Forum
Groups
Photos
Videos
Music
UK Horse Tack
USA Horse Tack
118horseWilliam Fox-Pitt - Equestrian Eventing...
With a background steeped in horses, William Fox-Pitt, inevitably, chose
an equestrian career. His mother was a member of the British three day
event team and his father completed Badminton and Burghley. Both his sisters
have represented Britain at junior and young rider level and his brother
is a polo player.
William Fox-Pitt is a product of the British equestrian youth system having won medals at Junior and Young Rider European Championships.
Sir Michael Turner’s Chaka gave William his first taste of Senior success following a 7th at Badminton and subsequent selection for the 1993 European Championships.
In 2003 after having to withdraw his best horse before the cross country at Badminton, he finally won the famous trophy in 2004 after a superb performance with Tamarillo to clinch the only major UK event to have eluded him following previous wins at Burghley, Blenheim, Bramham and Gatcombe.
Having first experienced the Olympic atmosphere in Atlanta in 1996 as a member of the British team that finished fifth, William missed out on selection for Sydney four years later but has since built up a formidable string of top class horses.
William was selected for the British Olympic team for Athens and was one of the favourites to take the individual gold medal but luck deserted him as Tamarillo had to be withdrawn after the cross-country phase due to a minor injury. He did, nevertheless, return home with a team silver medal to add to his numerous international honours, which include five European team gold medals and a World team bronze from Jerez in 2002.
Although 2003 was dominated by Pippa Funnell’s Grand Slam, William enjoyed tremendous success, winning the World Cup qualifiers at Chatsworth and Thirlestane, Bramham International Horse Trials and Luhmuhlen international three day event in Germany.
In August he finished first and second in the British Open Championships
at Gatcombe Park to secure the title of National Champion and in September
was part of the gold medal winning British team at the European Championships,
finishing eighth individually on Moon Man after making a brilliant recovery
when the horse stumbled in one of the water complexes. He finished the
year by winning the international three day event at Boekelo in Holland
with Tom Cruise and was ranked number two in the world behind Pippa Funnell.
2004 William was part of the Olympic team that took a silver medal in the Team Eventing section.
2005 was William’s best season to date – four three day event wins, British Open Champion, winner of the inaugural BE Premier League, world ranked number two and top of the British national rankings, and individual silver and team gold at the Blenheim European Championships.
2007 and William Fox-Pitt wins the four star Burghley horse trials for the fourth time. Just pipping New Zealands Andrew Nicholson who dropped the final fence in the final round of the showjumping phase.
William is married to television racing presenter Alice Plunkett, with whom he lives in Dorset. They have two sons; Oliver who was born in 2005 and Thomas who was born in 2006.
2008 In the Beijing Olympics, William Fox-Pitt will be riding Mrs Judy Skinner and Mr Michael Payne’s Ballincoola, Mr. Philip Adkin’s Parkmore Ed or The Hon Finn & Mary Guinness’ Tamarillo.
William Fox-Pitt recent results and achievements :
2008 :
2006 :
2004 :
2003 :
|
2007 :
2005 :
2002:
2001:
|