Nick SkeltonOlympian
🇬🇧 Great Britain · born 1957
Best known with Big Star — Rolex Grand Prix winner , CHIO Aachen – World Equestrian Festival 2013
About Nick Skelton
Nick Skelton is a British showjumping rider who has achieved phenomenal success over more than four decades. Originally from Great Britain, he rose to prominence in the 1980s with horses such as St. James and Apollo. He secured team gold medals at the European Championships during this period with these horses. His illustrious career includes diverse accomplishments, showcasing exceptional versatility and consistency in high-level competitions. Skelton clinched an individual gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games riding the Dutch Warmblood stallion Big Star, marking him as one of the oldest Olympic showjumping gold medalists. At the London 2012 Olympics, he contributed to the British team's gold medal win, once again partnering with Big Star. His extensive medal collection also features numerous accolades from the World and European Championships, in addition to victories in significant Grand Prix and Nations Cup events.
Championship record
Barcelona 199270th individual, 7th team · Dollar GirlAtlanta 199623rd individual, 11th team · ShowtimeAthens 200410th individual · Arko IIIBeijing 200829th individual, 5th team · RusselLondon 2012team gold · Big StarRio de Janeiro 2016individual gold · Big Star
| Year | Championship | Result | Horse |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Olympic Games · Rio de Janeiro | individual gold↗ | Big Star |
| 2012 | Olympic Games · London | team gold↗ | Big Star |
| 2011 | World Championships · Madrid | team bronze↗ | Carlo 273 |
| 2011 | European Championships · Madrid | team bronze↗ | Carlo 273 |
| 2011 | European Championships · Madrid | individual bronze↗ | Carlo 273 |
| 2008 | Olympic Games · Beijing | 29th individual, 5th team↗ | Russel |
| 2004 | Olympic Games · Athens | 10th individual↗ | Arko III |
| 1998 | World Championships · Rome | team bronze↗ | Hopes are High |
| 1996 | Olympic Games · Atlanta | 23rd individual, 11th team↗ | Showtime |
| 1995 | European Championships · St. Gallen | team silver↗ | Dollar Girl |
| 1995 | World Cup Final · Gothenburg | won↗ | Dollar Girl |
| 1993 | European Championships · Gijón | team silver↗ | Dollar Girl |
| 1992 | Olympic Games · Barcelona | 70th individual, 7th team↗ | Dollar Girl |
| 1991 | European Championships · La Baule | team silver↗ | Phoenix Park |
| 1990 | World Championships · Stockholm | team bronze↗ | Grand Slam |
| 1990 | European Championships · Stockholm | team bronze↗ | Grand Slam |
| 1989 | European Championships · Rotterdam | team gold↗ | Apollo |
| 1989 | World Cup Final | won↗ | Apollo |
| 1988 | World Cup Final | won↗ | Apollo |
| 1987 | European Championships · St. Gallen | team gold↗ | Apollo |
| 1987 | European Championships · St. Gallen | individual bronze↗ | Apollo |
| 1987 | World Cup Final | won↗ | J Nick |
| 1986 | World Championships · Aachen | team silver↗ | Apollo |
| 1986 | World Championships · Aachen | individual bronze↗ | Apollo |
| 1985 | European Championships · Dinard | team gold↗ | St. James |
One row per championship appearance, as reported by the cited sources.
Results on record
| Year | Show | Class | Placing | Horse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | CHIO Aachen – World Equestrian Festival | Rolex Grand Prix↗ | Winner | Big Star |
| 2008 | CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament | CPKC ‘International’, presented by Rolex↗ | Winner | Arko III |
From the shows results ledger — every row cited to its source.
Horses
| Horse | Years | Together |
|---|---|---|
| Big Star | 2010-2016 | Achieved the pinnacle of their career together, winning individual gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics. |
| Carlo 273 | 2011 | Contributed to team bronze and individual bronze at the 2011 FEI European Championships. |
| Lastic | 1978 | Set the British Show Jumping High Jump record at 7 ft 7 inches. |
| Apollo | 1978 | Set a world high jump record and won King George V Gold Cup. |
Linked horses have their own cited EquiWiki profile.
Watch Nick Skelton ride — 8 clips
Sources
- FEI
- FEI.org
- Wikipedia
- British Showjumping
- horseandhound.co.uk
- equestrianteamgbr.co.uk
- britishshowjumping.co.uk
- en.wikipedia.org
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