One Big Thing: Retirement for British eventing legend Mary King
Mary King and Imperial Cavalier at the 2012 Olympic Games. Photo by Abby Gibbon.
After 46 years of eventing, the woman, the legend, and the icon Mary King has announced she’ll be officially hanging up her boots. Her remaining event horses will be passed on to daughter Emily King, while Mary will transition to full focusing on their breeding program and producing the next generation of young horses. Per Mary, “I can now go on holiday and not feel guilty about the horses I should be riding!!”
One of Great Britain’s most prolific riders, Mary has represented her country at numerous Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, and countless 5* events (after all, who else gets their own Nintendo game?) In 2001, she sustained a broken neck in a fall at home, but in a remarkable and memorable comeback, resiliently fought her way to recovery and returned to top-level competition within a year. In recognition of her outstanding contribution to equestrian sport, Mary was also appointed MBE in 2013.
We wish Mary the most well-deserved, peaceful retirement, and look forward to following Emily as she carries on her mother’s legacy.
Mary King and daughter Emily with their sights set on Tokyo 2020. Photo by Bob Atkins.
Mary King Career Highlights:
Olympic Games:
- 1992 – Individual 9th
- 1996 – Individual 12th
- 2000 – Individual 7th
- 2004 – Team Silver
- 2008 – Team Bronze
- 2012 – Team Silver, Individual 5th
World Equestrian Games:
- 1994 – Team Gold, Individual 4th
- 2006 – Team Silver
- 2010 – Team Gold, Individual 6th
European Championships:
- 1991 – Team Gold
- 1995 – Team Gold, Individual Bronze
- 1997 – Team Gold, Individual 4th
- 2003 – Individual 5th
- 2007 – Team Gold, Individual 2nd
- 2011 – Team Bronze
British Open Championships:
- 1990, 1991, 1996, 2007 – 1st
- 1995, 1997 – 2nd
- 2003 – 3rd
CCI5*s:
- Badminton
- 1989 – 2nd
- 1990 – 3rd
- 1992 – 1st
- 1997 – 2nd
- 2000 – 1st
- 2003 – 4th
- 2010 – 4th
- 2011 – 3rd
- Burghley
- 1990 – 2nd & 4th
- 1994 – 2nd & 4th
- 1996 – 1st
- 1997 – 4th
- 1999 – 5th
- 2001 – 4th
- 2002 – 3rd
- 2005 – 4th
- 2008 – 3rd & 4th
- 2010 – 5th
- 2011 – 3rd
- Kentucky
- 2011 – 1st & 2nd (First rider to win Kentucky with a homebred horse)
- Luhmühlen
- 2009 – 4th
- Pau
- 2007 – 2nd
- 2011 – 4th
- 2011 HSBC FEI Classic Series Winner
- 2011 World #1
Publications:
- Mary Thomson’s Eventing Year: A Month-By-Month Plan for Training a Champion (1993)
- All the Kings’ Horses (1997)
- William & Mary (1999)
- Mary King: The Autobiography (2011)
- Mary King My Way: How I Train for Success (2014)
Major International Events This Weekend
Stable View Spring International & HT, CCI4*-S (SC, USA): [Website] [VIP Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park, CCI4*-S (GBR): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Live Stream]
US Events This Weekend
Rocking Horse Spring HT (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
CDCTA Spring HT (VA): [Website] [Entries] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Other Links and Reading
- Final farewell to great five-star campaigner Reve du Rouet: ‘You took me places I never dreamed of’
- The Premier Jumping League launches with a record-breaking $300 Million guaranteed prize pot, defining a new era for Showjumping
- Premier Equestrian announces acquisition of Burlingham Sports product line
Training Tip of the Day
We all need every cleaning hack we can get our hands on when it comes to white breeches (and our other various pieces of white horse laundry), so try this one next time they inevitably end up covered with mysterious stains:
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Go Eventing
JCTV? Jesse’s Pony Tales? Jesse 24/7? Whatever the title, Fern’s Jesse Campbell’s YouTube channel is on its way to you soon:
