Tuesday, 07 April 2026
Legendary event rider Mary King has announced that she’s retiring from the sport after an incredible 46 seasons.
On 31 March, Mary took to her social media channels to share the news that she had decided to call time on her successful athletic career at the age of 64, instead planning to focus full-time on her growing breeding and youngstock production programme.
Mary’s eventing career began at the age of 16 – a verger’s daughter from a non-horsey family, she took up a position with former European champion Sheila Wilcox, where she produced young horses and learned the ropes of running a top-class yard. After a short break as a chalet girl and the watch leader on a tall ship, she returned home to set up her own yard on a nearby disused farmyard.
Mary competed at her first Badminton Horse Trials in 1985 – coming seventh with Divers Rock – before going on to win the event in 1992 with the horse who would come to define the early stages of her international career, King William. It was with him that she got her first senior championship call-up the year before, when Britain took team gold at the European Championship at Punchestown, Ireland.
In the years that followed, King William gave Mary her first Olympic Games selection for Barcelona in 1992, a World Equestrian Games team gold and individual fourth (1994), team gold and individual bronze at the European Championship in Pratoni del Vivaro (1995) – while five months pregnant with daughter Emily – and her second Olympic Games ride at Atlanta 1996, where they finished 12th individually.
Star Appeal was the next of Mary’s stars to rise to the fore – after winning Burghley Horse Trials in 1996, they took team gold and individual fourth at the venue the following year at the European Championship. The gelding also took her to her third Olympic Games, in Sydney in 2000, where they finished 12th.
Mary would add a further 48 starts at what is now CCI5* level to her CV, including another win at Badminton in 2000. She also became the first rider to achieve a one-two at Kentucky Three-Day Event with homebred Kings Temptress and Fernhill Urco – this also marked the first homebred horse to win the event – and won five British national title at Gatcombe, including four British Open championships. This all came despite breaking her neck in a fall while riding at home in 2001.
A mainstay of the British team for a number of years, Mary represented her country at a total of six European Championships (1991, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2011), three World Equestrian Games (1994, 2006, 2010) and six Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012). This earned her 13 championship medals, with six of them gold.
After her final Olympic Games in London 2012 and the retirement of Kings Temptress, Mary’s focus increasingly turned to producing and competing her own homebreds – all with the Kings prefix – up to CCI3* level. She has also been a dedicated supporter of her daughter Emily, who is carving out a successful career at the top end of the sport.
Alongside her eventing career, Mary has written a number of training and autobiographical books. She was also the face of a successful computer and Playstation game in 2001 called Mary King’s Riding Star, which allowed players to care for and compete their own event horse with the aim of becoming world champion.
“The time has come – I have decided to hang up my boots,” said Mary in her social media post. “I have loved my eventing life and feel so lucky to have had so many amazing horses, and wonderful memories which will stay close to my heart forever.
“I will be busy with my breeding programme and producing the youngstock, plus will be supporting Emily more. I can now go on holiday and not feel guilty about the horses I should be riding!
“Thank you so much to my family, friends, owners, grooms, sponsors, vets, farriers and wonderful supporters that have made this journey, over the many years, so incredibly special.”
Mary’s remaining rides have been passed on to Emily to continue competing.
On behalf of British Equestrian and the legion of fans who she’s inspired, we wish Mary a long and rewarding retirement and thank her for all she’s given to eventing and the wider world of equestrianism.