Celebrating the partnership of Nick Skelton and Big Star | ||
Nick Skelton and Big Star in Rio. © Eric Knoll By Equestrian Life With the Rio Olympics over, we look back at one of the most outstanding equestrian partnerships of the Games - individual showjumping gold medallists Nick Skelton and Big Star. Describing Big Star as the best horse he has ever ridden, Skelton has achieved much success with the bay stallion.
Nick Skelton and Big Star on their way to gold. © Eric Knoll The road to Rio certainly wasn't a smooth one for the pair. Skelton broke his neck back in 2000; miraculously, he returned to competition in 2002. In recent times, Big Star has also dealt with injury. Shortly after picking up his last win at the 2013 Grand Prix of Aachen, the horse pulled a suspensory in his near foreleg. It has been a long road back, and the recovery process has involved a lot of time and effort - making his win in Rio all the more impressive. In response to questions regarding his own retirement, 58 year old Skelton simply said: “I’m not going to stop now. I only really ride Big Star and have ridden him for the last few years… When he stops then I’ll stop, that’s a definite.”
Nick Skelton and Big Star were in form at RIo 2016. © Eric Knoll
It's celebration time for Nick Skelton and Eric Lamaze as Big Star looks on. © Eric Knoll
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© copyright. Equestrian Life. Saturday, 4 May 2024 https://www.equestrianlife.com.au/articles/Celebrating-the-partnership-of-Nick-Skelton-and-Big-Star |
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