Nick Skelton

Nicholas David "Nick" Skelton, OBE ( born December 30, 1957 in Bedworth, Warwickshire ) is a British show jumper.

Career

His riding career began on the farm of Ted and Liz Edgar. With the horses Maybe, If Ever, Apollo and St. James he became famous, won numerous important competitions. Nick Skelton is three -time winner of the famous Hickstead Derby in the years 1987 to 1989. In 1987 he set a British record in the Puissance on, with Lastic he successfully overcame 2.31 ​​meters.

His greatest successes were single individual bronze medals at the World Championships in 1986 and at the European Championships in 1987, both with Apollo. Also in this series is the victory of the World Cup finals in 1995 in Gothenburg. His best horse at that time was the Hanoverian mare Dollar Girl, which he gives as the best horse of his career.

In the following years were the successes, partly due to heavy alcohol consumption, significantly. At a turning point in his life came in September 2001. Skelton rushed with a young horse and the upper cervical vertebrae broke twice. As a result Skelton spent three months in plaster in hospital the next four months became his neck stabilized by a metal support frame. Of the doctors him a riding ban was issued, Skelton was planning his future as a coach.

After over a year noted surgeon that the torn retaining band was grown back together the vertebra, the separated pieces of bone had been pushed back into place. In January 2003, he began despite the objections of the doctors again with riding. Skelton's motivation here was the Oldenburg stallion Arko. This acquired Nick Skelton, as well as later Carlo and Nemo, from the stable the Holsteiner jumping rider Jörg Naeve. In 2004 he won the British Open.

Together with his secretary and co- author Mary Neal, he wrote his autobiography. Nick Skelton's sons are successful jockeys.

Through a personal and business partnership Nick Skelton and Laura Kraut are interconnected. It is in the summer when it denies tournaments in Europe, located on its investment. In return Skelton is regularly in the winter months in Wellington, Florida, resident. Here he trained since 2011, Pablo Barrios.

With the 2012 Birthday Honours List him the rank of Officer of the Order of the British Empire was awarded for his services for the equestrian sport.

In March 2012, he was sixth in the show jumping world rankings.

Horses

Current

  • Big Star (* 2002, Original Name: What a Quick Star K), brown KWPN stallion, father: Quick Star, Mother Father: Nimmerdor

Former show horses

  • Carlo 273 (* 2001), Holsteiner gelding, Sire: Contender, mother father Cascavelle; to 2008, ridden by Jörg Naeve, from autumn 2012 by Sergio Alvarez Moya ridden Owner: Beverley Widdowson
  • Unique XVII ( * 2001), brown KWPN gelding, Sire: Indoctro, mother father, Voltaire, in part, also ridden by Laura Kraut, Owner: Beverley Widdowson
  • Nemo 119 (* 1999), dark brown Holsteiner gelding, Sire: Cambridge, dam sire Cantus, ridden by 2008 by Jörg Naeve, ridden since 2010 by Lucy Davis
  • Russel (* 1995), Holsteiner stallion, father: Corofino I, mother father, Lincoln, retired from international sport, Owner: Lisa Hales
  • Transmission ( * 1995), brown Irish Sport Horse gelding, Sire: Cavaler Royale, Mother Father: Diamond Serpent ridden since 2011 by the U.S. americans Richard Neal
  • Arko III (* 1994), brown Oldenburg stallion, father: Argentinus, mother father, Beach Boy, previously ridden by Jörg Naeve and Robert Whitaker, adopted at the Olympia London International Horse Show 2008 Sports, Owner: John, Lisa and Pat Hales
  • Hopes are high (* 1989), brown gelding, Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain, Father: Flagmount Diamond, Mother Father: Cornelscourt xx
  • Dollar Girl ( * 1980, † 2009), dark bay Hanoverian mare, previously ridden by Norbert Nuxoll and Thomas Fuchs, after the sports career broodmare at Alfonso Romo
  • Raffles Apollo (* 1975, † 2006), brown KWPN stallion, father: Erdball xx, Mother Father: Sinaeda

Achievements

  • Olympic Summer Games: 1988, Seoul: Apollo 6th place in the team standings and 7th place in the individual standings
  • 1992, Barcelona: Girl with dollars 6th place in the team standings and 7th place in the individual standings
  • 1996 Atlanta: Showtime with 11th place in the team standings and 23rd place in the individual standings
  • 2004, Athens: with Arko ranked 10th in the individual standings
  • 2008 Beijing / Hong Kong: 5 with Russel rank in the team competition and 28th rank in the individual ranking
  • 2012, London: Big Star with 1st place in the team standings and 5th place in the individual standings
  • World Championships (from 1990 World Equestrian Games ): 1982, Dublin: with If Ever 3rd place in the team standings and rank 48th in the individual standings
  • 1986 Aachen: Apollo 2nd place in the team competition and 3rd place in the individual standings
  • 1990, Stockholm: with Grand Slam 3rd place in the team competition and 20th place in the individual standings
  • 1994, The Hague: Girl with dollars 6th place in the team standings and 22nd place in the individual standings
  • 1998, Rome: Hopes are high with 3rd place in the team competition and 26th place in the individual standings
  • 2006 Aachen: Russel with 9th place in the team competition and 30th place in the individual standings
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