Biography
British rider Piggy French (38) who is based near Maidwell in Northamptonshire is the current Badminton title holder having won the last event in 2019 with Vanir Kamira – this year’s entry also. With entry Brookfield Innocent she won individual silver and team gold at the 2021 European Championships in Avenches. She is currently #8 in the FEI world rider ranking and at the end of last year was the BE top ranked rider in the UK. She is a former Young Rider team gold medal winner and U25 Champion.
Piggy comes from a horsey family – her mother, Kate and sister Nina have both also competed in the sport; Nina currently competes at advanced level. She ran her first yard while based at home in Norfolk producing young horses. With Flintlock II, Piggy achieved her break-through winning Young Rider team gold (2001) and competed at her first Badminton in 2003. In 2004 she won the national Under-25 championship (Which Way II). After a successful 2009 she gained her first senior flag winning European individual silver (Some Day Soon) and in 2010 with Jakata she contested the World Equestrian Games (16th). In 2011 she was second at Badminton with Jakata and the pair was selected for the British European team winning team bronze. At the end of that year she celebrated her first major three-day win at Blenheim with DHI Topper W with who she had won the Olympic Test Event at Greenwich. The pair was selected for the 2012 British Olympic team but had to withdraw just two weeks before due to injury to DHI Topper. In 2013 and 2011 she won the Burghley Young Event Horse final (Duke of Love & Zeno Das Gluck). In 2017 with Vanir Kamira she was second at Burghley and made a return to the British squad competing as an individual at the European Championships in Strzegom with Quarrycrest Echo (28th) and finished the season winning the national six-year-old championship with AKD Corline.
In 2018 with Quarrycrest Echo she was a member of the British team that won gold at the 2018 World Games and a month later was 2nd in the World Young Horse six-year-old championship at Le Lions (Emerald Jonny). In 2019 again with Quarrycrest Echo she was a member of the team that won team silver at the European Championships. In 2020 she was 2nd at Pau with Brookfield Innocent and in 2021 the pair won European team gold and individual silver.
Piggy trains with Ian Woodhead. She and husband Tom March have a 5 year-old son Max.
Vanir Kamira (stable name Tilly) owned by Trevor Dickens, is a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare. She is by the Belgian-bred stallion Camiro de Haar out of Fair Caledonian by the thoroughbred Dixi who stood in the UK. She was formerly produced by Piggy and was then ridden by Izzy Taylor with who she won the 8/9 year old advanced class at Aston le Walls. In 2014 she was ridden by Paul Tapner and the pair completed Burghley 2015. When Paul wanted to reduce his string Piggy accepted the owner’s offer of having her back and took the ride at the beginning of 2017. In September that year pair completed a fairy tale Burghley to finish in second place and the following year went one better to win the top spot at Badminton and a repeat second place at Burghley. Last year they were 3rd in the 5* at Bicton. Owner Trevor Dickens has bred three ET foals from her by the eventing stallions Chilli Morning, Jaguar Mail and Upsilon.
Brookfield Innocent owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn is a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse registered gelding. Bred by John Mulvey he is by Innocent 3 out of a mare by Kings Servant. He was produced to 3* by Australian Kevin McNab – Piggy took the ride in June 2018. The following year the pair won the 4*L at Blenheim and in 2020 was 2nd in their first 5* at Pau and in 2021, a member of the British gold medal team at the European Championships also winning individual silver.
Entries
Vanir Kamira
ISH,
Ireland,
2005
16.1hh , bay , mare
Sire Camiro De Haar Z
Dam Fair Caledonian (Dixi)
Breeder Kathryn Jackson
Owner(s): Trevor Dickens