Biography

This will be a fifth Badminton appearance for Emily and Valmy Biats, who finished fifth last year and fourth in 2024. 

Emily acquired the ride on Valmy Biats in 2020, the horse having previously been competed in France for breeder Phillipe Brivois by Victor Levecque and Mathieu Lemoine. Emily took him to five-star level and their results include eighth place at Pau, France, in 2022 and completions of Luhmuhlen and Burghley in 2023 and of Pau (20th) in 2024. The horse is known as ‘Grandad’ at home because he is ‘such a nice and gentle horse to be around’.

Emily, who made her five-star debut at Pau in 2015, finishing fourth on Brookleigh, has represented Great Britain five times in under-25 European championships, winning a Junior individual silver medal in 2012 on Mr Hiho and Young Rider team gold in 2015 on Loxley. In 2018, she was national under-25 champion at Bramham on Dargun.

She grew up in East Devon and is the daughter of dual Badminton winner and six-time Olympian Mary King. Her father, David King, a farmer, is joint owner of Valmy Biats. Emily and her partner, Sam Ecroyd, who is also entered for Badminton this year, run Hafod Stables in Holywell, Flintshire, North Wales. 

She is trained in dressage by Ferdi Eilberg, who also worked with Mary for many years, and by Chris Smith in showjumping.