Tag Archives: Prince Philip

In Memoriam: FEI Pays Tribute to Longest Serving FEI President Prince Philip

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, passed away peacefully at Windsor Castle in England. His death, at the age of 99, was announced by Buckingham Palace.

He was the longest serving FEI President (1964-1986) and was succeeded in this role by his daughter Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, for the following eight years.

Some of Prince Philip’s own greatest sporting achievements came in the sport of Driving which he introduced as a new discipline in the FEI and helped to develop during his FEI Presidency. He helped standardise international rules and became a hugely successful competitor himself, winning team gold at the 1980 World Driving Championship and bronze in 1978, 1982, and 1984. He also placed sixth individually in 1982.

Prince Philip strongly supported the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series, which is now one of the crown jewels in the Jumping calendar, and was hugely supportive of the launch of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ in the 1970s. He was also instrumental in the creation of the FEI World Equestrian Games™, having lobbied for such a competition for many years before it was finally staged for the first time in Stockholm (SWE) in 1990.

An all-round horseman, he played polo during his time in the Royal Navy in the 1940s and became one of Britain’s top-10 players. His passion for all things equestrian was shared by his wife and passed on to their children, particularly Prince Charles who was also a keen polo player, and Princess Anne, who claimed individual gold at the FEI European Eventing Championships in 1971, and individual and team silver four years later, before becoming the first British Royal to compete at an Olympic Games when she rode in Montreal 1976.

Prince Philip’s grandchildren have also inherited a love of horse sport. Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall took the Eventing world title in 2006 and was a member of the British silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Princes William and Harry are also regularly spotted on the polo field.

Born in Corfu, Greece and educated in France, Germany, and Great Britain, he was just 18 years old when he joined the Royal Navy in 1939. During World War ll, he served with the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets, and by the time he left the service in 1952 he had reached the rank of Commander. At the age of 26, he married the then Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth ll) in November 1947.

“The passing of Prince Philip is a huge loss for equestrian sport and his legacy, particularly at the FEI, will live on for many many decades to come,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “I first met him in London at the FEI General Assembly in 2005, and again at the FEI Eventing European Championships in Blair Castle in 2015. He was a man of incredible energy and a great sense of humour and the FEI was honoured to have him as our longest serving President.

“His dedication to equestrian sports cannot be underestimated and will never be forgotten, especially in the Driving community. He was born in the same year the FEI was founded and sadly he will not be with us to celebrate his own and the FEI’s centenary this year. We will celebrate his life and remember him as a great ambassador of our sport.”

The FEI extends its deepest sympathy to the British Royal Family and joins the equestrian community in mourning the loss of this remarkable man.

Media contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Communications
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Shannon Gibbons
Media Relations and Communications Manager
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Talks Love of and Involvement in Combined Driving

Lexington, Ky. – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh gave his first and only post-retirement public interview this week to US Equestrian Board Member Misdee Wrigley Miller at the esteemed Royal Windsor Horse Show in Great Britain. His involvement and love of the international equestrian sport, combined driving, was at the top of his list for discussion.

Click here to watch the exclusive interview with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Serving as the President of the Fédération Equestre International (FEI) from 1964 to 1986, the Duke was influential in helping to standardize the international rules for combined driving and bringing the sport to the Royal Windsor Horse Show. His own involvement in the sport started when he was 50 after he decided it was time to give up playing polo.

“I was looking around to see what was next, you know, what was available,” said Prince Philip. “I thought to myself, ‘We have got horses and carriage, so why don’t we have a go?’ So, I borrowed four horses from the stables and took them to Norfolk and practiced. The second competition I entered was the European championship.”

With the Duke’s 96th birthday on the horizon, he has been participating in combined driving for roughly 46 years. His good-humored interview was his first public media appearance since the announcement of his retirement from royal duties earlier this month. The Duke granted the interview to friend and fellow combined-driving competitor Misdee Wrigley Miller.

Miller also owns Post Time Studios, a production company based out of Lexington, Ky. Post Time Studios developed the Driving Grand Prix broadcast of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, earning a nationally-televised slot with the NBC Sports Network. NBC will air the fully-produced, one-hour highlights of the driving competition when Royal Windsor: Driving Grand Prix airs on national television on July 1 at 1 p.m. EST.

The Royal Windsor Horse Show hosts the CAIO4* Land Rover International Driving Grand Prix, one of the most important driving events in the United Kingdom and a FEI World Cup™ qualifier.

Be sure to follow US Equestrian on social media @USEquestrian and @USEFNetwork for updates and social coverage of the event.