10 cze 20213 minut(y) czytania

Prince Philip’s great impact on horse riding

Horse riding is a very well known sport these days, it’s mostly recognised as a “horse girl’s little passion” of course at some point it became that, but is it all? Before it became a sport that was available to practically anyone who could afford it, it used to be a very prestigious sport reserved for elite families such as The Royal Family itself. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II had a huge impact on the history of this beautiful sport. The Duke of Edinburgh served as President of the FEI from 1964 to 1986, and was a world-class Driving athlete who won World Championship gold in 1980 with Great Britain.

Prince Philip was already one of the most famous people in the world when he became the President of the FEI in 1964. While his celebrity status brought a new level of prominence to equestrian sports, it was his passion for horses and his drive to develop competitions that made his 22 years in charge such a success. Being really involved in equestrian sports thanks to his true love for horses, Prince Philip changed the discipline. He made it the way he was: passionate and competitive. Furthermore, his royal title, popularity and celebrity brought a massive spotlight to the equestrian sports, first in the UK, where equestrianism became part of the national tradition, then in all the other countries of the Commonwealth and the rest of the world. Having such an important person leading the FEI and developing it drew attention to it from a lot of people who may previously not have been interested.

During his tenure as President, Prince Philip instigated the FEI Jumping Nations Cup series, which is now a major part of the elite athletes’ calendar, and actively encouraged the launch of the FEI Jumping World Cup in the 1970s. He was also instrumental in the creation of the FEI World Equestrian Games, having lobbied for such a competition for many years before it was finally staged for the first time in 1990.

  His passion for all things equestrian was shared by his wife, Queen Elizabeth, and passed on to their children, particularly Prince Charles who was also a keen polo player, and Princess Anne, who claimed individual gold at the FEI European Eventing Championships in 1971, and individual and team silver four years later, before becoming the first British Royal to compete at the Olympic Games when she rode in Montreal 1976. Prince Philip’s grandchildren have also inherited a love of equestrian sports. Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, took the Eventing world title in 2006 and was a member of the British silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Princes William and Harry are also regularly spotted on the polo field. 

After the passing of Prince Philip on April 9 2021, current FEI President Ingmar De Vos said: “I first met him in London at the FEI General Assembly in 2005, and again at the FEI Eventing European Championships in Blair Castle in 2015." He was a man of incredible energy and a great sense of humour and the FEI was honoured to have him as its longest serving President. “His dedication to equestrian sports cannot be underestimated and will never be forgotten, especially in the Driving community. He was born in the same year the FEI was founded and sadly he will not be with us to celebrate his own and the FEI’s centenary this year. We will celebrate his life and remember him as a great ambassador of our sport”.

If not for The Duke of Edinburgh and the Royal Family, I wouldn’t have a chance to compete and create my own history in this amazing sport. Apart from it being, as many people associate, a sport in which you have to clean after the horse, groom it, feed it and after all you smell like it, it’s very prestigious. We have to compete in white riding breeches, leather riding boots, special jackets, shirts with a stand-up collars for women and a tie for men, which makes it one of the most elegant sports out there. It has become very popular for millionaires to come and watch equestrians compete – especially in jumping where adrenaline keeps you in suspense, and races where people can bet on the fastest horse and perhaps sometimes win some money. It’s a great honour to be a competitor in this amazing sport and have a chance to experience close contact and an unbreakable bond with an animal, elegance and unique? prestige that comes with it.