12 Equestrian athletes named for Rio 2016

Posted: 14th July 2016 | Back to news feed

The British Olympic Association has today announced the 12 athletes that will compete for Team GB across the three equestrian disciplines of Eventing, Dressage and Jumping at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Three-time Olympic medallist William Fox-Pitt with Chilli Morning will feature in the Eventing team along with Kitty King riding Ceylor L A N and Izzy Taylor on Allercombe Ellie.  Gemma Tattersall rounds off the team on Chico Bella P or Quicklook V, with all three athletes receiving their first Olympic call-up. 

In the Dressage team, reigning World, European and Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin will compete on Valegro joined by fellow 2012 Olympic team gold medallist Carl Hester with Nip Tuck.

The Dressage team will be completed by 2015 European team silver medallist Fiona Bigwood on Atterupgaards Orthilia and Spencer Wilton on Super Nova II – both of whom make their Olympic Games debuts.

There is also plenty of Olympic Games pedigree in the Jumping team, with London 2012 gold medallists Nick Skelton and Ben Maher returning on Big Star and Tic Tac respectively – Rio 2016 being Skelton’s seventh Games, and his second on Big Star.

Los Angeles 1984 jumping team silver medallist John Whitaker, who’s set to feature in his sixth Olympic Games, will compete on Ornellaia while younger brother Michael, who heads to his fifth Olympics – who also won silver at LA 1984 – will compete aboard Cassionato.

Today’s announcement brings the number of selected athletes to 246 from 20 sports.

The selected athletes are:

Eventing:

William Fox-Pitt, age 47, based Dorset, with Christopher Stone’s Chilli Morning

Kitty King, age 33, based Wiltshire,with Diana Bown, Jacqueline Owen and Samantha Wilson’s Ceylor L A N

Gemma Tattersall, age 31, based West Sussex, with either Christopher Stone’s Chico Bella P or The Pebbles Syndicate’s Quicklook V

Isabelle (Izzy) Taylor, age 33, based Oxfordshire, with Susan Holroyd and Frances Carter’s Allercombe Ellie

Travelling Reserve: Pippa Funnell MBE, age 47, based Surrey, with the late Carol Toliver’s Billy The Biz

 

Dressage:

Fiona Bigwood, age 40, based West Sussex, with Penny Bigwood and Neils and Lis Dahl’s Atterupgaards Orthilia

Charlotte Dujardin OBE, age 30, based Gloucestershire, with Rowena Luard, Anne Barrott and Carl Hester’s Valegro

Carl Hester MBE, age 49, based Gloucestershire, with Jane De La Mare and his own Nip Tuck

Spencer Wilton, age 43, based Reading, with Jennifer Goodman and his own Super Nova II

Travelling Reserve: Lara Griffith, age 27, based Gloucestershire, with Dr Wilfried and Ursula Bechtolsheimer’s Rubin Al Asad

 

Jumping:

Ben Maher MBE, age 33, based Hertfordshire, with Jane Forbes Clark and his own Tic Tac

Nick Skelton OBE, age 58, based Warwickshire, with Beverley Widdowson’s Big Star

John Whitaker MBE, age 60, based West Yorkshire, with Team Harmony Management Co Ltd’s Ornellaia

Michael Whitaker, age 56, based Nottinghamshire, with Beverley Widdowson’s Cassionato

Travelling reserve: Jessica Mendoza, age 20, hometown Wiltshire, with Sarah Mendoza’s Spirit T

 

Team GB’s Chef de Mission, Mark England, said:

“No sport can boast Olympic experiences quite like our equestrian team and it’s of great credit to both the riders and the programme that we welcome athletes back for their fifth, sixth or even seventh Games as part of Team GB. This is vital in a multi-sport environment and our recent Olympic record is testament to this.

“There is strength across all three disciplines and I’m sure the country can look forward to seeing the team perform at the top of their game once again this August.”

Equestrian Team Leader, Dan Hughes, commented; “The team we have selected represents the strength in depth of talent we are lucky enough to enjoy in equestrian sport in the UK, and the mix of both experience and new talent across the three equestrian events in Rio. None of this would be possible without the support of National Lottery funding via UK Sport.  Five of our twelve riders will be competing at an Olympic Games for the first time, whilst some will be competing at their 5^th, 6^th and even 7^th Olympic Games. There is a robust team spirit amongst our athletes, staff, grooms and our all-important owners that underpins the strongest desire to win medals in Rio. As a team we go there with that single focus”.

Carl Hester, member of the 2012 gold medal winning dressage team said; “It’s still a very exciting time for British dressage as a sport; to take the success of London forward to Rio is going to be a huge undertaking but I’m really looking forward to the challenge with what is a fantastic team. I am very lucky with my involvement, in part-owning two horses on the team, it really feels like a family affair; Jane and Roly have both been part of the British team for the past few years and it’s great to have their continued support. I’m really excited to be coaching the talents of Charlotte, Spencer and Fiona; hopefully it will be a Games to remember.”

Heading to his seventh Games, showjumper Nick Skelton said;“I’m very happy. Hopefully we can do as good a job as we did in London. I’m delighted to have been selected; the horse is jumping well and is in good form, and let’s just hope we can do a good job.”

Set to make her Olympic debut, eventer Kitty King commented; “It’s probably the best phone call I’ve ever had; it’s something that I dreamt of as a child. It’s really special for the whole support team at home too; the amount of work that they put in is incredible, it’s definitely not just about me and the horse, it’s about everyone else behind us too. None of it would be possible without my sponsors and UK Sport support; it’s made a massive difference.”

If required, reserves will be taken from the nominated entries list.

Horse detail;

Athlete	Horse	Stable name	Age	Sex	Height	Colour	Sire / Dam Sire
Eventing
William Fox-Pitt	Chilli Morning	Chilli	16	Stallion	17hh	Chestnut	Phantomic / Kolibre
Kitty King	Ceylor L A N	Sprout	9	Gelding	17hh	Bay	Vernon / Ahorn
Gemma Tattersall	Chico Bella P	Bella	12	Mare	16.1hh	Dark Bay	Chico’s Boy / Carolus
Gemma Tattersall	Quicklook V*	Pebbles	11	Mare	16.1hh	Grey	Urkel / Quick Star
Izzy Taylor	Allercombe Ellie*	Ellie	13	Mare	16hh	Brown	Jumbo / Poetic Justice
Pippa Funnell	Billy The Biz*	Biz	11	Gelding	16.2hh	Grey	Cevin Z / Coevers
Dressage
Fiona Bigwood	Atterupgaards Orthilia	Tillie	11	Mare	16.2hh	Bay	Gribaldi / Donnerschlag
Charlotte Dujardin	Valegro	Blueberry	14	Gelding	16.2hh	Bay	Negro / Gershwin
Carl Hester	Nip Tuck	Barney	12	Gelding	18hh	Bay	Don Ruto / Animo
Spencer Wilton	Super Nova II*	Neville	13	Gelding	16.3hh	Bay	De Niro/ Weltmeyer
Lara Griffith	Rubin Al Asad	Rufus	14	Gelding	17.1hh	Bay	Rubin Royal / Wanderbursch   II
Jumping
Ben Maher	Tic Tac	Tic Tac	13	Stallion		Bay	Clinton / Darco
Nick Skelton	Big Star	Henry	13	Stallion	16.3hh	Bay	Quick Star / Nimmerdor
John Whitaker	Ornellaia		11	Mare	16.2hh	Bay	For Pleasure / Calato
Michael Whitaker	Cassionato	Casey	11	Stallion	16.1hh	Grey	Cassini I / Quidam de   Revel
Jess Mendoza	Spirit T*	Spirit	15	Mare	16hh	Bay	Tornado / Carnaval Drum

 

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