Tim Gredley

After several years away from the sport, the father-of-two has made a mighty comeback, including being selected for his first championship for 17 years. Jennifer Donald meets him

- Jennifer Donald

SEVEN years ago, Tim Gredley turned his back on showjumping altogether. There was the family property business to run and it had been some time since he’d struck gold with a top-level win. But there’s been a sense of unfinished business for Tim, who has always been a valuable team player both on and off the field, and he missed the camaraderie and sense of achievement that flying the flag for your country brings.

Despite a major shift in circumstances, with a wife and two young children now the centre of his life, Tim took the tentative first steps back into the sport in 2019. He reinvested in horsepower and facilities at his home just outside of Newmarket, and grafted his way back up the rankings – nothing comes easy in this sport.

The now 37-year-old was welcomed back into the British team fold for a three-star Nations Cup in Spain last year with his new top horse Medoc De Toxandria, then catapulted into 2023 with a triumphant Nations Cup victory in the UAE. He’s since earned his berth on a string of Nations Cup teams, culminating in that glorious July day at Hickstead when Britain’s fab four of Tim, Ben Maher, John Whitaker and Harry Charles brought showjumping home. Most recently came selection for this month’s European Showjumping Championships in Milan. Tim is arguably now in the greatest form of his life.

“When I did it before, aged 18, 19, 20, it was a very different experience – you’re not appreciative at the time,” says Tim. “When I took a step away from the sport, I thought about what I could have done differently. I have a wife and kids now and that puts a lot of perspective on it.