Three members of same family receive prestigious FEI awards
Three members of the same family have been recognised for their huge achievements in equestrian sport with a prestigious accolade.
Joanne, Hannah and John Eccles all received the FEI badge of honour at the end of 2019 for their achievements in World and European Vaulting Championships over the years.
Joanne, who won five gold, four silver and two bronze medals at senior championships during her vaulting career, received a gold badge from the FEI. Hannah, whose CV boasts gold, three silver and one bronze senior championship medals, was awarded a silver FEI badge. Both sisters have also had top international results as lungers.
Their father, John, received a lunger gold FEI badge of honour for his six senior championship gold medals. He has been part of numerous silver and bronze medal-winning teams.
Joanne told H&H the family were all “absolutely thrilled” to receive the accolades and paid tribute to their long-term equine teammate, W.H.Bentley (“Henry”).
“The fact that we all received badges made it even more special, as we always worked towards our goals as a team,” she said.
“We are incredibly proud that the FEI has recognised our achievements over the last decade and hopefully we will continue to inspire other vaulters from the UK and other smaller nations as well as all equestrians to continue to strive to achieve their goals.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“There have been many people who have supported us on our journey through the sport and we are grateful for everyone.
“It is so important to remember that despite competing as individuals or as a pair it is ultimately a team sport.
“On that note we would never have achieved all that we did without our horses and without a doubt without Henry, who is the absolute dream horse.
“He continues to help train up our club vaulters and keeps the other horses in check!”
Would you like to read Horse & Hound¹s independent journalism without any adverts? Join Horse & Hound Plus today and you can read all articles on HorseandHound.co.uk completely ad-free
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
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.