Capt. Mark Phillips receives the 2018 Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo by Peter Nixon/Horse & Hound.
Capt. Mark Phillips received the Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement Award last night as the 2018 Horse & Hound Award winners were crowned in a glitzy ceremony at Cheltenham racecourse in Gloucestershire, England.
The announcement of his name triggered a standing ovation, and Mark said he was “overwhelmed” by the response. His children, 2006 world champion Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, were both present to watch him accept the award.
“It’s a privilege to have had so many great people and horses in my life,” Mark said, “from winning 26 medals as coach to the U.S. team, to those who rode on British teams with me, to those who helped me.”
Mark won Olympic team gold and silver medals for Great Britain, as well as Badminton four times and Burghley once. He has designed the cross country course at Burghley for most of the past 25 years and also laid out the track for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games at Tryon this year.
An awards video played in Mark’s honor included praise from fellow Olympic medalists Phillip Dutton, Andrew Nicholson and Andrew Hoy, as well as Burghley director Liz Inman and fellow course designer David Evans.
Phillip commented: “He’s never one to brag or talk about the incredible success that he had as a rider and now even as a course designer. He is truly a great man and we are all very fortunate to have had him in our lives.”
Mark is also one of six new inductees who will join the USEA Hall of Fame during the 2018 Induction Ceremony, which will be held on Dec. 8 during the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Other winners at the third Horse & Hound Awards last night included double world eventing gold medalist Ros Canter, who was named Neue Schule Professional Rider of the Year. Gemma Tattersall’s stalwart partner Arctic Soul was also named Feedmark Horse of the Year.
There was an emotional moment when Jane Felton was given the Horseware Groom of the Year award. Jane works for Irish eventer Jonty Evans, who is continuing his recovery from a traumatic brain injury and was in attendance at last night’s awards.
The full list of winners for the 2018 Horse & Hound Awards:
- Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement Award: Captain Mark Phillips
- Absorbine Inspiration of the Year: Daisy Sadler
- Feedmark Horse of the Year: Arctic Soul
- Saracen Horse Feeds Young Rider of the Year: Charlotte Fry
- Neue Schule Professional Rider of the Year: Ros Canter
- Pikeur Amateur Rider of the Year: Katie Preston
- Horseware Groom of the Year: Jane Felton
- Griffin NuuMed Memorable Moment of the Year: The Price phenomenon with Jonelle winning Badminton and Tim winning Burghley
- Evetdrug Vet of the Year: Alastair Field
- HorseDialog Club of the Year: Aberdeen Riding Club
- Balanced Horse Feeds Volunteer of the Year: Keith Watkins
[‘Truly a great man’: Mark Phillips wins Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement Award]
