Harry Meade and Grafennacht at Kentucky. Picture by Tilly Berendt.
British Eventer Harry Meade has risen to the top of the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings, overtaking American athlete Boyd Martin, whose transient stint on the high lasted only a month. Meade’s climb marks a major milestone, as he claims the primary place on this planet for the primary time in his profession.
The 41-year-old has climbed two locations within the newest rankings replace, leapfrogging each Martin and fellow countryman Tom McEwen because of a string of stellar performances on each side of the Atlantic.
“It’s an incredible honour to be world primary, and an actual milestone,” Meade mentioned. “It’s notably rewarding for the broader crew behind me – they’re so invested, and their onerous work and help has led to this. I’m pleased with all of them. I believe my eleven-year-old son is most enthusiastic about it although – he’s been following the rankings over the previous yr and was the primary to name it!”
Meade’s ascent has been fueled by a collection of strong outcomes at a number of of the game’s most prestigious eventing competitions. In April, he delivered a standout efficiency on the CCI5* in Lexington, ending third with Et Hop du Matz and fourth with Grafennacht.
Returning to house soil for the enduring Badminton Horse Trials in Might, Meade continued his robust type, inserting fourth with Cavalier Crystal and sixth with Superstition. Final yr on the CCI5* in Burghley, he completed third and fourth with Cavalier Crystal and Annaghmore Valoner respectively, exhibiting his consistency at high stage competitions.
Requested about the important thing to his current success, Meade pointed to his long-term philosophy. “It’s about producing horses in a “softly-softly” manner and ensuring they get pleasure from their job. My focus is all the time on every horse’s improvement, each mentally and bodily, with their longevity in thoughts. I’m all the time studying, and the important thing to ongoing success is having the ability to do it with every kind of horses.”
He was additionally fast to credit score these behind the scenes: “Our house owners and sponsors have totally purchased into our manner of doing issues. They’ve religion that it really works and are in it for the long run. My purpose is to do them justice.”
Having grown up immersed within the sport, Meade mirrored on the journey with humility and pleasure. “I’ve adopted Eventing since earlier than I might stroll – it’s the game I really like. There are nonetheless mountains in entrance of me that I need to climb, however for a quick second in a life the place you hardly ever stand nonetheless, we’ll take a second to pause, look again, and really feel some pleasure in what everybody has achieved.”
Proper behind Meade (588 factors), compatriot Tom McEwen stays in second place on 577 factors, adopted by Rosalind Canter (GBR – 560 factors), who’s now third after climbing two spots. New Zealand’s Tim Value is fourth with 549 factors whereas former primary Boyd Martin (USA) sits in fifth on 543 factors.
You may verify the complete FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings right here.
