Harry Meade

Wednesday 7th - Sunday 11th May 2025

Biography

British rider Harry Meade (40) has 12 completions of the event gaining six top-twenty placings, his best finish was 3rd in 2014. He gained his 12th completion last year (16th Away Cruising) who is one of his entries for this year.

It will be a first Badminton for Cavalier Crystal with whom Harry was 5th at Bramham last June before going on to take 3rd place at Burghley – a first 5* for the horse. It is also a first Badminton for Red Kite with whom Harry was 11th in the 4*L at Bramham and later contested the horses first 5* at Pau but did not complete.

Harry is currently #5 in the world FEI rider ranking.

Harry was born and grew up in the Beaufort Hunt country, close to Badminton. In 2000, as a member of the Beaufort Pony Club, Harry was the National Pony Club eventing champion and the following year a member of the British Junior team. After leaving school he combined horses with university and gained a degree in History of Art from Bristol University. Before running his own yard Harry was apprenticed to William Fox-Pitt from whom he took over the ride on Midnight Dazzler, the horse whom he made his four-star debut at Burghley in 2005 winning awards for the ‘best first timer’ and ‘best Under-25’. Midnight Dazzler and Harry completed Burghley three times and Badminton on four occasions. In 2009 Harry became the youngest person ever to receive an Armada dish awarded for five Badminton completions.

In 2013 whilst competing at Wellington horse trials Harry suffered a rotational fall which resulted in two fractured and dislocated elbows requiring much re-constructive surgery and incapacitation.  He started riding again mid-February and in 2014 gained a fairy-tale third place at Badminton with Wild Lone and with whom he subsequently gained his first senior flag as a member of the silver medal winning British team for the 2014 WEG in Normandy. He was voted rider of the year by the Event Horse Owners Association, (EHOA), Event Riders Association (ERA) The British Equestrian Writers Association and Horse & Hound.  He has since brought on younger horses and with Away Cruising made a successful return to top level competition at Burghley in 2017.

Harry is also involved of other aspects of the sport; he is Chairman of the FEI International Riders committee, a member of the Burghley Horse Trials Directors’ Advisory Group, sits on the British Eventing’s Horse Welfare committee and in recent times has been part of the BBC commentary team and occasional columnist for Horse & Hound Magazine.

His father the late Richard Meade, won three Olympic gold medals in eventing, won Burghley in 1964 and completed Badminton 16 times winning the event twice (1970 & 1982).

In 2010 Harry married Rosie Bradford – having proposed during a Badminton course walk – and they have a daughter Lily (12) and a son Charlie (10). Harry trains with Ian Woodhead and Grant Wilson.

Away Cruising, is a 17-year-old Irish-bred grey gelding. He is by Cruise On (a son of Cruising) out of Parklands Princess by the thoroughbred Able Albert. He was acquired by Harry as a four-year-old and they have had 12 seasons together. In June 2017 he completed his first (then) four-star at Luhmuhlen and has since completed both Badminton and Burghley three times.

Cavalier Crystal is a 14-year-old Irish Irish-bred Irish Sport Horse mare. Bred by Thomas Horgan she is by Jack of Diamonds out of a mare by Cavalier Royale. She was initially produced by Alice Montgomery and Tiana Coudray and Harry took the ride in 2016 and has since produced her through the levels. At the end of a successful season in 2023 the pair finished 3rd in her first 5* at Burghley.

Red Kite is a 13-year-old Westfalian. Bred by Bernard Niehoff he is by the Oldenberg Z Cordanos V (a son of the well know grand prix jumper Catoki) out of a Westphalian mare by Diamantino. He has been produced by Harry since a 4 year old

Entries

Away Cruising

ISH, Ireland, 2007
16.3hh , grey , gelding

Sire Cruise On

Dam Parklands Princess (Able Albert)

Breeder Eamon O'Flaherty

Owner(s): Charlotte Opperman
Janie Dear

Notable Results

2023 – Burghley CCI5*L 3rd Cavalier Crystal

2023 – Blenheim CCI4*L 3rd Annaghmore Valoner

2023 – Luhmühlen CCI5* 5th Tenareze

2023 – Bramham CCI4*L 5th Cavalier Crystal, 11th Red Kite

2023 – Thorseby CCI4*S 2nd Red Kite, 5th Cavalier Crystal

2022 – Pau CCI5*L 24th Tenereze

2022 – Maryland CCI5* 7th Superstition

2022 – Bramham CCi4*L 24th Red Kite

2022 – Blenheim CCI4*L 12th Cavalier Crystal

2022 – Millstreet CCI4*S 7th Tenereze

2021 – Maryland CCI5* 7th Superstition

2021 – Blenheim CCI4*L 12th Cavalier Crystal

2021 – Millstreet CCI4*L   2nd Tenareze, 4th Cavalier Crystal, 7th Red Kite

2021 – Kentucky CCI5* 5th Superstition

2019 – Strzegom CCI4*L 1st Superstition

2019 – Gatcombe British Intermediate Championships 2nd Red Kite

2019 – Bramham CCI4*S 7th Away Cruising

2018 – Burghley CCI4* 6th Away Cruising

2017 – Burghley CCI4* 15th Away Cruising

2017 – Luhmuhlen CCI4* 14th Away Cruising

2012 – Burghley CCI4* 34th Wild Lone

2012 – Luhmuhlen CCI4* 11th Wild Lone

2008 – Burghley CCI4* 20th Birthday Night

2008 – Gatcombe British Open 10th Birthday Night

2007 – Burghley CCI4* 8th Midnight Dazzler

2006 – Burghley CCI4* 20th Midnight Dazzler ‘Best U25’

2005 – Burghley CCI4* 13th Midnight Dazzler Best first time, Best U25

 

Badminton

2023 – 16th Away Cruising

2022 – 29th Away Cruising

2019 – w/d after dressage Away Cruising

2018 – 16th Away Cruising

2014 – 3rd Wild Lone

2013 – 37th Wild Lone

2011 – 23rd Wild Lone

2009 – 10th Midnight Dazzler

2008 – 13th Midnight Dazzler, 31st Birthday Night

2007 – 20th Midnight Dazzler 24th Birthday Night Best U25

2006 – 21st Midnight Dazzler Best first timer, Best U25, Best local rider