competition took place at The Horse of The Year Show ( HOYS ) the very same year , opening doors for young equestrian talent .
To this day , ' The Prince Philip Cup ' still runs every year at HOYS , with a battle against the top-mounted games young talent from each nation in Great Britain .
Marcus Capel , Mounted Games Chairman and CEO of The Pony Club , voiced his respect and gratitude for the late Prince , explaining ;
" The Pony Club will be eternally grateful for Prince Philip ' s vision for our sport . As Chairman of Mounted Games , I am passionate about the accessibility , and the camaraderie Mounted Games offers so many Members . Having started my Pony Club journey in this sport , I have had the pleasure of watching so many members develop their horsemanship skills and teamwork over the years . We have hundreds of teams that compete around the world and the pinnacle of the event season is always The Prince Philip Cup competition ; Mounted Games truly is full of fun and friendship !"
" The Duke of Edinburgh has left a great legacy at The Pony Club and we will continue to uphold the values he brought to the sport all those years ago "
Prince Philip continued to keep a watchful eye over the competition , regularly attending showgrounds hosting mounted games events , meeting competitors , and supporting their equestrian visions .
Developing Driving
Prince Philip not only played a massive role in the development of Polo and young people ' s equestrian sport , in the UK and across the globe , but carriage driving too .
Accoladed as a pioneer for equestrian carriage driving , Prince Philip headed the rise of the sport ' s recognition . A leisurely and competitive sport for the Prince , he boosted the profile and worked behind the scenes for carriage driving ' s inclusivity on the wider stage .
Despite being an equestrian activity steeped in history , carriage driving was not recognised by the Federation Equestre Internationale ( FEI ) until 1970 . The Prince himself substantially influenced the recognition for driving to become a worldclass sport .
Becoming President of the FEI in 1964 , and after three years in office at the international equestrian body , he organised a meeting to produce the first-ever rule book for driving .
Standardising international driving rules , Prince Philip had competition equality and safety at the forefront of his mind . One notable alteration the Prince enforced on the rules was " vehicles must have four wheels crossing the finishing line ". The rule change came into force following a competition in Windsor , where a back wheel collapsed on a vehicle . The watching Queen Elizabeth allowed the vehicle to be supported by a small tree to keep it off the ground .
In the following years , Prince Philip competed for Great Britain at the European and World Driving Championships , a competition pioneered by his efforts .
Beginning his competitive driving career in 1972 , by the following year , he competed in his second-ever competition , representing Britain in the European Driving Championships . In 1982 , Prince Philip won the Horse Teams Class at the International Driving Grand Prix at Windsor Horse Show , with her majesty the Queen ' s team of bays . Then again , in 1989 , he won the Pony Teams Class at Windsor . Becoming a hugely successful competitor ,
" The Duke of Edinburgh has left a great legacy at The Pony Club and we will continue to uphold the values he brought to the sport all those years ago "
Marcus Capel , Mounted Games Chairman and CEO of The Pony Club he contributed toward team gold in the 1980 World Championships and team bronze in the 1978 , 1982 and 1984 Championships . He also placed sixth individually in 1982 .
The recognition of driving as an international equestrian discipline opened the doors for many other equestrian sports to join the ranks . By 2006 , Para Driving was introduced to the FEI , supporting inclusivity for all .
An Equestrian Advocate
The introduction of driving was a turning point in equestrian sport . Previously top-level sport was based upon the three Olympic disciplines , eventing , dressage , and show jumping ; driving added a new dimension .
Opening up the realms of possibility during his 22-year presidency at the FEI , he paved the way for sports such as endurance , vaulting and reining to take their place among FEI recognised disciplines . Gaining this recognition is essential for international regulation , ensuring they are fair , safe , and promoted across the world .
In 2020 , FEI President Ingmar De Vos praised Prince Philip ' s work within equestrian sport ;
" By introducing the idea of governing non-Olympic sports , such as Driving , he effectively opened the door to Endurance , Vaulting , Reining and Paralympic sports and today , these non-Olympic sports account for nearly 33 % of our international events and cement our role and mission as the governing body for equestrian sports as a whole ."
" In 2020 , the FEI is also celebrating 99 years of age and I cannot think of a more fitting person to share this important birthday with than His Royal Highness Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh who played such an instrumental role in the history of the FEI , with a legacy few could match ."
Prince Philip was an advocate for all equestrian sport , not just those he had a special interest in . By-standing at multiple horse-centred events and supporting international showjumping series ', his support was unequivocal .
Prince Philip strongly supported the FEI Jumping Nations Cup series , which is now one of the crown jewels in the Jumping calendar . One of the sport ’ s oldest and most prestigious team challenges , national teams from around the world flock to compete for one of the most coveted prizes in the discipline . Aiming to unite nations and foster lifelong enthusiasm for the world of horses , its globe-trotting format means the competition is globally inclusive , where anyone has a chance of winning the title .
In addition , the Prince was hugely supportive of the FEI Jumping World
22 • EVERYTHING HORSE MAGAZINE : MAY 2021