Thursday, 28 November 2024
William Fox-Pitt took home the Lifetime Achievement Award from last night’s Horse & HoundAwards, in partnership with NAF and Agria. The British event rider bowed out of top-level competition this year after winning 20 senior championship medals and a record 14 five-stars.
Reflecting on the decision to retire at Badminton in May, William said: “I’m 55, nothing is forever and I was thinking, ‘When is the moment?’ I thought at Badminton, ‘Do I really want to come back here again, do I really want to go through that whole thing again?’ and the answer was no.
“My one fear was I didn’t want to look scared and old– I wanted to stop while I could still ride. I had a good ride at Badminton, I was really lucky with my mare Grafennacht, she went beautifully, and I thought, ‘That’s not going to happen again, so I’m out'.”
William also looked back on how his career started. He grew up with horses, but after university, his father started to ask when he was “going to have a real life”.
He said: “I was just leaving university when I was given a very good horse to ride called Chaka. I was not in the same league as that horse– he’d been at top level with Judy Herbert and I think the owner Michael Turner wanted to give him to a boy and thought a nice young rider would do what he was told.
“I was so lucky to have him. He straight away put me on the British team, I won my first Burghley on him–I look back and don’t know how that happened. People sent me horses and suddenly I thought, ‘I’ve got horses to ride, I’ve got a sponsor, an income, why the hell do I want a job?’ and that’s how it started.”
In a touching video of messages from former team-mates and equestrian greats played at the ceremony, former eventing world champion Zara Tindall paid tribute to William, saying: “You have been a true inspiration to me and many others, as well as a great friend.
“I’ve had the honour to ride on teams with you and being able to learn from you, absorb your knowledge, strength of mind and pure class is something I’ll treasure forever. You always took the ups and downs with dignity and professionalism and the sport will miss you more than it knows.”
The Horse &Hound Awards took place at Dallas Burston Polo Club, Warwickshire. Some 300 people, including Paris Olympic and Paralympic medallists, enjoyed a glamorous evening of champagne, winner reveals, speeches and dancing. More than 107,000 votes were cast for this ninth edition of the Horse & Hound Awards.
Other winners included Becky Moody’s Paris Olympic ride Jagerbomb (Dressage Horse of the Year), showjumping young rider European champion Olli Fletcher (Young Rider of the Year) and Royal International and Horse of the Year Show supreme winner Mulberry Lane (Show Horse of the Year).
Read more about the winners in next week’s Horse & Hound magazine (issue dated 5 December) or at horseandhound.co.uk/awards