Michael Whitaker

Michael Whitaker is a British show jumper, born on 17 March 1960 in Huddersfield and raised on his parents' farm in Yorkshire, where he and his three brothers were taught to ride by their mother Enid. He is the younger brother of John Whitaker. He began competing on ponies at the age of five, made his international debut at sixteen and in 1980 became the second youngest winner of the Hickstead Derby, at twenty. In September 1993 he took over from his brother as the top ranked show jumping rider in the world. In 2009 he was banned for four months after his stallion Tackeray tested positive for the hormone altrenogest at a competition in France, and he was found negligent for the positive test. Olympedia lists him at the Olympics of 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2016 and credits him with one Olympic silver medal. His son Jack and several nieces and nephews are also show jumpers.