| Ellen Whitaker | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Ellen Whitaker | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Show jumping | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 March 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ellen Whitaker (born 5 March 1986) is an English show jumping rider, [1] currently ranked 191 on the FEI riders Longines Ranking list in July 2022. [2] [ citation needed ]
Competing since the age of 5, Whitaker has had much experience in the equestrian world and qualified for HOYS aged 8 years. [3]
In 2006, Whitaker and her father were involved with a legal dispute over the ownership of thirteen horses, including her top horse Locarna; a few months later a deal was agreed. [4] [5]
In 2007, Whitaker represented Great Britain in the European Championships and helped allow Britain to qualify for the Olympics after jumping triple clear. She missed out on being selected for the 2008 Beijing Olympics due to lameness in horse Locarno 62.
In 2010, Whitaker spoke to the press after refusing to jump for the British team due to a conflict with the team manager, Rob Hoekstra. She told Horse & Hound : "I only have Ocolado at the moment and Rob wanted to interfere with the way I do everything." Her father, and manager, added: "It's not a matter of Ellen not wanting to jump for her country, but we won't jump again until Rob Hoekstra is finished." But British Equestrian Federation World Class performance director Will Connell said: "The riders wanted stronger management and leadership and that's what Rob is delivering." Hoekstra did not wish to comment, saying: "I do not think team issues are best resolved through the press." [6]
She is the daughter of former show jumper Stephen Whitaker and his wife Carol, and niece of rider Michael Whitaker. Her brothers. and cousins Robert and William, are also show jumpers. [1]
She lives on the family farm near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, [7] and attended Penistone Grammar School.
On 19 September 2011, Whitaker pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. Whitaker was stopped by local Police in Knutsford, Cheshire at 02:00 after she had attended a charity ball. A roadside breath test proved positive and she was taken to a police station where her lowest reading was 77 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath; more than double the legal limit of 35. [8]
She was engaged to actor Henry Cavill from 2011 until 2012.
Whitaker and Spanish showjumper Antonio Mariñas Soto have two sons together, born May 2014 [9] and March 2016.[ citation needed ] On 5 August 2016, Whitaker and Soto announced their engagement. [10]
 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(July 2017) |
Source: [11]
Spacecake (born 2012), Mare, sire Stakkatol, Dam Sire: Kannan.
Among many others, some of her achievements are:
Koch Media launched Ellen Whitaker's Horse Life video game for PC, Nintendo DS and Wii. [14]
The Byerley Turk, also spelled Byerly Turk, was the earliest of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock.
The Hanoverian is a Warmblood horse breed originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and has won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the Warmblood breeds. Originally a cavalry horse, infusions of more Thoroughbred blood lightened it to make it more agile and useful for competition. The Hanoverian is known for a good temperament, athleticism, beauty, and grace.
A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland (Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands, which governs the breeding of competitive dressage and show jumping horses, as well as the show harness horse and Gelderlander, and a hunter studbook in North America. Developed through a breeding program that began in the 1960s, the Dutch are some of the most successful competition horses developed in postwar Europe.
Marius Silver Jubilee, better known as Milton, was a successful showjumping horse ridden by John Whitaker. He was a grey gelding and stood 16.2 hands high at the withers.
John Whitaker MBE is a British equestrian and Olympian who competes in show jumping. He has won numerous international medals including an olympic silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. He is the managing director of John Whitaker International Limited which produces tack and equestrian clothing.
Gem Twist was a 16.3 hands world champion American Thoroughbred show jumping horse registered under the name Icey Twist. Bred by equestrian Frank Chapot, Gem Twist had an incredible career at the Grand Prix level. The gelding is the only horse to have won the "American Grand Prix Association Horse of the Year" title three times, and is regarded as one of the best show-jumpers in history.
Cor de la Bryère, nicknamed "Corde", is one of the most influential sires in modern warmblood breeding. He is known as the "Reserve Stallion of the Century", second only to Landgraf I. He stood 16.2 hands.
Gunrock is the official mascot of the UC Davis Aggies, the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Davis, and was based on Gunrock (1914–1932), an American Thoroughbred stallion, and the son of English Triple Crown winner Rock Sand. He was related to the American Thoroughbred racehorse Man O' War (1917–1947), who was out of Mahubah (1910–1931), bay Thoroughbred mare by Rock Sand out of Merry Token. Gunrock was bred by Clarence Mackay, and likely born in Kentucky in 1914. He had an unsuccessful racing career as a 2-year-old, and was retired to stud by age 6 in 1920.
Popeye K is a 17.1 hands Dutch Warmblood stallion that competes on the "A" circuit in show hunter classes.
Robert Whitaker is a British show jumper who rides for the British Team.
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum is an American-born German equestrian who competes at the international level in show jumping.
Michael Whitaker is a British Olympic equestrian rider, who competes in the sport of show jumping. He was ranked 5th by the British Showjumping Association in March 2014.
Marco Kutscher is a German equestrian who competes in the sport of show jumping.
Steve Guerdat is a Swiss equestrian who competes in the sport of show jumping.
In Style was a Holsteiner gelding ridden by Canadian Equestrian Team member Ian Millar in the sport of show jumping. He was imported to Canada from the Netherlands in 2003. His full brother, VDL Atlantic, is also an international show jumper. Furthermore, VDL Atlantic was a Zangersheide-approved stallion with approved sons of his own. The dam of In Style and Atlantic is Diana, a full sister to Lord Z, himself a strong sire and FEI show jumper under Franke Sloothaak and John Whitaker. In Style was reported to be a sensitive horse with a Thoroughbred-like disposition.
Marion Janice Mould is an English show-jumper. She competed for Great Britain at the 1968 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal in the individual jumping event.
André Thieme is a German rider who competes in show jumping.
Rafalca is a former dressage horse, co-owned by Ann Romney, that performed in the equestrian competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, with rider Jan Ebeling. She was retired from competitions in 2014, and is now a broodmare.
Ryan's Son (1968-1987) was a successful show jumping horse ridden by John Whitaker. He was a bay gelding and stood 16 hands. He was sired by a Thoroughbred called Ozymandias and born from an Irish Draught mare. In January 2007, Ryan's Son joined John Whitaker in being inducted into The British Horse Society Equestrian Hall of Fame.
