Celebrating the life of a true great of horse sport
Prince Philip made a huge contribution to equestrianism across disciplines and countries
TRIBUTES, gratitude and final farewells have been expressed across the industry after the Duke of Edinburgh’s death aged 99.
Prince Philip, who made a huge contribution to British and international equestrianism, died peacefully on 9 April.
The Prince shaped the sport of combined driving, and played polo to a high standard. He was president of the FEI for 22 years, and represented Britain at nine championships, winning four team medals.
British Equestrian chairman Malcolm Wharton said: “Prince Philip was a remarkable servant to this country, a loyal consort and generously gave his time to support so many. His love and passion for the horse was clear and his skill as a horseman more than matched by his drive to support others. We owe him a great debt for the selfless dedication and support he gave to equestrianism and the legacy he leaves in the equestrian world.”
Prince Philip encouraged his children to ride and took great pleasure in the achievements of the Prince of Wales in polo and hunting and the Princess Royal in eventing and racing.
As Pony Club president, he created the Prince Philip Cup.
Pony Club CEO and mounted games chairman Marcus Capel said: “Mounted games would not exist if it were not for
Prince Philip. Passionate about young people’s ability to access equestrian sport without an expensive, well-bred pony, he devised the mounted games that started in 1957 at Horse of the Year Show.
“The Duke of Edinburgh has left a great legacy at the Pony Club and we will continue to uphold the values he brought to the sport.”
During his time at the FEI, Prince Philip supported the showjumping Nations Cup series, and was “hugely supportive” of the launch of the FEI jumping World Cup in the 1970s. He was also instrumental in the creation of the World Equestrian Games, having lobbied for such a competition for years before it first ran in 1990.
“The passing of Prince Philip is a huge loss for equestrian sport and his legacy, particularly at the FEI, will live on for many decades,” said current president Ingmar De Vos.
“He was a man of incredible energy and a great sense of humour and the FEI was honoured to have him as our longest-serving president.
“His dedication to equestrian sports cannot be underestimated and will never be forgotten.
“He was born in the year the FEI was founded and sadly will not be with us to celebrate his own and the FEI’s centenary this year. We will celebrate his life and remember him as a great ambassador of our sport.”