 Collett in 2010 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 August 1989 Leamington Spa, England |
| Sport | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sport | Equestrian |
| Event | Eventing |
Medal record | |
Laura Collett MBE (born 31 August 1989) is a British equestrian who competes in eventing. [1] [2]
Collett won the supreme pony title at Horse of the Year Show in 2003 when she was 13. She won nine medals during her youth career, including three individual golds, in the juniors in 2006 on Fernhill Sox, in the juniors in 2007 on Rayef, and the young riders in 2009 again on Rayef. [3]
Collett has been selected for three European Eventing Championships as an individual. She was eliminated on the cross-country on her senior championship debut at Luhmühlen in 2011, but finished 13th at the 2015 championships at Blair Castle on Grand Manoeuvre. Collett was second at Luhmühlen five-star in 2018 on Mr Bass, but she achieved her first five-star win in October 2020 when she took the title at the Pau Horse Trials, France, riding her own, Keith Scott and Karen Bartlett's horse London 52 and therefore has the honour of winning the only five-star of 2020 because the eventing calendar that year had been decimated by COVID-19. [4] The horse had previously been the 2018 eight- and nine-year-old champion at Blenheim Horse Trials, [5] as well as winning the Event Rider Masters at Chatsworth Horse Trials [6] and the CCI4*-L at the Boekelo Horse Trials, [7] both in 2019. But he had also fallen at the 2019 European Eventing Championships in Luhmühlen having sat third after the dressage. [8]
In 2021, eight years after her near-fatal accident, Collett and London 52 were selected to represent Britain at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo that had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. She won gold in the team event with Oliver Townend and Tom McEwen. [9]
Collett was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism. [10] [11]
In 2022, Collett won the Badminton Horse Trials. Riding London 52, she led from start to finish, setting an all time Badminton record finishing score of 21.4.
In June 2024, she was confirmed as part of the Great Britain team to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics on London 52. [12] She won gold in the team event with Rosalind Canter and Tom McEwen.
Following a heavy fall from her horse in 2013, Collett had to be resuscitated five times and given an emergency tracheotomy by paramedics after suffering a fractured shoulder, broken ribs, a punctured lung, a lacerated liver and damage to her kidneys. Also, a fragment of her shoulder bone had detached and travelled to her right eye through her blood stream and damaged the optic nerve. She was placed in an induced coma for six days. [13] [14]
| Results | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Event | Horse | Placing | Notes | ||||||
| 2005 | European Pony Championships | Noble Springbok |  | Team | ||||||
 | Individual | |||||||||
| 2006 | European Junior Championships | Fernhill Sox |  | Team | ||||||
| Individual | |||||||||
| 2007 | European Junior Championships | Rayef | | Team | ||||||
| Individual | |||||||||
| 2008 | World Cup Final | Fernhill Sox | 13th | |||||||
| 2009 | European Young Rider Championships | Rayef | | Team | ||||||
| Individual | |||||||||
| 2010 | European Young Rider Championships | Fernhill Cristal | | Team | ||||||
| 8th | Individual | |||||||||
| 2011 | European Championships | Rayef | EL | Individual | ||||||
| 2013 | World Young Horse Championships | Obos Cooley | WD | CCI** | ||||||
| 2014 | World Young Horse Championships | Pamero 4 | | CCI** | ||||||
| Controe | WD | CCI** | ||||||||
| 2015 | European Championships | Grand Manoeuvre | 13th | Individual | ||||||
| World Young Horse Championships | Mr Bass | | CCI** | |||||||
| Cooley Again | 16th | CCI** | ||||||||
| 2017 | World Young Horse Championships | Sir Papillon | 4th | CCI** | ||||||
| 2019 | European Championships | London 52 | EL | Individual | ||||||
| 2020 | World Young Horse Championships | Moonlight Charmer | EL | CCI3*-L | ||||||
| 2021 | Olympic Games | London 52 | | Team | ||||||
| 9th | Individual | |||||||||
| 2022 | World Championships | London 52 | 4th | Team | ||||||
| 40th | Individual | |||||||||
| EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew | ||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Kentucky (USA) late April | Badminton (UK) early May | Luhmühlen (Germany) June | Burghley (UK) early September | Pau (France) late October | Adelaide (Australia) early November | Maryland | ||||
| 2010 | 30th (Ginger May Killinghurst) | ||||||||||
| 2011 | 8th (Rayef) | 40th (Noble Bestman) | |||||||||
| 2012 | RET (Noble Bestman) | ||||||||||
| 2013 | 49th (Noble Bestman) | ||||||||||
| 2014 | Did Not Participate | ||||||||||
| 2015 | 28th (Grand Manoeuvre) | ||||||||||
| 2016 | 22nd (Grand Manoeuvre) | ||||||||||
| 2017 | Did Not Participate | ||||||||||
| 2018 | Did Not Participate | ||||||||||
| 2019 | WD (Mr Bass) | ||||||||||
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | (London 52) 16th (Mr Bass) | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | |||||
| 2021 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | RET (Dacapo) | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | |||||||
| 2022 | (London 52) | ||||||||||
| EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew | |||||||||||
Zara Anne Elizabeth Tindall is a British equestrian, Olympian and socialite. She is the daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips, and the eldest niece of King Charles III. She was born sixth in the line of succession to the British throne during the reign of her maternal grandmother Elizabeth II, becoming 21st in line as of 2024.
Philippa Rachel "Pippa" Funnell MBE is an equestrian sportswoman who competes in eventing. In 2003, she became the first person to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. She also won Badminton in 2002 and 2005. At the European Championships, she has won two Individual golds (1999–2001) and three team golds (1999–2003). She is a three-time Olympic medallist, winning team silver in 2000 and 2004, and an individual bronze in 2004. She also competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Mary Elizabeth King is a British equestrian who competes in eventing. She has represented Great Britain at six Olympics from 1992 to 2012, winning team silver in 2004 and 2012, and team bronze in 2008. At the World Equestrian Games, she won team gold in 1994 and 2010, and team silver in 2006. She has also won four team golds and one team bronze medal at the European Eventing Championships.
William Speed Lane Fox-Pitt is an English equestrian who competes in eventing. His career highlights include winning three Olympic medals in the team event, with silver in 2004 and 2012, and bronze in 2008. At the World Equestrian Games, he won team gold and individual silver in 2010, and team silver and individual bronze in 2014. He also won World team medals in 2002 and 2006. At the European Championships, he has won six team gold medals, as well as Individual silver in 1997 and 2005, and Individual bronze in 2013. He is the recordman CCI*****'s winner with 14 grand slam titles. In 2011, he became the first rider to win five different five-star events, having won the Burghley Horse Trials a record six times, Rolex Kentucky three times, Stars of Pau twice, the Badminton Horse Trials twice, and the Luhmühlen Horse Trials once (2008). A serious fall in 2015 left him in a coma for two weeks, but he came back to make the British eventing team and attend the 2016 Summer Olympics. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours.
Lucinda Jane Green is a British equestrian and journalist who competed in eventing. She is the 1982 World Champion and twice European Champion (1975–77). She also won World team Gold (1982), three European team golds and an Olympic silver medal in the team event in 1984. Between 1973 and 1984, she won a record six times at the Badminton Horse Trials. She also won the Burghley Horse Trials in 1977 and 1981. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1978 Birthday Honours for services to Horse Riding.
The Blenheim Horse Trials is an annual international three-day event held in the park of Blenheim Palace, at Woodstock, England. It is rated CCI***.
Toytown was a British event horse owned and ridden by Zara Phillips.
Lucinda Fredericks is an equestrian athlete who competes in eventing. Having formerly competed for Great Britain, she now represents Australia. Riding Headley Britannia, she has won three CCI 4* events; winning Burghley in 2006, Badminton in 2007 and Rolex Kentucky in 2009. She won an Olympic silver medal in the team event at Beijing 2008, and also competed at the 2012 London Olympics.
Alex Hua Tian is an equestrian sportsman who competes in eventing for China.
Ingrid Klimke is a German eventing rider. She appeared at five Olympics from 2000 to 2016. With her horse Abraxxas, she won two gold medals in team eventing at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won a team silver with Hale-Bob.
Georgina "Piggy" March is a British equestrian sportswoman who competes in eventing. She won the 2019 Badminton Horse Trials and 2022 Burghley Horse Trials on Vanir Kamira, and finished second at the 2011 Badminton Horse Trials and the 2017 Burghley Horse Trials. She won Individual silver at the 2009 and 2021 European Championships and a team gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games. She earned selection for the 2012 Olympic Games, but was forced to withdraw due to an injury to her horse, DHI Topper W. She was also selected for Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as a reserve; however, her owners did not want the horse to travel, Brookfield Inocent, if it was not to compete.
Carl Hester is a British dressage rider competing at Olympic level. As of 8 August 2012, the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) rank him 12th in the world riding Uthopia. In 2012, Hester formed part of the Great Britain Dressage team that won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Nicola Wilson is a British equestrian rider specialising in three-day eventing. Riding Opposition Buzz, she won a team gold at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games and team silver at the 2012 Olympic Games. She is also a seven-time medallist at the European Championships, including team golds in 2009, 2017 and 2021 and individual gold and bronze in 2021 and 2017, respectively.
Jonelle Price is a New Zealand equestrian, competing in eventing. She is married to Tim Price, also a New Zealand eventing rider. They are both competing at top international level.
Michael Jung is a German equestrian who competes in eventing and show jumping. A four-time Olympic gold medallist, he won individual and team gold at the 2012 London Olympics, followed by individual gold and team silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and the individual gold for the third time at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He was inducted into the Eventing Rider Association Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2016 he became only the second rider in history to win the Grand Slam of Eventing.
Rosalind Canter is a British equestrian who competes in eventing. She is the 2018 World Champion. On Monday, 8 May 2023 she won the Badminton Horse Trials riding Lordships Graffalo. She won a gold medal in Team eventing at 2024 Paris Olympics.
Oliver David Townend is a British event rider who competed at the international three-day eventing level. He represented Great Britain in the European Eventing Championships, winning team gold medals in 2007, 2009, and 2017. Townend has also won at events such as the Badminton Horse Trials, Burghley Horse Trials, and the Kentucky Three-Day Event.
Yasmin Ingham is a British equestrian. In 2022 Ingham won individual gold at the World Eventing Championships riding Banzai du Loir. In June 2024, she was confirmed as part of the Great Britain team to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Sarah Bullimore is a British equestrian.
Isabelle "Bubby" Upton is a British equestrian.
