Nick Skelton, British show jumper

British show jumping legend Nick Skelton was born on 30 December 1957 and lives in Shrewley, Warwickshire.

A consistent string of top horses, including the famous Apollo and Dollar Girl, kept Nick in the spotlight and at the pinnacle of his profession for 27 years, in which he made 122 Nations Cup team appearances. However, in 2000 he suffered a near-fatal injury following a fall in Cheshire, in which he broke his neck in two places. With the upper half of his spine immobilised by a halo brace for five months, Nick was told by surgeons that another fall could prove fatal, and he was forced into early retirement.

However, it proved to be only a temporary break from competition. After consultation with a German specialist in 2002, he was given the all clear to start riding again, and fuelled by a fierce ambition to compete the legendary Arko III, he returned to the show jumping circuit immediately. The duo won major grands prixs all over the world, and competed at the Athens Olympics in 2004 before Arko’s retirement in 2008. Nick also rode at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 with Russel.

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