Debrett’s add Charlotte Dujardin and Nick Skelton to top 500 list
Charlotte Dujardin and Nick Skelton are among the new additions to the iconic Debrett’s 500 list for 2017.
The institution recognises people of influence and achievement through its publications. It also publishes etiquette guides, such as the Guide for the Modern Gentleman.
The 500 list was launched in 2014 and features the 500 most influential people in Britain.
It is compiled by independent specialists in each of its sections, which include art, sport, broadcasting and music.
“Team GB’s equestrians did us proud in Rio in the summer,” Renee Kuo, Debrett’s managing director told H&H.
“We were delighted to recognise triple gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin, whose achievements in dressage have been nothing short of extraordinary, and Nick Skelton, for his awe-inspiring comeback after serious injury, which saw him win showjumping gold.”
The pair join Clare Balding, who first made the list in 2015. Fellow sporting stars on the 2017 edition include Sir Mo Farah, Adam Peaty, Andy Murray, Kate Richardson-Walsh and the Brownlee Brothers.
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“Equestrian Nick Skelton became the oldest British winner of an individual Olympic gold medal in more than a century in 2016 when he won gold in the showjumping in Rio,” reads Nick’s entry.
“It was his second Olympic gold on Big Star [the combination also won team gold at London 2012], representing a stunning comeback following his retirement in 2000 after a bad fall in which he broke his neck.
“Skelton was placed a surprise third in the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards in 2016 and elevated to CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours.”
Related articles:
- Dressage editor’s blog: ‘what Charlotte did tonight was brave and daring’
- Knighthood and honours for Rio equestrian stars in New Year list
- Nick Skelton and Big Star: how it all began
Charlotte’s biography on the list describes her as “one of the UK’s greatest ever equestrians”.
“Charlotte Dujardin is a triple Olympic gold medallist, European Champion and World Champion,” it reads.
“In 2016 she became the first British woman to retain an individual Olympic title after winning gold in the individual dressage on horse Valegro in Rio.
“Born in Enfield in 1985, Dujardin grew up in Herefordshire and began riding aged just two. Dujardin was appointed CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.