Biography

British Olympic medallist Tom McEwen (32) completed here last year (4^th Toledo De Kerser) gaining his eighth completion of the event. With this year’s Badminton entry CHF Cooliser Tom previously completed in 2022 and that year the combination completed Burghley (12^th) also. In 2021 they were second in Pau – a 5* debut for CFH Cooliser.

Tom, who is based near Tetbury is the current Olympic individual silver and team gold medallist. With his Olympic partner Toledo De Kerser, he was also a member of the British team at the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni (12^th). He is currently #4 in the FEI world rider ranking (06/04/24).

He is a former Under-25 national champion and has represented GB at Pony, Junior, Young Rider and senior level. In 2007 Tom was a member of the British Pony team winning team gold at the Pony European Championships with Dick Taytoe. In 2010 he was a member of the British Young Rider team that won team gold at the European Championships in Pardubice (14th – Major Sweep) and at the end of the 2010 season he was awarded the Edy Goldman Trophy, for the Under-21 rider with the most BE points, as well as the Horse Trials Support Group Young Rider Training Bursary.

In 2011 he won another Young Rider European team gold at the Championships at Blair Castle (4th – Private Rudolph). In the September of that year he made an impressive four-star debut at Burghley with Dry Old Party winning the best ‘first-timer’ award and at the end of the season retained the Edy Goldman trophy. In 2012 with Diesel Tom won the two-star at Houghton and in 2013 the pair won the U-25 Championships at Bramham. They were subsequently selected for the British Squad for the European Championships (Tom’s first senior championship) in Malmo but Diesel was eliminated at the first horse inspection.

In 2013 Tom made his Badminton debut with Dry Old Party. The pair finished in 19^th place and won the prizes for the ‘best placed British rider aged under-25’ and the ‘best newcomer’. The following year he was the youngest rider to have qualified two horses for Badminton (Dry Old Party and Diesel).

Tom comes from an equestrian family. His Mother Ali was a showjumper and Father Bobby, a senior veterinarian, is an associate at Rossdales in Lambourn and worked at Badminton horse trials for over 30 years. His Uncle, John McEwen (MBE), also a senior veterinarian was Vice President of the F.E.I. for eight-years and is a former Chair of F.E.I. Veterinary Committee. Tom’s sister, Ella also formerly competed and rode for the British Pony Team in 2007 and 2008.

At the end of last season Tom married Harriet Fettes.

CHF Cooliser owned by Vicky Bates and David Myers is a 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare. Bred in Ireland by Raymond Carroll she is by Womanizer out of a mare by Ramiro B. She was acquired by Tom as a three-year-old. In 2021 she was 2^nd at Pau 5* her first at the level and in 2022 completed Badminton and Burghley. She is described by Tom as a ‘very busy little mare, that loves people and is fascinated by crowds’.