Nick Skelton
Encyclopedia
Nicholas "Nick" Skelton (born 30 December 1957 in Bedworth
, Warwickshire
) is a British Showjumper with over 30 years experience.
, was called Oxo. He broke his neck in September 2000 which could easily have ended his show jumping career, but after retiring in 2001 he recovered and began competing again om 2002. Skelton won the British Open title in 2004 at the British Open Show Jumping Championships
. His current competition horses are owned by Beverley Widdowson. He has written an autobiography, and will soon publish an updated version. Nick has two sons, Harry and Daniel, who both are very active in Horse Racing.
In 2010, Skelton travelled to Hamburg for the second leg of the Global Champions Tour. On day 1 he finished second to Ireland's Denis Lynch in the 1m55 'Mercedes-Benz Championat of Hamburg' with Carlo. On day 2 he took the honours in the 1m50 one-round competition with Unique XVII to take the €5000 first prize.
, World Championships
and European Championships
between 1980 and 1998.
Nick Skelton currently holds the British Show Jumping High Jump record, at 7 ft 7in 5/16th (2.32m) set at Olympia in 1978 with Lastic.
The famous horses Maybe, If Ever, Apollo and St. James helped Nick to the become a big name in the showjumping profession, winning many top prizes. Skelton has notably won the Hickstead Derby 3 times. Other horses that Nick has ridden include : Major Wager, Top Gun, Grand Slam, Phoenix Park, Dollar Girl, Limited Edition, Showtime, Tinka’s Boy, Hopes are High, Russel and Arko III.
One of his rides, Arko III, is a 1994 16.2 hh
Bay
Oldenburg
Stallion
, by Argentinius (Hanoverian
), out of Unika (Oldenburg) by Beach Boy (Oldenburg). He was previously ridden by Robert Whitaker
. Arko has carried Skelton to several Grand Prix wins, as well as an 11th place finish at the 2004 Athens Olympics
. Also another World Class Horse Skelton rode was Russell, owned by John and Lisa Hales, both
Arko III and Russell are now both retired and situated at Stud.
Skelton currently rides Big Star, Wotamillion, Unique, Nemo, Transmission and Carlo all of whom are owned by Beverley Widdowson.
Bedworth
Bedworth is a market town in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England. It lies northwest of London, east of Birmingham, and north northeast of the county town of Warwick. It is situated between Coventry, to the south, and Nuneaton, to the north.In the 2001 census the town...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
) is a British Showjumper with over 30 years experience.
Biography
He began his riding career at Ted and Liz Edgar's showjumping yard. His first pony, a Welsh MountainWelsh Pony
The Welsh Pony and Cob are closely related horse breeds including both pony and cob types, which originated in Wales in the United Kingdom...
, was called Oxo. He broke his neck in September 2000 which could easily have ended his show jumping career, but after retiring in 2001 he recovered and began competing again om 2002. Skelton won the British Open title in 2004 at the British Open Show Jumping Championships
British Open Show Jumping Championships
The British Open Show Jumping Championships were launched in 2003 and have been held indoors during April of every year since.For the first four years they were held at Sheffield Arena before moving to the NEC Arena, Birmingham in 2007....
. His current competition horses are owned by Beverley Widdowson. He has written an autobiography, and will soon publish an updated version. Nick has two sons, Harry and Daniel, who both are very active in Horse Racing.
In 2010, Skelton travelled to Hamburg for the second leg of the Global Champions Tour. On day 1 he finished second to Ireland's Denis Lynch in the 1m55 'Mercedes-Benz Championat of Hamburg' with Carlo. On day 2 he took the honours in the 1m50 one-round competition with Unique XVII to take the €5000 first prize.
Major achievements
He has had many successes with horses such as Maybe, St. James, Apollo, Dollar Girl and Arko. Skelton has ridden on over 144 Nations Cups teams (1978–2007). He has won various medals both as an individual and as part of the teams in the OlympicsOlympic Games
The 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...
, World Championships
Show Jumping World Championships
The 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...
and European Championships
European Show Jumping Championships
The 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...
between 1980 and 1998.
- Alternative Olympic Games
- 1980: 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 Silver medal with Maybe
- 1980: Rotterdam
- World championships
- 1982: Dublin. Team Bronze medal with If Ever
- 1986: 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 and individual Bronze medal with Apollo - 1990: 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 Grand Slam - 1998: RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Team Bronze medal with Hopes are High
- European Championships
- 1985: 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 and individual 4th with St. James - 1987: 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 and individual Bronze medal with Apollo - 1989: 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 with Apollo - 1991: La Baule. Team Silver medal with Phoenix Park
- 1993: 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 with Dollar Girl - 1995: St. Gallen. Team Silver medal with Dollar Girl
- 1985: Dinard
- Junior European Championships
- 1974: LucerneLucerneLucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
. Team Silver medal with Maybe - 1975: DornbirnDornbirnDornbirn is a city in Vorarlberg, Austria. It is the administrative center of the district Dornbirn, which also includes the city of Hohenems, and the market town Lustenau....
. Team Silver medal and individual Gold medal with O.K
- 1974: Lucerne
- Volvo 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...
- 1985: BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. 2nd with St James - 1995: 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...
. Winner with Dollar Girl - 1996: GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. 3rd with Dollar Girl
- 1985: Berlin
- Hickstead Derby
- 1987: Winner with J Nick
- 1988: Winner with Apollo
- 1989: Winner with Apollo
- King George V Gold Cup
- 1984: Winner with St. James
- 1993: Winner with Limited Edition
- 1996: Winner with Cathleen III
- 1999: Winner with Hopes are High
Nick Skelton currently holds the British Show Jumping High Jump record, at 7 ft 7in 5/16th (2.32m) set at Olympia in 1978 with Lastic.
Horses
One of his rides, Arko III, is a 1994 16.2 hh
Hand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
Bay
Bay (color)
Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds....
Oldenburg
Oldenburg (horse)
The Oldenburg is a warmblood horse from the north-western corner of Lower Saxony, what was formerly the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. The breed was built on a mare base of all-purpose farm and carriage horses, today called the Alt-Oldenburger...
Stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
, by Argentinius (Hanoverian
Hanoverian (horse)
A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods...
), out of Unika (Oldenburg) by Beach Boy (Oldenburg). He was previously ridden by Robert Whitaker
Robert Whitaker (rider)
Robert Whitaker is an international showjumper who rides for the British Team. Robert is the son of the John Whitaker, nephew of Michael Whitaker and cousin of both Ellen and William Whitaker. Robert was born on January 26, 1983 and lives in Huddersfield, Yorkshire.Robert has represented the...
. Arko has carried Skelton to several Grand Prix wins, as well as an 11th place finish at the 2004 Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. Also another World Class Horse Skelton rode was Russell, owned by John and Lisa Hales, both
Arko III and Russell are now both retired and situated at Stud.
Skelton currently rides Big Star, Wotamillion, Unique, Nemo, Transmission and Carlo all of whom are owned by Beverley Widdowson.
Individual wins
| Date | Location | Show | Class | CSI Concours de Saut International Concours de Saut International is a ranking system for the equestrian competition show jumping. All CSI events are approved by the international governing body of equestrian sport, the FEI.... |
Horse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 September 2008 |  Spruce MeadowsSpruce Meadows Spruce Meadows is an equestrian facility in Calgary, Alberta built by the Southern Family and opened in 1976. The show jumping complex is in the foothills of the Alberta Rocky Mountains just south of the city and comprises... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament 2008 CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament The 2008 CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament was an international show jumping competition that took place from September 3 to September 7, 2008 at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-Zeidler Financial Cup:-AKITA Drilling Cup:... |
CANA Cup | CSIO***** | Arko III |
| 7 September 2008 | Spruce Meadows Spruce Meadows Spruce Meadows is an equestrian facility in Calgary, Alberta built by the Southern Family and opened in 1976. The show jumping complex is in the foothills of the Alberta Rocky Mountains just south of the city and comprises... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament | CN International 2008 CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament - CN International The 2008 CN International was a Grand Prix show jumping event held at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on September 7, 2008 during the 2008 CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament. With a $1,000,000 purse, the CN International is one of the richest show jumping events in the world... |
CSIO***** | Arko III |
Team wins
| Date | Location | Show | Class | CSI Concours de Saut International Concours de Saut International is a ranking system for the equestrian competition show jumping. All CSI events are approved by the international governing body of equestrian sport, the FEI.... |
Horse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 August 2008 |  Dublin, IrelandRepublic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
Dublin Horse Show 2008 Dublin Horse Show The 2008 Dublin Horse Show was hosted by the Royal Dublin Society at Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland, taking place between August 6 and August 10. The competition was named after its main sponsor, Fáilte Ireland.... |
Samsung Super League 2008 Dublin Horse Show - Samsung Super League The seventh event of the 2008 Samsung Super League was held in Dublin, Ireland on August 8, 2008 during the 2008 Dublin Horse Show. The Great Britain won the event, finishing with only fourteen penalties over the two rounds of competition, five fewer than host nation Ireland's nineteen faults... |
CSIO***** | Arko III |