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 Born in June 1961, Robert is originally from Yorkshire but today is based in Warwickshire. As one of Britain’s most consistently successful international show jumpers, Robert is also a much sought-after trainer having mentored many of today’s top young riders.
Robert has also been instrumental in selling some of show jumping’s top horses to owners around the world and operates his high calibre performance horse sales agency from bases in the UK and Holland.
Robert is a consistent performer and among his many wins and achievements, he competed as an individual in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 where he finished fourth.
He topped the BSJA's show jumping rider ranking list for three consecutive years and has represented his country in Nations Cup teams on over 80 occasions. Robert won back-to back British Open titles in 2005 and 2006, as well as having won numerous World Cup Qualifiers, Grands Prix and Puissance competitions.
In 2006, Robert was invited to appear as one of three judges for the BBC's successful 'Only Fools on Horses' reality programme for Sport Relief.
Robert won the Chester Masters in 2009 with Raging Bull Vangelis S, who was consistently in the ribbons, competing with him as an individual at the European Championships, and has exciting rides ahead with Talan, Ronaldo and Baldourado
ROBERT SMITH CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- At just 15 years old, he won the Yorkshire Grand Prix at the Great Yorkshire Show on Caldene Cresta, which he considers to be his first major achievement.
- In 1977, together with his brother Steven, he was a member of the 1977 British Junior European Gold Medal winning team.Two years later in 1979, at just 17, he became the youngest ever winner of the King George V Gold Cup at the Royal International Horse Show on Upton. Robert went on to win this again in 1988 on Brookstreet Boysie and in 1998 on Senator Mighty Blue.
- Robert was a member of the Bronze Medal winning team in the European Championships in 1997. In 2000, Robert made headline news for winning seven classes at Horse of the Year Show. He followed this by victories at HOYS in both 2001 and 2002.
- He was awarded the Leading Rider of the Show Trophy at Olympia 2002 winning three classes including the World Cup Qualifier. In March 2003, Robert was awarded a World Cup Silver Medal for 100 starts in World Cup competitions.
Robert was a member of the World Class Performance Squad in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
- Robert has won the coveted British Open title for two consecutive years in 2005 and 2006 and was third in 2009.
- Winner of the British Masters at Chester in 2009 on Vangelis S.
- Robert achieved the rare double of winning both the World Cup Qualifier and the Grand Prix at Olympia on Kalusha in December 2005.
- Robert was winner of the Animal Health Trust UK Equestrian Award in 2004.
- He has represented Great Britain in the Nations Cup team on over 80 occasions.
- Robert represented Great Britain as an individual competitor in the Athens 2004 Olympics where he finished fourth, the highest placed British rider in the competition.
- Riding Mr Springfield, Robert achieved third place in the prestigious 2004 $1,000,000 Calgary Grand Prix in Spruce Meadows, show jumping's richest competition
RECENT MAJOR CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS:
1st - Member of Team GBR winning Longines Nations Cup at CSIO***** Abu Dhabi (Talan)
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1st British Masters, Chester - Vangelis S
=3rd Hickstead Derby - Vangelis S
3rd British Open Show Jumping Championships
– Vangelis S, Columbia
1st Midland Masters, British Open Show Jumping Championships – Columbia
2nd Team GB, Bremen CSI****
- Columbia
1st Olympia Speed Stakes -
Raging Bull Vangelis S
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1st Sprehe Gold Cup, CSI4* Munchen (Columbia)
2nd Muller-Brot Preis, CSI4* Munchen (Vangelis S)
1st Winning Nations Cup team CSIO5* (Vangelis S)
1st Grand Prix, Frankfurt (Columbia)
1st Speed Grand Prix, CSI4* Geesteren (Ronaldo)
1st Winning Nations Cup Team CSIO5* Rome (Ronaldo)
1st Open Aintree International (Kalusha)
1st CSI-W, Verona (Kalusha)
1st Spanish Sunshine Tour Grand Prix (A) (Talan)
2nd Spanish Sunshine Tour Grand Prix (B) (Talan)
1st Spanish Sunshine Tour (Columbia)
1st Spanish Sunshine Tour (Columbia)
3rd Spanish Sunshine Tour (Vangelis S)
1st British Open, Birmingham (Mr Springfield)
2nd British Open, Birmingham (Kalusha)
1st 7yo & 8yo CSI 5* Hamburg (Talan)
3rd Grand Prix, CSI5* Mechelen (Columbia)
2nd Accumulator CSIO 5* Rome (Mr Springfield)
3rd Grand Prix Chester Racecourse (Mr Springfield)
1st Accumulator CSIO 5* Dublin (Mr Springfield)
3rd Nations Cup Team CSIO5* Madrid (Vangelis S)
4th Belgravia British Masters, Chester Racecourse (Talan)
6th Grand Prix, CSIO5* Rotterdam (Vangelis S)
12th $1,000,000 Grand Prix, Calgary (Vangelis S)
2nd Horse of the Year Show (Vangelis S)
6th World Cup Qualifier CSI-W Verona (Vangelis S)
2nd CSI4* Maastricht (Vangelis S) |
3rd Estoril – 300,000 Euros Global Champions Tour (Ronaldo) 1st Estoril (Vangelis S) 1 st Speed Champion, Royal Dublin Horse Show (Gerry Maguire)
1st Nations Cup Winning Team Member, Royal Dublin Horse Show (Ronaldo)
1st Nations Cup Winning Team Member, Rome (Ronaldo)
1st Young Horse Champion, Valkenswaard (Talan)
2nd Grand Prix, Valkenswaard (Ronaldo)
1st Six Bar Final, Rome (Vangelis)
1st Royal Windsor Horse Show (Vangelis)
1st Speed GP, France (Marius Claudius)
Plus many other numerous wins and placings both internationally and nationally. |
1st British Open Show Jumping Champion, Sheffield (Kalusha)
1st Wellington Masters Grand Prix, Florida (Gerry Maguire)
1st Speed Stakes, Florida (Gerry Maguire)
1st Nations Cup (Team) Hickstead (Marius Claudius)
1st Grand Prix, Arena UK (Marius Claudius)
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1st British Open Champion, Sheffield (Kalusha)
1st Sheffield Masters (Marius Claudius)
1st Grand Prix - BSJA Scope Festival (Ronaldo)
1st World Cup Qualifier - Goteburg (Kalusha)
1st Lisbon (Marius Claudius)
1st Eindhoven (Marius Claudius)
Leading Rider of the Show - Geneva
1st World Cup Qualifier, Olympia London (Kalusha)
1st Grand Prix, Olympia London (Kalusha) |
Leading Rider of the Year - BSJA Ranking List
4th Olympic Games, Athens (Individual Show Jumping) Mr Springfield
3rd $1,000,000 Grand Prix, Spruce Meadows (Mr Springfield)
1st Nations Cup, Hickstead (Mr Springfield)
1st International Stakes, Hickstead (Marius Claudius)
1st Gothenburg Cup, Sweden (Kalusha)
1st Sires of the World Grand Prix, S'Hertogenbosch (Marius Claudius)
2nd British Open Show Jumping Championships, Sheffield 2004 (Mr Springfield)
1st Speed Stakes, British Open Show Jumping Championships (Marius Claudius)
1st Goteburg Trophy (Kalusha)
Leading Rider of the Show for the second consecutive year at Belfast International Horse Show 2004
Leading Rider of the Show, Geneva 2004
1st Prix du Leman, Geneva (Kalusha)
1st Prix Tribune, Geneva (Marius Claudius) |
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