Nick Skelton Retires
Horse & Hound|April 06 2017

After 43 years at the top of his game, one of the greatest riders of all time has called it a day and hung up his boots.

Jennifer Donald
Nick Skelton Retires

AFTER more than four decades at the top of the sport, Nick Skelton has announced his retirement.

Big Star, the 14-year-old stallion with whom he won two Olympic gold medals, will also be retired. An official farewell ceremony will be held for the pair at Royal Windsor Horse Show on Sunday, 14 May.

After the pair won Olympic gold in Rio, Nick was keen to carry on competing Big Star (H&H, 25 August 2016), saying “people love to see that horse jump, so I think he deserves to go on”.

But the decision for them both to retire was made “after months of thought and consideration”, after what turned out to be their final competitive appearance in Toronto in November and Big Star suffered a minor injury days before the Rolex grand prix in Geneva in December.

This story is from the April 06 2017 edition of Horse & Hound.

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This story is from the April 06 2017 edition of Horse & Hound.

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