Nick Skelton achieved near-legendary status on August 19th of last year when he and his long-time partner Big Star clinched the individual gold show jumping medal at the Rio Olympics. In doing so, he set Olympic records as Britain’s oldest medallist since 1908 and first to win individual gold in the sport. That he did it while nearing the end of a long career punctuated by potential life-altering injuries was especially remarkable.

Forced to retire after breaking his neck in 2000, Skelton defied the odds and returned to the sport just two years later. A hip replacement in 2011, as well as two knee operations, did not deter him from being part of the gold medal-winning British squad at the 2012 London Olympics.

Now 59, Skelton and his partner, American show jumper and fellow Olympian Laura Kraut, rent a stable in Wellington, FL, over the winters and in the spring move back to their home base, Arden Cote Farm in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. Skelton has two sons who grew up riding ponies and are now both in the racing business: Daniel, 31, is a racehorse trainer with a yard housing 20 steeplechasers, and Harry, 27, is the jockey who rides them.

Horse Sport caught up with this in-demand rider at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto to chat about life in general and unearth some things you may not know about this enduring athlete.

What is a typical day like at home?

It starts early in the morning. I go to the gym, come back, watch the first lot of racehorses gallop, then I go and ride. Then I’m around the farm all day doing jobs with the horses. Horses are very time-consuming. We keep going all day until we finish and then start again the next day. At the weekends, or during the middle of the week, we go to the horse shows.

Can you identify a turning point in your career when you realized you could earn a living doing this?

I think that was always my intention from the start.

So there was no “aha” moment?

Not really, my motto has always been “never give up.” You’ve got to keep going and conquer it when you can.

Horsepower aside, is there another ingredient that gives you an edge?

No, I just think I’ve been very lucky; I’ve had some really, really good horses and been lucky enough to win a lot of the grand prixs. I think for me, it’s picking that right horse and looking after it – getting longevity out of the horse, not doing everything in a season. And having patient owners, too.

How would your friends and family describe you?

Oh, I don’t know, you’d have to ask them! That’s a hard one. Determined, I suppose.

If life hadn’t taken you where it has, could you see yourself in another profession?

I’d probably be in the racehorse business [as a steeplechase trainer].

Where is your favourite place in the world?

South Africa. I’ve been there a lot of times. Just outside of Johannesburg, a friend of mine has a house there, a lodge on a game reserve.

Is there anywhere you would like to go that you haven’t been?

No, not really. I’ve been very lucky to have travelled around the world doing my job.

Do you stay fit with a diet and exercise plan?

I try to, for my back and my body. I try to keep that working as well as I can. It’s working at the moment, anyway!

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Cadbury’s chocolate.

What’s on the horizon for you? Geneva in December and then…

I’ll go to Olympia for Christmas, and probably nothing else until I go to Florida with Big Star. He’s going to go to stud in January, so I’ll probably start him again in April. (Ed. note: Big Star suffered a sprained fetlock prior to Geneva and did not jump there or at Olympia. Nick is now aiming for the Rolex Grand Slam, beginning in July at Aachen.)

Will you hang up the spurs when Big Star retires?

Yup. I’ll probably ride a few [up-and-coming young horses] but I won’t compete at the top.

Medals or money – what’s most important?

I’m lucky I’ve got both! I think medals make you money.

How important to you was winning the gold medal in Rio?

Very important. I’m lucky enough to have been in this sport for a very long time and been very successful. I think to win that ultimate prize at the end of my career is, for me, everything.

FAST FACTS

Name: Nicholas David Skelton

Birthdate: Dec. 30, 1957

Hometown: Warwickshire, UK

First pony: Oxo, a Welsh Mountain pony who lived to be 39.

Top Horse: Big Star, a 14-yr-old KWPN stallion owned by Gary and Beverley Widdowson and Oliver Robertson.

Claims to Fame:

  • Named 2016 FEI Best Athlete
  • Individual gold medal, Rio Olympics
  • Team gold medal, 2012 London Olympics
  • Team silver medal, 1980 Alternative Olympics in Rotterdam, NED
  • Team silver & individual gold, 1975 Junior European Jumping Championships

Fun Fact: Copies of Skelton’s out-of-print 2001 autobiography Only Falls and Horses are currently selling on Amazon for between ₤120-230.