Congratulations to Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Oliver Townend who have all been recognised with MBEs in the New Year’s Honours List following their Team Gold success at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year.
The eventing trio secured Team Gold for the first time since 1972 for Great Britain with a record-breaking low score and, despite all riders and horses being Olympic debutantes, dominated in Tokyo. Oliver Townend expertly took on the pathfinder role with Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan’s Ballaghmor Class, finishing fifth individually. Laura Collett riding London 52 for owners Karen Bartlett, Keith Scott and herself were ninth in the standings while Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser, owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Ali McEwen, were faultless in the two showjumping rounds to clinch the team gold and individual silver for themselves.
Helen West, Chief Executive of British Eventing expressed her delight at the announcement of the Honours saying, “I couldn’t be more delighted for Laura, Tom and Oliver to have their success acknowledged in such a deserving way. Their performances in Tokyo will have inspired riders everywhere. They have also not only set the standard for others but have also shown the world that the competition framework we have in Great Britain is the best there is in terms of producing horses and riders.”
Source: British Eventing