Made in Britain since 1911
Achievements
1979 – 7th in the FEI Word Cup Finals
1980 – Team Silver in the Show Jumping World Championships
1982 – Team Bronze in the Show Jumping World Championships; 8th in the FEI Word Cup Finals
1984 – 7th in the FEI Word Cup Finals
1985 – 2nd in the FEI Word Cup Finals
1986 – Team Silver in the Show Jumping World Championships
1988 – 7th Individually at the Seoul Olympic Games
1990 – Team Bronze at the Stockholm World Equestrian Games; 6th in the FEI Word Cup Finals
1992 – Competed at the Barcelona Olympic Games
1994 – Team 6th at the Den Haag World Equestrian Games
1995 – Won the FEI Word Cup Finals
1996 – Competed at the Atlanta Olympic Games; 3rd in the FEI Word Cup Finals
1998 – Team Bronze at the Rome World Equestrian Games
2004 – 10th Individually at the Athens Olympic Games
2006 – Team 9th at the Aachen World Equestrian Games
2008 – Competed in the Beijing Olympic Games
2012 – Team Gold Medal at the London Olympic Games
2016 – Individual Gold Medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games
Notable Horses
Lastic, Apollo, Dollar Girl, Arko III, Carlo 273, Big Star
Follow
Olympic Gold Medalist Show Jumper
Nick Skelton is an Olympic medallist and world-record setting show jumper. He began riding at just 18 months old on a Welsh Mountain pony named Oxo – a pony who not only taught Nick, but also taught his two children to ride. He competed in pony classes and, at age 14, began riding with Ted and Liz Edgar. After two years of dividing his time between school and riding, he made the decision to begin working for the Edgars full time.
He won the Junior European Championships in 1975 in spite of having to make a last-minute substitution of horses when his went lame right before the competition. Nick set the British equestrian high jump record in 1978 after clearing a 7’7” fence on Lastic in London. In 1985, he began his own business and, with his horse Apollo, began to make a name for himself on the world stage.
After a near-fatal fall in the autumn of 2000 in which he broke his neck, Nick was almost forced to retire from the sport. However, he made it back to the upper levels with his signature dedication and brilliant horsemanship.
After winning an individual gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, he was nominated for the 2016 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award (SPOTY) and placed third. He was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism.
He announced his and Big Star’s simultaneous retirement from competition and capped their incredible career with a ceremony at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2017.