Their last cross country run - Tina Cook and BIlly the Red at Thoresby International 2022
British Olympic, World and European gold medallist Tina Cook has announced that she is to retire from top level eventing
Tina told Horse & Hound that it is “the end of an era”, after her top horse Billy the Red was put down recently at the age of 15
Tina and Billy the Red won team gold and were fourth individually at the 2017 European Championships in Strzegom, took team silver at the 2019 European Championships in Luhmühlen and finished ninth individually at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Luhmuhlen
Their last cross country run together was at the Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby International in March 2022 where they took third place in the Advanced (see video above)
Tina Cook and Billy The Red, team gold medallists at the 2017 European Championships
At the 2017 European Championships, Tina told us more about the ‘bright and spooky’ Billy the Red, who she found as a six-year-old when Elisabeth Murdoch came forward as an owner
“He is very intelligent but he can’t be dominated. You just have to be strict but fair with him (a bit similar to my children, really!)”
Tina Cook at Strzegom European Championships 2017
The daughter of champion jockey, Josh Gifford, Tina has been one of the British team stalwarts for many years, taking part in her first World Championships in 2002, going on to be part of the gold medal winning team at the 2014 World Equestrian Games on Miners Frolic and win team silver at the 2018 World Equestrian Games riding De Novo News
Tim also became individual team and individual European Champion in 2009 and was part of the Olympic silver winning team at London 2012 Olympic Games with Miners Frolic
Now it’s time to hang up her boots from the very top level of competition but Tina says she will continue to compete at lower levels as she intends to continue producing young horses. But much of her focus will be on her two children, Isabelle, who won team gold and individual silver at this year’s FEI Eventing European Junior Championships (watch our interview with Isabelle here) and her son Harry
