In a top-level career, spanning four decades, the legendary British show jumper John Whitaker has won an astounding 21 medals at Olympic, World and European championships and has competed in five consecutive Olympic Games - in 1980, 1984, 1992, 1996 and 2000.
Fondly known as show jumping royalty, the 65-year-old comes from a family who have dominated the equestrian world for generations. He competed at the highest level worldwide between 1984 and 2016. His outstanding achievements were formally recognised in 2007, when he was awarded the MBE for his services to show jumping.
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Born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, in August 1955, John began riding at the age of six on his first pony, Bonny. His mother, Enid, ran a riding school and taught both John and his younger brother, Michael, to ride. Michael, now 60, is also a world-class show jumper.
Favourite horse
John's career really took off at the age of 17, when he was given his favourite horse, Ryan's Son – a partnership he enjoyed for 14 years. Their high point was winning team silver at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. John and Michael were both members of the successful British Olympic team that year.
John has always described Ryan's Son as "the horse that made me". The bay gelding was a gift from Malcolm Barr, who later became John's father-in-law. At first sight, Ryan's Son didn't look like an obvious show jumper, as he was considered to have large feet. He resembled a Clydesdale crossed with a thoroughbred
Although John's father Donald insisted four-year-old Ryan's Son was "sheer talent", John's own first impression was that he appeared to be "a cart horse". At just under 16hh, this was considered small for a show jumper. However, the teenager and the young horse clicked straight away.
From "humiliation" to victory
Their first outing together, at the Great Yorkshire Show, wasn't successful, as they scored 20 faults in front of a large crowd, which was "humiliating" for the 17-year-old. He told his father on the way home that he wasn't going back the next day.
However, his dad made him return and young John enjoyed his first taste of success on Ryan's Son on day two, when they won their class; beating his heroes, the well-established show jumpers Harvey Smith and David Broome. From that moment, John never looked back, saying, "Ryan put me on the map."
Career highlights
John enjoyed many highlights while at the peak of his show jumping career. Aside from his Olympic team silver in 1984, alongside his brother Michael, he also won team and individual gold at the European Championships in 1987 and individual silver and team bronze at the World Championships in 1990.
He won individual and team silver at the European Championships in 1983 and three team silver medals at the European Championships in 1991, 1993 and 1995. As a member of the Nations Cup Team 173 times, he enjoyed 39 victories.
Four times winner of the Hickstead Derby, and the King George V Gold Cup three times, he has also won four European gold, six silver and three bronze medals: and three World Championship bronze medals and two silver medals.
His most recent major wins were a team bronze at the 2007 European Championships in Mannheim and team bronze at the 2011 European Championships, both on one of his favourite horses, Peppermill.
Over such an illustrious show jumping career, John said in an interview he felt his major achievement was winning the gold medal at the 1989 European Championships in Rotterdam. He still rides competitively today.
Breeding horses
John still owns horses and he and his family run a stud, John Whitaker International Ltd, at Heyside Farm in Huddersfield. They have owned the farm since 1979 and initially it was used mainly for competition horses. Today, it is a working yard, with more than 140 acres of land and 40 stables.
Part of the yard was transformed into a stud in 2004 to accommodate stallions. John runs it with his wife, Clare. He said in a recent interview they have 30 mares a year pregnant. The couple also sell a range of John Whitaker equine products.
Offering onsite cross-country rides, the farm has an outdoor riding school and a rehabilitation pool for horses. John also keeps cattle, that can often be seen wandering around the farm!
Family success
Apart from John's younger brother Michael's show jumping success, the whole Whitaker family has competed at an elite level.
The couple's children Louise, Robert and Joanne; John's other brother Steven; his niece Ellen; and his nephews George, William, James, Thomas, Joe, Donald and Jack are also well-known in the world of show jumping.
Although he still rides competitively, John is concentrating more on the breeding side at present. He says the horses he has bred to date have not yet reached the level of the horses that he bought and rode during his show jumping career. However, he says British breeding is improving, adding that he will "keep on trying" because "this is what we do in life".