He has competed numerous times at the European Show Jumping Championships, winning three golds, three silvers and three bronzes both individually and with the British team over 26 years.

[1] Having won both team and individual Olympic gold, Skelton and his horse, Big Star, retired together shortly after the 2016 Games.

Skelton had plenty of early success with a horse called Maybe, but he went lame just before the Junior European Championships in 1975 and his place in the team looked lost.

After this, he began riding more of the Edgar horses and in 1978, at Olympia, jumped just over 7 foot 7 inches on Lastic to set a new British record, which still stands.

When Skelton partnered with St James the following year he broke into the senior GB team, of which he remained an integral part until his retirement.

In 1985, Skelton split from the Edgars and went on his own; his main horse at the time, Apollo, went with him and together they formed a partnership that won nearly all the top prizes in the sport, as well as many Championship medals.

[5] Following Skelton's success at the 2016 Rio Olympics, rail operator London Midland honoured him with a gold-painted sign at Bedworth railway station.

Skelton won team gold at his home Olympics in London 2012 with his horse Big Star, alongside Ben Maher, Peter Charles and Scott Brash.