Michael Whitaker
Encyclopedia
Michael Whitaker (born April 17, 1960) is a British
Olympic equestrian
rider, who competes in the sport of show jumping
.
Derby.
In September 1993 he took over from his brother John as the world’s no.1 show jumping rider.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Olympic equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
rider, who competes in the sport of show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
.
Biography
Younger brother of John Whitaker, Michael Whitaker began competing on ponies at the age of 7 years. At the age of 16, he made his debut in international competitions and at 20 years in 1980, he became the youngest winner of the famous HicksteadHickstead
The All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, known widely as Hickstead is an equestrian sport centre in West Sussex, England, principally known for its showjumping activities, where it hosts two international level competitions, the British Jumping Derby and the Royal International Horse Show...
Derby.
In September 1993 he took over from his brother John as the world’s no.1 show jumping rider.
Major achievements
- 1984: Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Team Silver medal with Overton Amanda - 1985: European ChampionshipsEuropean Show Jumping ChampionshipsThe FEI European Show Jumping Championships is the European Championship for the equestrian discipline of show jumping. Like most other European Championships, it is held every two years. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded in both the individual and team competition...
, DinardDinardDinard is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a popular holiday destination, and this has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents...
. Team Gold medal with Warren Point - 1986: World ChampionshipsShow Jumping World ChampionshipsThe Show Jumping World Championships, or the show jumping competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games, was started in 1953, with individual competition. In 1978 Team competitions began, and men and women began competing against one another. From 1990, show jumping was brought together along with...
, AachenAachenAachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
. Team Silver medal with Warren Point - 1987: European Championships, St. GallenSt. GallenSt. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
. Team Gold Medal with Overton Amanda - 1989: European Championships, RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. Team Gold Medal and individual silver medal with Mon Santa - 1990: World Equestrian Games, StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Team Bronze medal with Mon Santa - 1991: European Championships, La Baule. Team Silver medal with Mon Santa
- 1993: European Championships, GijonGijónGijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
. Team Silver medal and individual bronze with Midnight Madness - 1994: World Cup FinalShow Jumping World CupThe FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final, is an annual international competition among the world’s best show jumping horses and riders. The series, created in 1978, today comprises 14 leagues on all continents. The best riders from 132 preliminary competitions qualify for the final. The FEI World Cup...
, 's-Hertogenbosch. 3rd place with MidMadness - 1995: European Championships, St. Gallen. Silver medals in team and individual with Two Step
- 1997: European Championships, MannheimMannheimMannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
. Team Bronze Medal with Ashley - 2001: World Cup Final, GothenburgGothenburgGothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. 3rd place with Handel II - 2005: World Cup Final, Las VegasLas Vegas StripThe Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
2nd place with Portofino 63 - 2007: European Championships, Mannheim. Team Bronze Medal with Portofino 63