Best Horse Riders In the World

The best and most famous horse riders don't necessarily come from wealthy backgrounds or families with a strong interest in horses. Many of the riders mentioned made it through hard work and hustle to become good horse riders and horsemen.

10 Best Riders In The World (English Riding)

1. Charlotte Dujardin (Dressage) 
   A British dressage rider who took the dressage world by storm on the horse Valegro after her trainer Carl Hester offered the gelding to her to ride in 2007 and then took team Gold Medal at her first ever European Championships. After 5 years of multiple wins and Olympic titles, Charlotte retired Valegro in 2016.
   On 19 April 2015 in Las Vegas, Dujardin and Valegro won the FEI World Cup with a score of 94.169% on the final day of competition. This was their fourth consecutive World Title; they are the only competition pair to have ever held four consecutive world titles- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Dujardin
   
   
2. Anky van Grunsven (Dressage)
   Anky is a dutch dressage rider that is very famous in the world of equestrian sports. Anky has competed on the highest level in dressage since 1982 with multiple wins and titles. Her most notable win was the Gold at the 2000 Olympics with the horse Bonfire.
3. Isabell Werth (Dressage)
   The German rider Isabell Werth competed in the Olympics for dressage 6 times and holds 7 Olympic Gold medals and 12 Olympic medals, which is the record for the most medals held for an equestrian athlete. In 2009, Isabelle's horse Whisper was tested with an A sample, and the banned substance fluphenazine came back positive. Isabell was banned from competition for 6 months and she stated that the substance was given to the horse to treat equine shivers. This incident did not ruin her reputation and she is still a loved dressage rider and trainer worldwide.
4. Pippa Funnell (Eventing)
   Pippa competes in cross country and became the first woman ever to win the grand slam of eventing in 2003 and the Burghley Horse Trials in 2019. Her path to success was not straight, though, as when she transitioned from a young rider to competing against seniors in the international competition ring, her nerves got the best of her, and her career didn't take off until she received help from sports psychologist Nicky Heath. Pippa holds 3 Olympic Games medals and is still actively competing today.
5. Michael Jung (Eventing)
   Winner of the Badminton Horse Trials in 2016 and the second rider ever to win the Grand Slam of eventing. Michael was also added into the Eventing Rider Association Hall of Fame in 2013.
6. Henrik von Eckermann (Show Jumping)
   Henrik is a Swedish show jumper who may not be as well known as the other riders in this list, but he made his name famous recently as he is currently ranked as the world number one in the FEI rankings for showjumping. Henrik is known as a shy person outside the show ring but his talent for horse rider has proven that you can make it to the top by being a gentle a kidn rider. Henrik believes in teaching the horse the basics is more important than jumping high regularly in training.
7. Beezie Madden (Show Jumping)
   Beezie is from the United States and is a well-known name in the world of show jumping as she has been on top of the podium many times, beating all the male riders who tend to win. Her most notable performances are two individual Olympic gold medals, one silver medal (team show jumping) and one individual bronze medal. Making her international show jumping debut in 1987 - Beezie has been actively competing on the highest level for three decades!
   
   For nearly three decades, Madden has represented the United States in the world's most prestigious competitions, becoming the first American to break into the top-three on the FEI Jumping World Ranking List. She was the first woman to pass the $1 million mark in earnings in the sport of jumping. - https://www.usef.org/team-usa/athletes/beezie_madden#:~:text=For%20nearly%20three%20decades%2C%20Madden,in%20the%20sport%20of%20jumping.

   
   
8. Mclain Ward (Show Jumping)
   McLain is an American Show jumper with 5 Olympic medals. Growing up in a horse family his parents encouraged him to ride and thanks to his support at home he became the youngest rider at only 14 years old to win both the United States Equestrian Federation's Show Jumping Derby and the USET medals finals.
9. Peder Fredricson (Show Jumping)
   Peder was on top of the worldwide FEI ranking in showjumping in 2021 which had been a longterm goal for him. Peder is known for his gentle approach when training and handling horses, and he emphasizes the importance of forming a bond with them, rather than treating them like machines. He also made worldwide news when he showed up to international showjumping competitions without shoes on his horses. Peder is always testing and trialling different techniques and methods for his horses and has inspired other riders to try new things too and not be stuck in the norm and the old way of doing things.
   
   
10. Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (Dressage)

    Jessica is a German dressage rider who currently holds the number one FEI ranking for dressage (2023) with her horse Tsf Dalera which she also won the 2020 individual gold olympic gold medasl with in 2020. She also has a huge following online with over 350,000 followers on instagram.

3 Best Jockeys In The World 

1. Frankie Dettori
   Frankie is an Italian jockey living in England who has been a successful jockey and trainer for over 3 decades.
   
   Frankie went on to ride 233 winners in 1994 as he secured the first of three British jockeys' championships. On 28 September 1996, he won all seven of his races, a feat which had never been accomplished before. Frankie has smashed almost all known horse racing records with over 40 victories at Royal Ascot alone. (https://www.aru.ac.uk/graduation-and-alumni/honorary-award-holders2/frankie-dettori#:~:text=Frankie%20went%20on%20to%20ride,victories%20at%20Royal%20Ascot%20alone.)
   
   
2. Kieren Fallon
   Kieren is a retired Irish jockey with over 2200 career wins. His career was far from perfect as he was charged for a crime involving 'stopping' other horses in the race from 2002-2004. He was not found guilty for this case but it did set a mark in his life as he was diagnosed with depression following the event. Kieren is still known as an incredible talent in the world of horse racing and seems to have recovered from his traumatic years at last.
   The former champion jockey sought psychiatric help after facing years in prison for a crime he did not commit and falling victim to a News of the World sting, but his smile has returned at last
   The Guardian
   
   
3. Michelle Payne
   Michelle is an Australian Jockey who made worldwide news in 2015 after she became the first (and only) female jockey ever to win the Melbourne cup. Michelle dreamt of being a jockey as a child, and as a 7-year-old, she told her friends that she would one day win the Melbourne Cup. In 2017 Michelle was awarded the Longines Ladies Award in Washington USA for her noteworthy performance in a very male dominated industry.

5 Best Horse Riders of All Time

1. Marion Coakes
2. Ian Stark
3. Bill Shoemaker
   
4. John Whitaker
   
5. Lester Piggot

10 Most Famous Horse Riders in The World

This list includes famous horseback riders through history that are not only known for their horse riding skills but also their businesses within the horse world. 

1. Monty Roberts - Horse trainer famous worldwide for his training method and horse tack for sale
2. Jessica Springsteen - Bruce Springsteen's daughter who is a competitive show jumper
3. Buck Brannaman - A famous horse trainer that featured in the documentary 'Buck'
4. Robert Redford - American film maker and a good rider who directed the famous movie The horse whisperer
5. Alycia Burton - A horse trainer from New Zealand who became famous from her free jumping youtube videos.
6. Eve Jobs - Steve Jobs' daughter, who is a successful show jumper.
7. Paul Schockemohle - A German rider and businessman who owns the brand Schockemohle and who also bought the famous dressage gelding Totilas
8. Alizee Froment - A French liberty and dressage trainer that is known for her tackless dressage performances
9. Matt Harnacke - The world's largest horse influencer with over 650,000 followers on Instagram, where you can follow his life as a dressage rider.
10. Jennifer Gates - Bill Gates' daughter, who is a competitive show jumper and professional rider.