William Fox-Pitt introduced his retirement from top-level eventing on the Mars Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday 12 Would possibly. The British rider is likely one of the game’s all-time greats, having completed odd luck on a limiteless choice of other horses.
Let’s have a look again at a few of his profession highlights…
William Fox-Pitt’s five-star wins
William gained 14 five-stars right through his profession, greater than another match rider. Burghley Horse Trials has been the large match the place loved maximum luck, with six wins on six other horses.
His first Burghley – and primary five-star – win used to be at Burghley in 1994 on Chaka.
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
His 2nd got here 8 years later, when he piloted Highland Lad to triumph.
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
Victories got here thick and speedy after that. In 2005, he gained on Ballincoola.
Credit score: Getty Pictures
Credit score: Ian Walton/Getty Pictures
Then in 2007, he piloted Parkmore Ed to victory.
Credit score: Ben Stansall/Getty Pictures
Credit score: Ben Stansall/Getty Pictures
The next yr, a rainy one, he rode Tamarillo – already a Badminton winner at that degree – to finish the pony’s five-star double through profitable Burghley.
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
In 2011, he gained completed his ultimate Burghley win, on Parklane Hawk.
Credit score: Alamy Inventory Photograph
William additionally gained Badminton Horse Trials two times, his first victory there coming in horrible climate in 2004 on Tamarillo.
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
In 2015, William scored his 2nd Badminton victory, on Chilli Morning. He’s the one individual to win the development using a stallion.
Credit score: Hamish Mitchell
Credit score: Package Houghton
William together with his sons Oliver and Thomas after Chilli Morning’s Badminton victory.
Credit score: Peter Nixon
William additionally gained thrice on the Kentucky 3-Day Tournament in the United States. His first win there used to be in 2010 on Cool Mountain, who used to be a global group gold and person silver medallist on the identical venue later within the yr. He additionally took the identify in 2012 on Parklane Hawk, the pony’s 2nd five-star victory after Burghley in 2011, and in 2014 on Bay My Hero.
Credit score: Alamy Inventory Photograph
William gained simply as soon as at Luhmühlen Horse Trials, in Germany. That used to be in 2008 on Macchiato, who’s pictured at Chatsworth the similar yr.
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
In spite of everything, the French five-star at Pau Horse Trials performed host to 2 of William’s wins on the peak point, in 2011 on Oslo and in 2013 on Seacookie.
Credit score: Peter Nixon
William Fox-Pitt: his championship luck
William Fox-Pitt used to be additionally a phenomenally a success group rider. In a senior group profession that lasted just about twenty years, from the 1995 Europeans to the 2016 Olympics, he gained 20 senior championship medals.
William’s first Olympic medal used to be in Athens 2004, when the Brits gained group silver, even though he used to be not able to finish in my opinion after Tamarillo used to be discovered to have chipped a bone in his stifle after a very good cross-country efficiency.
Credit score: Al Bello/Getty Pictures
The pair had some recompense with person silver and group gold on the following yr’s Europeans, that have been held at Blenheim Horse Trials – many will keep in mind the extraordinarily rainy cross-country day.
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
Right here he’s piloting Parkmore Ed to lend a hand the Brits to group bronze on the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong.
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
In 2010, William gained group silver and person gold on the Global Equestrian Video games in Kentucky using Cool Mountain.
Credit score: Alamy Inventory Photograph
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
On the London Olympics in 2012, William used to be a part of the British group which gained silver, using Lionheart.
Credit score: Getty Pictures
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
Credit score: Getty Pictures
William Fox-Pitt suffered a major head damage within the autumn of 2015, however made a outstanding comeback to be decided on for the Rio Olympics. He led the dressage on Chilli Morning and it felt like he may in the end win the person identify that had refrained from him for goodbye, however 20 consequences throughout nation put paid to that. He nonetheless completed twelfth and highest of the Brits.
Credit score: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP by means of Getty Pictures
Credit score: Tim de Waele/Corbis by means of Getty Pictures
His closing five-star horse
William had his ultimate top-level experience at Badminton closing week, completing thirteenth on Grafennacht, who used to be additionally the runner-up at Maryland 5 Celebrity closing autumn.
Credit score: Nico Morgan Media
- What are your favorite recollections of William Fox-Pitt’s profession? Ship your ideas to [email protected], together with your title, and nearest the city and county, for imaginable inclusion in our letters web page.
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Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
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