Go straight to the latest news about Mary King
One of the most popular and successful British event riders, Mary King is renowned for always having a smile on her face. Born in 1961 to unhorsey parents, she learnt to ride on the vicar’s pony and started out in eventing working for former European champion Sheila Willcox.
Mary won Badminton in 1992 on King William and again in 2000 on Star Appeal, who also won Burghley in 1996. She is the only person to have won five British national titles at Gatcombe and joins Mark Todd and William Fox-Pitt in holding the record for winning four British open championships.
A regular British team member, Mary has been to six Olympics, collecting team silver in Athens 2004 and London 2012, as well as team bronze in Hong Kong 2008. She was on the all-girl gold medal-winning team at The Hague World Equestrian Games in 1994, gained team silver at the Aachen Worlds in 2006 and team gold at the Kentucky WEG in 2010. She has four European team gold medals (1991, 1995, 1997, 2007) and two individual medals (1995 bronze and 2007 silver), as well as a team bronze (2011).
Mary fought back from breaking her neck in a riding accident in 2001 and in these later years of her career has enjoyed success with home-bred horses, many of them carrying Mary’s tag of King in their names. In 2011, she celebrated a four-star win on a home-bred mare when she took top spot at Kentucky on Kings Temptress, also finishing second on Fernhill Urco. She was the first person to score a one-two at the American four-star.
Mary won the HSBC FEI Classics in 2011 and was the world’s leading event rider the same year.
She lives in Devon with husband David and has two children, Emily (born 1995) and Freddie (born 1999). Emily King is now a successful event rider in her own right.
Mary has been a Horse & Hound columnist since 2018.
H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome offers some advice for spectators heading to the Greenwich after her experience today, speculates on empty seats and explains why she's happy with Britain's performances today
The times are now online for the Olympic eventing dressage at Greenwich this weekend, with the USA's Boyd Martin being the first to go and New Zealander Mark Todd the last
No matter how meticulous the preparations, floods, technical glitches and form upsets have all become part of Olympic folklore. For some riders this has meant a last minute call-up
DHI Topper W has got the nod as Piggy French's ride for the Olympics in London this summer, while Jakata will miss the rest of this season due to injury
Mary King may have competed at five Olympic Games during her career but she is still 'over the moon' to have been selected for the British team, as she tells Chris Stafford Radio
Zara Phillips and Tina Cook have both been included on the British team for the London Olympics
The white-faced chestnut Apache Sauce, who has completed 10 four-stars with Mary King, has been retired to contest junior competitions with Mary's daughter Emily
Top eventer Mary King has contributed to a charity cookbook with her trusty competition snack - "extra juicy flapjacks"
After Mary King's decision to give up the ride on Chilli Morning, William Fox-Pitt has confirmed he is taking over the horse
After elimination at Belton, Mary King has explained why she feels she cannot do the four-star eventing stallion Chilli Morning justice and has decided to give up the ride
Zara Phillips has entered High Kingdom for Badminton Horse Trials, while the large entry also includes former winners William Fox-Pitt, Pippa Funnell and Mark Todd
World number one Mary King has a new four-star ride in her stable in the form of Chilli Morning, who completed Burghley last year with Nick Gauntlett
Mary King has been confirmed as eventing's world number one, following an FEI mix up which means that William Fox-Pitt misses out on a £32,000 bonus
The FEI has confirmed that Mary King has finished 2011 as the world number one, the icing on the cake of her fabulous year
Listen to Mary King's interview on BBC Somerset about winning Olympic Bronze, her hopes for 2012 and whether she would like to take part in the Olympic torch relay on horseback
Mary King's Olympic partner, who went on to star in the dressage arena with Paula Lee, has been retired from affiliated competition
William Fox-Pitt showjumps clear in the four-star at Pau on the prodigious nine-year-old Oslo, but Mary King's faultless performance secures her $150,000 in the HSBC FEI Classics
Two Australians share the lead in the French four-star at Pau, while William Fox-Pitt is best of the Brits on four-star debutant Oslo
Long-time British teammates and friends Mary King and William Fox-Pitt will do battle for the lucrative HSBC FEI Classics 2011 top spot at Pau this weekend (13-16 October)
Event rider Mary King has won the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 2011 breeder's prize for the highest-placed British-bred horse in the top 10 at this year's event
