British eventing team named for Rio Olympics

The British eventing team for the Rio Olympics has been named:

• William Fox-Pitt on Chilli Morning, owned by Christopher and Lisa Stone
• Kitty King on Ceylor LAN (pictured), owned by Jacqueline Owen, Diana Bown and Samantha Wilson
• Gemma Tattersall on Chico Bella P, owned by Christopher Stone, or Quicklook V, owned by The Pebbles Syndicate
• Izzy Taylor on Allercombe Ellie, owned by Frances Carter and Susan Holroyd

Travelling reserve:

• Pippa Funnell on Billy The Biz, owned by Carol Toliver

Kitty King, Gemma Tattersall and Izzy Taylor make their Olympic debuts.

Kitty, 33, was best of the Brits at last year’s European Championships at Blair Castle, finishing fourth on Persimmon and leading the home side to team silver. In the process, she became the first British rider to win medals at pony, junior, young rider and senior level. She has produced Ceylor LAN through the grades and the pair won the CCI3* at Tattersalls last year. They recently finished fourth in the CIC3* at Bramham.

Former double young rider team gold medallist Gemma, 31, made her senior squad debut at last year’s European Championships, finishing ninth with Arctic Soul. The rider has hit exceptional form this year, taking third at Badminton (Arctic Soul) and winning the CIC3* at Bramham (Chico Bella P), as well as finishing best of the Brits in the Event Rider Masters at Chatsworth (Quicklook V).

Izzy, 33, is another former young rider medallist and has ridden at two senior European Championships, finishing sixth at last year’s event at Blair on KBIS Briarlands Matilda. Allercombe Ellie was selected for the 2014 World Equestrian Games as well as last year’s Europeans, but withdrawn both times due to injuries. She was eighth at Badminton this spring and won Tattersalls CCI3* in 2014, shortly after Izzy took over the ride from Aaron Millar.

William Fox-Pitt was a member of the silver medal-winning team at the London Olympics and picked up team silver in 2004 in Athens and team bronze in 2008 in Hong Kong. The 47-year-old has made a remarkable comeback to be selected for Rio after suffering a serious head injury in a fall last October. He and Chilli Morning have been Britain’s most successful championship combination of recent years, taking individual bronze at both the 2013 Europeans and the 2014 World Equestrian Games. William is the winner of a grand total of 20 championship medals.

Continued below…

Find out who made the other British Olympic equestrian teams:

Don’t miss H&H’s Olympic preview issue (28 July) or our form guide (4 August), with details of every runner and rider, plus score cards to fill in. Our Rio eventing report is published on 12 August — the magazine will come out on Friday rather than Thursday that week to tie in with Olympic competition schedules. 

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.