Oliver Townend

Townend grew up in Scapegoat Hill, near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.^[7] He won the junior newcomers showjumping at the Horse of the Year Show with Cool Mule at age 11,^[8] rode in the pony European Eventing Championships at age 13,^[1] and left school at 16 to pursue a career in riding and selling horses. His father was an event rider and his mother was a side-saddle rider.^[9]

In 2010, Townend suffered a rotational fall at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day in Lexington, Kentucky, and was crushed by his horse. He broke his collarbone, shoulder bones, sternum, and four ribs, but credited his airbag vest with minimizing his injuries.^[10]

Townend currently lives in Ellesmere, Shropshire.^[11]

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism.^[12][13]

Townend has received several warnings for excessive whip use during competitions and for riding fatigued horses.^[14] He received warnings for "abuse of the horse" in 2014, and for "abuse of the horse and wrong use of the whip" at Floors Castle in 2017.^[15] In 2018, he received an official warning for “abuse of horse/excessive use of the whip” at the Badminton Horse Trials.^[16] He subsequently lost two sponsors and apologized.^[17] He received further warnings for whip use at the Blair Castle International Horse Trials in 2018 and at an indoor horse trial competition in Stockholm in 2022,^[18][19] and was disciplined by the FEI for dangerous riding at Badminton Horse Trials in 2023.^[20]