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William Fox-Pitt

William Speed Lane Fox-Pitt MBE[1] (born 2 January 1969) is an English equestrian who competes in eventing. His career highlights include winning three Olympic medals in the team event, with silver in 2004 and 2012, and bronze in 2008.[2] At the World Equestrian Games, he won team gold and individual silver in 2010, and team silver and individual bronze in 2014. He also won World team medals in 2002 and 2006. At the European Championships, he has won six team gold medals, as well as Individual silver in 1997 and 2005, and Individual bronze in 2013. He is the recordman CCI*****'s winner with 14 grand slam titles. In 2011, he became the first rider to win five different five-star events,[3] having won the Burghley Horse Trials a record six times (1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2011), Rolex Kentucky three times (2010, 2012, 2014), Stars of Pau twice (2011, 2013), the Badminton Horse Trials twice (2004, 2015), and the Luhmühlen Horse Trials once (2008). A serious fall in 2015 left him in a coma for two weeks, but he came back to make the British eventing team and attend the 2016 Summer Olympics. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours.[4]

William Fox-Pitt
MBE
William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning, Badminton Horse Trials, 2015
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Speed Lane Fox-Pitt
Nationality Great Britain
DisciplineEventing
Born (1969-01-02) 2 January 1969 (age 55)
Hampstead, London, England
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
Equestrian
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2004 AthensTeam eventing
Silver medal – second place2012 LondonTeam eventing
Bronze medal – third place2008 BeijingTeam eventing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2010 KentuckyTeam eventing
Silver medal – second place2006 AachenTeam eventing
Silver medal – second place2010 KentuckyIndividual eventing
Silver medal – second place2014 NormandyTeam eventing
Bronze medal – third place2002 JerezTeam eventing
Bronze medal – third place2014 NormandyIndividual eventing
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1995 Pratoni del VivaroTeam eventing
Gold medal – first place1997 BurghleyTeam eventing
Gold medal – first place2001 PauTeam eventing
Gold medal – first place2003 PunchestownTeam eventing
Gold medal – first place2005 BlenheimTeam eventing
Gold medal – first place2009 FontainbleauTeam eventing
Silver medal – second place1997 BurghleyIndividual eventing
Silver medal – second place2005 BlenheimIndividual eventing
Silver medal – second place2015 Blair CastleTeam eventing
Bronze medal – third place2011 LuhmuhlenTeam eventing
Bronze medal – third place2013 MalmöIndividual Eventing

Family background and education

Fox-Pitt was born in Hampstead, the eldest son of William Oliver Lane Fox-Pitt (1932-2012, known as Oliver) and Marietta Speed. His father competed in many sports, and in addition had a career in the city, founding an investment bank now known as Fox-Pitt Kelton Cochran Caronia Waller.[5] Oliver and Marietta were both equestrian competitors, riding at Badminton and Burghley, and his siblings have been very successful as well.[6] His paternal grandfather was Major-General "Billy" Fox-Pitt DSO MC a Dorset landowner who served in both World Wars and was a founding officer of the Welsh Guards.[7][8]

Fox-Pitt was educated at Wellesley House School in Kent, Eton College and the Goldsmiths, University of London.[9]

Fox-Pitt began riding at age four. At 13, he stopped riding because he feared he would be bullied by his peers.

He is married to former eventer and current ITV Racing presenter Alice Plunkett. They have four children.[10]

Sporting career

He is the recordman of CCI*****'s winner with 14 titles. He is also the only rider to have won 5 out of the six CCI*****'s having won Burghley (1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011), Badminton (2004 & 2015), Pau (2011, 2013), Kentucky (2010, 2012, 2014) and Luhmuhlen (2008).He holds the record for the most wins (six) at the Burghley Horse Trials;[11] William's victories coming in 1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Additional major wins have been at the Badminton Horse Trials in 2004 and again in 2015, at Gatcombe Park in 1995, 2000, 2003 and 2005.Team golds in European Championships in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009. He took individual silver at the 1997 Europeans, team bronze at the 2002 and 2011 Europeans, individual silver at the 2005 Europeans, team silver at the 2006 Aachen World Equestrian Games, team silver at the 2021 Nations Cup in Boekelo, team gold at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, individual bronze at the 2013 Europeans, team silver and individual bronze at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, and team silver at the 2015 Europeans. He also represented Great Britain at the (1996 Summer Olympics/Atlanta), (2004 Summer Olympics/Athens), (2008 Summer Olympics/Beijing), (2012 Summer Olympics/London) and (2016 Summer Olympics/Rio), winning team silver in Athens, team bronze in Beijing and team silver in London. In 2006 he was ranked the leading rider in Britain for the sixth year running and 2nd in the world, and as of 2014 he was ranked 1st in the world.

William is married to Channel 4 Racing presenter Alice Plunkett. They have two sons; Oliver (born in August 2005) and Thomas (born 15 November 2006), and two daughters; Chloe (born October 2012) and Emily (born September 2014). William is a regular columnist in the weekly equestrian magazine, Horse & Hound.

In the eventing world, one of his best known partnerships is with the horse Tamarillo.

In October 2015, a fall at a competition in France left him in a coma for two weeks. After regaining consciousness, he had initial trouble with blindness and then double vision, but was ultimately able to earn a spot on the British team for the 2016 Olympics and returned to international competition with the stallion Chilli Morning.[12] He was the only remaining member of the 2012 team who won silver in London 2012.[13]

On 12th May 2024, 35 years after he first competed at Badminton Horse Trials, William announced that this years Badminton would be his last.[14]

Career highlights

William Fox-Pitt and Idalgo at the Hillside during the cross-country phase of Badminton Horse Trials 2009.
William Fox Pitt and Before Time at the Ice Pond during the cross-country phase of the CIC*** (Section K) competition at Chatsworth International Horse Trials 2013.

2024

  • 13th Badminton Horse Trials (Grafennacht)[15]

2023

  • 2nd Maryland CCI***** (Grafennacht)
  • 3rd Aston le Walls CCI*** (Duke Legacy)

2022

  • 7th Aachen CCI**** (Little Fire)

2021

  • 1st Houghton CIC**** (Little Fire)
  • 2nd Boekelo CCI**** (Grafennacht)
  • Team Silver at the Nations Cup in Boekelo (Grafennacht)
  • 2nd Osberton YH Champs CCI* (Cayiano)

2020

  • 1st Cornbury CCI** (Centurian Bay)

2019

  • 1st Tattersalls Horse Trials CCI*** (Georgisaurous)
  • 2nd Festival of British Eventing Novice Championships (Grafennacht)

2018

  • 2nd Blenheim Palace Horse Trials CCI*** (Oratorio II)
  • 2nd Tattersalls Horse Trials CCI*** (Little Fire)

2017

  • 1st Barbury Horse Trials CIC*** (Clifton Signature)

2016

  • 12th Individual at the Summer Olympics in Rio (Chilli Morning)

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

  • FEI World number 1 eventing rider
  • 1st Rolex Kentucky Three Day CCI **** (Cool Mountain)
  • Team Gold and Individual Silver at FEI World Equestrian Games Kentucky (Cool Mountain)

2009

  • Team Gold at the European Championships in France (Idalgo)

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

  • 5th Le Lion d’Angers (Idalgo)
  • 8th Le Lion d’Angers (Igor de Cluis)
  • 1st Boekelo (Tom Cruise)
  • Team gold and 8th individual European Championships, Punchestown, Ireland (Moon Man)
  • 1st CIC World Cup Qualifier, Thirlestane Castle (Stunning)
  • 1st British Open Championships, Gatcombe Park (Stunning)
  • 2nd British Open Championships, Gatcombe Park (Moon Man)
  • 1st British Intermediate Championships, Gatcombe Park (Tom Cruise II)
  • 1st Luhmühlen Horse Trials CIC *** (Tom Cruise II)
  • 1st Bramham Horse Trials CCI *** (Wallow)
  • 2nd Bramham Horse Trials CCI *** (Ballincoola)
  • 7th Saumur (Coastal Ties)
  • 1st Chatsworth CIC World Cup Qualifier (Stunning)
  • 3rd Rolex Kentucky Three Day CCI **** (Moon Man)

2002

2001

  • 5th and Team gold European Champs, Pau, France (Stunning)
  • 4th Bonn Roderberg CCIO (Barclay Square)
  • 4th Saumur (Stunning)
  • 9th Burghley Horse Trials CCI **** (Springleaze Macaroo)

2000

1999

1997

  • Individual silver and Team gold European Open Championships, Burghley (Cosmopolitan II)
  • 2nd Scottish Open Championships, Thirlestane Castle (Cosmopolitan II)
  • 3rd Badminton Horse Trials CCI **** (Cosmopolitan II)

1996

  • 5th Olympic Games Team Competition, Atlanta, USA (Cosmopolitan II)
  • 6th Bramham Horse Trials CCI *** (Lismore Lord Charles)
  • 5th Boekelo (Mostly Mischief)

1995

  • 6th and Team gold European Open Championships, Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy (Cosmopolitan II)
  • 1st Bramham Horse Trials CCI *** (Cosmopolitan II)
  • 1st British Open Championships, Gatcombe Park (Chaka)
  • 6th Blenheim Horse Trials CCI *** (Loch Alan)
  • 5th Boekelo (Faerie Diadem)

1994

  • 1st Burghley Horse Trials CCI **** (Chaka)
  • 2nd Scottish Open Championships, Thirlestane Castle (Chaka)
  • 7th Punchestown (Thomastown)
  • 2nd British Open Championships, Gatcombe Park (Chaka)

1993

1990

  • 4th and Team gold Young Rider European Championships (Steadfast)
  • 3rd Young Rider National Championships (Faerie Sovereign)

1989

  • Individual bronze and Team silver Young Rider European Championships, Achselschwang, Germany

1988

  • 4th and Team gold Young Rider European Championships, Zonhoven, Belgium (Steadfast)

1987

  • Individual silver Junior European Championships, Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy (Steadfast)
  • 5th Junior National Championships

1985

  • 8th Junior National Championships 1985

Partial CCI5* Results

Results
EventKentucky (USA)

late April

Badminton (UK)

early May

Luhmühlen (Germany)

June

Burghley (UK)

early September

Maryland (USA)

mid-October

Pau (France)

late October

Adelaide (Australia)

early November

19937th (Chaka)Event first

held in 2021

1994 (Chaka)
1997 (Cosmopolitan II)
20019th (Springleaze Macaroo)
20024th (Stunning) (Tamarillo) (Highland Lad)7th (Moon Man)
2003 (Moon Man)22nd (Highland Lad)28th (Ballin Coola)
20044th (Ballin Coola)11th (Coastal Ties) (Tamarillo)11th (Ballin Coola)
2005 (Tamarillo)RET (Ballin Coola) (Ballin Coola)
2006RET (Mr Dumbledore)

EL (Coup De Coeur)

9th (Ballin Coola)

WD (Tamarillo)

11th (Birthday Night)6th (Ballin Coola)

19th (Idalgo Du Donjon)

2007 (Parkmore Ed)5th (Ballin Coola)
2008 (Ballin Coola)18th (Tamarillo) (Macchiato) (Tamarillo) (Ballin Coola)11th (Idalgo Du Donjon)
20096th (Seacookie TSF)23rd (Navigator) (Idalgo Du Donjon)5th (Macchiato)8th (Seacookie TSF)RET (Macchiato)17th (Macchiato)
2010 (Cool Mountain)34th (Macchiato)

WD (Seacookie TSF)

 (Seacookie TSF)6th (Macchiato) (Navigator)
20114th (Neuf Des Coeurs)13th (Cool Mountain)

15th (Navigator)

9th (Macchiato) (Parklane Hawk)

18th (Neuf Des Coeurs)

 (Oslo)

(Lionheart)

25th (Macchiato)

2012 (Parklane Hawk) (Parklane Hawk)

RET (Seacookie TSF)

4th (Bay My Hero)5th (Chilli Morning)
2013 (Seacookie TSF)

RET (Chilli Morning)

5th (Parklane Hawk)52rd (Oslo) (Neuf Des Coeurs)

4th (Lionheart)

 (Parklane Hawk)

RET (Neuf Des Coeurs)

 (Seacookie TSF)

(Cool Mountain)

15th (Neuf Des Coeurs)

2014 (Bay My Hero)

9th (Seacookie TSF)

EL (Parklane Hawk)

WD (Cool Mountain)

WD (Cool Mountain)4th (Bay My Hero)WD (Parklane Hawk)

RET (Seacookie TSF)

20154th (Bay My Hero) (Chilli Morning)10th (Fernhill Pimms)
2016-17Did Not Participate
2018RET (Fernhill Pimms)Event first

held in 2021

EL (Little Fire)
20198th (Little Fire)

12th (Oratorio)

2020Cancelled due to COVID-19Cancelled due to COVID-19Cancelled due to COVID-19Cancelled due to COVID-19Cancelled due to COVID-19
2021EL (Oratorio)Cancelled due to COVID-19Cancelled due to COVID-19

("replaced" by Bicton 5*:

RET (Oratorio II))

22th (Little Fire)

27th (Oratorio)

Cancelled due to COVID-19
202213th (Little Fire)

14th (Oratorio)

RET (Oratorio)
202314th (Grafennacht) (Grafennacht)
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

International Championship results

Results
YearEventHorsePlacingNotes
1987European Junior ChampionshipsSteadfast Individual
1989European Young Rider ChampionshipsSteadfast Team
4thIndividual
1990European Young Rider ChampionshipsSteadfast Team
4thIndividual
1995European ChampionshipsCosmopolitan II Team
5thIndividual
1996Olympic GamesCosmopolitan II5thTeam
1997European ChampionshipsCosmopolitan II Team
Individual
2001European ChampionshipsStunning Team
6thIndividual
2002World Equestrian GamesTamarillo Team
14thIndividual
2003European ChampionshipsMoon Man Team
8thIndividual
2004Olympic GamesTamarillo Team
RETIndividual
2004World Young Horse ChampionshipsGidran Sohaj18thCCI**
Jass de la Fosse22ndCCI**
2005World Cup FinalBallin Coola4th
2005European ChampionshipsTamarillo Team
Individual
2006World Equestrian GamesTamarillo Team
15thIndividual
2006World Young Horse ChampionshipsChuckelberryWDCCI**
2008World Cup FinalKaleidoscopeRET
2008Olympic GamesParkmore ED Team
12thIndividual
2008World Young Horse ChampionshipsOslo CCI*
Neuf des Coeurs12thCCI**
2009European ChampionshipsIdalgo du Donjon Team
4thIndividual
2009World Young Horse ChampionshipsOslo CCI**
2010World Equestrian GamesCool Mountain Team
Individual
2010World Young Horse ChampionshipsFernhill Highlight4thCCI**
Bay My Hero6thCCI**
2011European ChampionshipsCool Mountain Team
7thIndividual
2012Olympic GamesLionheart Team
27thIndividual
2013European ChampionshipsChilli Morning6thTeam
Individual
2013World Young Horse ChampionshipsTop BaitsWDCCI*
Luxury F HWDCCI**
Henton For FunWDCCI**
2014World Equestrian GamesChilli Morning Team
Individual
2015European ChampionshipsBay My Hero Team
RETIndividual
2015World Young Horse ChampionshipsReinstatedELCCI**
The SoapdodgerWDCCI**
2016Olympic GamesChilli Morning5thTeam
12thIndividual
2019World Young Horse ChampionshipsGrafennacht4thCCI***
2021FEI Nations CupGrafennacht2ndCCI****
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

Gallery

William Fox-Pitt on Idalgo clears the Cottesmore Leap at Burghley Horse Trials, 2006

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Fox-Pitt.
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