William Fox-Pitt

Wednesday 7th - Sunday 11th May 2025

William Fox-Pitt

Great Britain
  • 105 - Little Fire
  • 8 - Oratorio

Biography

British Olympian William Fox-Pitt (55) is one of the sport’s most successful riders. He first competed here 34-years ago (1989) and has 24 completions gaining another last year with Grafennacht his entry this year also. Later in the year the combination was 2nd in the Elkton 5* in Maryland. He has won Badminton twice, in 2004 (Tamarillo) and again in 2015 with the stallion Chilli Morning – the first stallion to win the event.

William who is based in Dorset, has previously topped the World rankings three times (2002, 2009 & 2010) and been British number one seven times. He was a member of the British team at the 2014 WEG winning team silver and individual bronze with Chilli Morning with who he won European individual bronze (2013) and the pair represented GB at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games – his fifth Olympic Games. In 2012 he was a member of the British silver medal team at the London Olympics.

William has won seven team gold, two individual silvers and one individual bronze at European Championships. He has won two Olympic team silver (2004 & 2012) and team bronze (2008). His World Championship success includes, team bronze (2002), team silver (2006 & 2014) individual bronze (2014) and in 2010 at Lexington, team gold and individual silver.

He is also the three-time winner of the former HSBC Classics series – the accumulator series that tied Europe’s premier four-star events together. He is the only rider to have won Burghley on six occasions (1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008 & 2011), and the only rider to have won five of the World’s six-four-star events (Badminton, Burghley, Luhmuhlen, Lexington & Pau) and is the winner of 64 international three-day events (CCI) – he gained his 64th this year at Houghton Hall with Little Fire.

William represented Britain at Junior and Young Rider European Championships winning his first medals (ind Junior silver in 1987 & YR team gold in 1988 & ‘99). He first completed Badminton aged 20 in 1989 but had to wait until 2004 to achieve his ambition of winning. After school he gained a languages degree from London University before setting up his own yard.

In October 2015 William sustained a serious head injury whilst competing in France and spent a week in an induced coma. He was back competing in April 2016 albeit with a reduced stable of horses and later that year, with Chilli Morning competed at the Rio Olympic Games – his fifth Olympic appearance.

His parents, Oliver and Marietta, rode at Badminton and Marietta was in the British Team in the 1960’s. William is married to Alice (nee Plunkett) a former four-star event rider and a current presenter on ITV racing. The couple has four children; two sons Oliver (18) and Thomas (16) and two daughters Chloe (11) and Emily (10). They are based in Dorset where William has created a modern training yard. William enjoys rearing chickens. He has written two books and is also vice-president for the Dorset RDA.

Grafennacht owned by Amanda Gould, is a 12-year-old British-bred Oldenburg registered mare. Bred by Susan Eggleton, she is an embryo transfer daughter of the leading sire Grafenstolz (also the sire of Badminton entries Lordships Graffalo, Graf Cavalier and Ellfield Voyager) out of the advanced eventing mare Nachtigall by the thoroughbred Narew. In 2019 with William she was 2nd in the 7-year-old young horse 3* at Osberton and subsequently 4th in the World 7-year-old championship at le Lions. She completed her first 5* at Badminton in 2023.

 

Entries

Little Fire

HANN, Germany, 2009
17.0hh , bay , gelding

Sire Graf Top

Dam HERALDIK'S ANGARA (Heraldik)

Breeder Volker Steinkraus

Owner(s): Jennifer Dowling
& Rider

Oratorio

United Kingdom, 2009
16.3hh , bay , gelding

Sire Oslo Biats

Dam Cinnamon Brulee (Topanoora)

Breeder Camilla Jenks

Owner(s): Oratorio Syndicate

Notable Results

2023 – Elkton CCI5*L 2nd Grafennacht

2021 – Boekelo CCIO4* NC 2nd Grafennacht

2021 – Bicton CCI4*L 10th Grafennacht

2021 – Pau 5* 22nd Little Fire, 27th Oratorio

2021 – Houghton Hall CCIO4* 1st Little Fire

2021 – Lexington CCI5* El Oratorio

2016 – Rio OG 12th Chilli Morning

2016 – Tattersalls CCIYH1* 1st Little Fire

2015 – Blair Castle CH-EU-CCI3* ret Bay My Hero

2015 – Burghley CCI4* 10th Fernhill Pimms

2015 – Lexington CCI4* 4th Bay My Hero

2014 – Burghley CCI4* 4th Bay My Hero

2014 – Caen WEG 3rd Chilli Morning (team silver ind bronze)

2014 – Lexington CCI4* 1st Bay My Hero, 9th Seacookie

2013 – Pau CCI4* 1st Sea Cookie, 3rd Cool Mountain, 15th Neuf des Coeurs

2013 – Burghley CCI4* 4th Parklane Hawk

2013 – Malmo CH-EU-3* 3rd Chilli Morning

2013 – Luhmuhlen CCI4* 3rd Neuf Des Coeurs, 4th Lionheart

2013 – Bramham CCI3* 1st, Chilli Morning

2013 – Lexington Kentucky CCI4* Seacookie TSF 2nd, Ret Chilli Morning

2012 – Pau CCI4* 4th Bay My Hero, 5th Chilli Morning

2012 – Blenheim CCI3* 1st Seacookie TSF, 2nd Bay My Hero

2012 – Burghley CCI4* 3rd Parklane Hawk, RET Seacookie TSF

2012 – London OG, Lionheart (team silver)

2012 – Bramham CCI3* 1st Chilli Morning

2012 – Lexington KY CCI4* 1st Parklane Hawk

2011 – Pau CCI3* 1st Oslo, 3rd Lionheart, 25th Macchiato

2011 – Burghley CCI4* 1st Parklane Hawk, 18th Neuf des Coeurs

2011 – Luhmuhlen CH-EU-C3* 7th Cool Mountain

2010 – Burghley CCI4* 2nd Seacookie

2010 – Lexington CCI4* 1st Cool Mountain

2009 – Burghley CCI4* 7th Seacookie

2009 – Fontainebleau CH-EU-3* 4th, team gold Idalgo

2008 – Hong Kong OG 12th, team bronze Parkmore Ed

2005 – Blenheim CH-EU-C3* team gold, individual silver Tamarillo

2004 – Athens OG team silver Tamarillo

2002 – Burghley CCI4* 1st Highland Lad

2002 – Jerez WEG team bronze Tamarillo

1997 – Burghley Open Europeans team Gold and individual silver Cosmopolitan

1994 – Burghley CCI4* 1st Chaka

Badminton

2023 – 14th Grafennacht

2022 – 13th Little Fire, 14th Oratorio

2019 – 9th Little Fire, 13th Oratorio

2018 – ret Fernhill Pimms

2015 – 1ST Chilli Morning

2014 – El Parklane Hawk, W/D after dressage Cool Mountain

2013 – 5th Parklane Hawk; 53rd Oslo

2011 – 13th Cool Mountain, 15th Navigator

2010 – 34th Macchiato, W’drew Seacookie after dressage

2009 – 2nd (Idalgo), 5th (Macchiato)

2008 – 3rd (Ballincoola) 18th (Tamarillo)

2006 – W’drawn (Tamarillo)

2005 – 2nd (Tamarillo) Ret’d (Ballincoola)

2004 – 1st (Tamarillo)

2003 – 22nd  (Highland Lad)

2002 – 2nd (Tamarillo)

1997 – 3rd (Cosmopolitan)

1995 – W’drawn SJ (Chaka) when overnight leaders

1994 – 25th (Chaka)

1993 – 7th (Chaka)

1991 – 19th (Steadfast)

1989 – 26th (Steadfast)