sintano Van Hof Olympia.

Gareth was a member of the British team that brought home team silver from the 2021 European Dressage Championships, with Sintano, and also won team silver at the 2022 World Dressage Championships in Herning, Denmark, with Classic Briolinca. The pair went on to finish fifth in the grand prix freestyle in Herning with over 84%. 

Gareth was also crowned British national champion in September 2022, riding Sintano Van Hof Olympia.

Gareth’s Australian upbringing

Gareth Hughes was born on 1 April 1971, in Britain, but his family moved to Jimboomba, Australia when he was six years old. There he learned to ride and started working with an Australian performance trainer, and taking part in Western riding, reining and Australian stock horse classes. 

However, he alway harboured a love for dressage, and would follow the European dressage circuit closely. It wasn’t until he entered an inter-high school competition and won the dressage section that he started working with more dressage-focused trainers, and honing his skills. 

When Gareth’s parents moved back to the UK when he was in his early 20s, he decided to return temporarily himself, but ended up putting down roots and opting to ride for Britain rather than Australia.

He worked initially at Broadstone Stud in Oxfordshire, before meeting top FEI judge Stephen Clarke, with whom he was based for the following two years. In 2001, Gareth set up his own yard in Cheshire, before relocating back to Oxfordshire in 2004 to launch Aspen Grove Dressage. In 2011, Gareth and his wife Rebecca moved to their current base in Warwickshire, launching Hughes Dressage. 

Gareth’s international career

Gareth Hughes first rode on a senior team for Britain in 2013, winning European bronze in Herning riding Jane Brewin’s Donnerschlag mare DV Stenkjers Nadonna, alongside Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Michael Eilberg. 

The following year, Gareth and Donna were once again selected for the British team, and were part of the quartet who took home team silver from the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen. 

Gareth was also selected for the European Championship team in 2017, this time riding Steve and Anne Keen’s Don Crusador gelding Don Carissimo. However, disaster struck after arriving in Gothenburg for the championships, when Don Carissimo sustained a freak injury and failed the trot-up. 

In 2019, Gareth was the best performing British rider at the European Championships in Rotterdam, aboard his own and Julia Hornig’s Trento B mare Classic Briolinca. While Britain lost out on the team silver medal after Charlotte Dujardin’s elimination from the grand prix, Gareth finished seventh individually in the grand prix special with 78% and 10th in the freestyle with over 80%. 

In 2021, Gareth withdrew Classic Briolinca from Olympic contention after the mare sustained a ligament strain early in the year. He was, however, selected as travelling alternate for the Games with his own and Judy Firmston-Williams’ 11-year-old gelding Sintano Van Hof Olympia, after strong performances in the horse’s first season competing at the top level. 

Gareth and Sintano were then selected for the British team for the European Dressage Championships in September 2021. They won team silver and finished 15th individually in the grand prix special.

Family life

Gareth is married to fellow grand prix dressage rider Rebecca Hughes, who also runs Classic Dressage alongside Julia Hornig. The pair have a daughter, Ruby, who was born in December 2007, and has already proved herself to be talented in both vaulting and dressage. 

Ruby was a member of the British team at the vaulting European championships in 2019, and in 2021 she made a winning international dressage debut, competing in both the children-on-horses and pony sections at Wellington CDI3*, on Bee Gee 8 and Hilkens Showgirl respectively. 

Gareth is also a highly respected coach, and has worked as advisor to the Swiss national team, and dressage trainer to the Australian event team. In his spare time, Gareth plays guitar and enjoys riding his Harley Davidson motorbike.

Gordon Elliott was born on 2 March 1978 and is a multiple Grand National, Gold Cup and Royal Ascot winning racehorse trainer based at Cullentra House in Longwood, Co Meath, Ireland.

He has trained over 1,000 winners between Ireland and Britain during his career.

He was 29 when his first Grand National entry, the 33-1 outsider Silver Birch, won the 2007 race, making him the youngest trainer to ever win the Grand National, having taken out his license in 2006.

In 2018 and 2019 he won the Grand National with Tiger Roll, ridden by Davy Russell and owned by Gigginstown House Stud, the first horse since Red Rum to win the race twice.

In 2018 he also won the Irish Grand National, with General Principle.

On two occasions, in 2017 and 2018, he was the top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival.

Gordon isn’t from a racing background – his father was a panel-beater – but he entered the racing world when he was 13, working for trainer Tony Martin at weekends and during holidays.

He took out a licence as an amateur jockey when he was 16, riding in both point-to-points and under Rules.

He went on to ride a total of 200 point-to-point winners and 46 winners under Rules. He retired as a jockey through injury in 2005.

On 28 February 2021, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) launched an investigation into an image of Elliott, which was widely circulated on social media, sitting on a dead horse and making a peace sign. On 5 March 2021, the IHRB convened a hearing and banned Elliott from racing for 12 months with six months suspended, leaving him unable to train or attend a race meeting or point-to-point until September 2021.

Harry Meade is a British event rider who is currently world number one and is renowned for his success at the five-star events. He has been placed in the top 10 at Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley Horse Trials many times and is the youngest rider to have been awarded the Armada Dish, for completing Badminton five times. His best known former horses include Wild Lone, Midnight Dazzler and Away Cruising, while his current top string includes Annaghmore Valoner, Grafennacht, Et Hop Du Matz, Cavalier Crystal and Superstition.

Harry made an incredible comeback at Badminton in 2014 after shattering both his elbows in a fall in 2013. He finished third on Wild Lone and the pair were called up from the reserve bench to make their senior squad debut at the World Equestrian Games in Caen, France. After a clear jumping round across country as the anchor horse for the team, Wild Lone collapsed and died at the finish. The British went on to take the team silver medal.

In 2020, Harry had another serious accident when his foot caught in the stirrup when he fell across country while riding at Thoresby in October. He broke his right arm and suffered a head injury. Once again he made a brilliant comeback, finishing fifth at Kentucky Three-Day Event in April 2021 with Superstition, the horse he took over the ride on from Lucy Jackson at the end of 2019.

Harry Meade is the son of the late Richard Meade, who was the individual Olympic eventing champion at the 1972 Munich Games on Lauriston. He also won team gold that year and at the 1968 Mexico Games on Cornishman V. Richard died in January 2015.

Harry is married to Rosie (née Bradford) and the pair have two children, Lily and Charlie. He is based in Gloucestershire, very close to Badminton Horse Trials.

British showjumper Harry Charles is one of the country’s most exciting young riders and the 22-year-old made his debut in the Olympic showjumping at the Tokyo Games with his horse Romeo 88.

In December at London International Horse Show, he became the first rider in 16 years to win both the World Cup qualifier and take top spot the grand prix.

Born in 1999, Harry is the eldest son of London 2012 Olympic team gold medallist Peter Charles and has been competing in showjumping all his life, enjoying great success on youth teams – winning a handful of European Championship medals – and now as a senior rider. His two sisters Sienna and Scarlett are also following in the family footsteps.

At the age of 16, Harry beat his father to win the Welsh Masters, becoming the youngest rider to win the title.

His Olympic partner Romeo 88 is owned by Ann Thompson and Harry has only been riding the 12-year-old gelding since the start of 2021.

“Seeing my dad compete in London [2012 Olympics] was a real eye-opener for me, I saw what you could achieve and just how big the sport can be,” says Harry.

Jump straight to the latest news about Isabell Werth

Isabell Werth is the most decorated dressage rider in history, with an Olympic medal record unmatched in equestrian sport: eight golds and six silvers across seven Olympic Games, winning at least one gold at every Games she has contested. She has also earned nine World Championship medals, 21 European Championship golds, and five World Cup titles, solidifying her place as a legend of the sport.

Born on 21 July 1969 in Sevelen, Germany, Isabell began riding under the guidance of Dr Uwe Schulten-Baumer at age 17. Their partnership led to her breakthrough with Gigolo, who carried her to four Olympic gold medals between 1992 and 2000, as well as multiple world and European titles. Gigolo remained her primary partner throughout the 1990s, with the exception of the 1999 European Championships, where she rode Anthony FRH.

After Gigolo’s retirement, Isabell’s winning streak continued with a series of top horses. She won the 2007 World Cup Final on Warum Nicht FRH. She also partnered Satchmo 78 to double World Championship gold, individual European gold, and team Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games, before his retirement in 2011.

Her next major star was Weihegold OLD, who helped Germany secure team gold and individual silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and delivered three consecutive World Cup titles. She also formed a hugely successful partnership with her “dream horse” Bella Rose 2, earning individual silver at the Tokyo Olympics and dominating European competition.

In July 2024, Isabell was selected for her seventh Olympic Games, partnering Wendy to another team gold and extending an extraordinary Olympic record spanning over 30 years.

Beyond competition, Isabell Werth is an influential voice in the sport, elected president of the International Dressage Riders’ Club in 2020. She continues to compete at the highest level while also shaping the future of dressage through her leadership and experience.