After winning two Mars Badminton and one Defender Burghley CCI5* titles, a team gold medal at the Paris Olympics and an individual world championships title, Ros Canter is one of the hottest names in the equestrian industry right now.
But there is a lot more to the 39-year-old British event rider than her eventing medals, including other sporting prowess, motherhood and making history.
So whether you’re a super fan or you’ve heard the name and want to know who she is, here are a few fast facts about Ros Canter:
She runs well too
Ros completed the London marathon this year, just 12 days before winning Badminton.
She laced up her trainers to raise money for Spinal Research and the rider proved that she’s not just quick on a horse, but on her own two foot as well.
She finished the 26.2 miles in 4 hours and 15 minutes.
She’s a mum
Ros and her partner Christopher have a five-year old daughter, Ziggy, and Ros says she cherishes family time together.
She’s got a degree
Ros has a degree in sport science from Sheffield Hallam University. While studying there, Ros represented Great Britain in the World University Equestrian Championships in Algeria and won a silver medal in the showjumping.
She’s good at hockey
Ros was a keen hockey player in her teens and early twenties. She played hockey for Sheffield Hallam’s first team during her university years, juggling this with her studies and also eventing.
She has an MBE
In the 2025 New Year’s Honours list, Ros was recognised with an MBE for her services to sport as an event rider and coach.
She’s quite short!
Ros is known for riding big horses very successfully — Allstar B was 17.1hh — but she’s barely 5ft 2ins tall.
She’s a former Pony Club member
Ros grew up near Louth in Lincolnshire on her family’s, where she is still based today. She was an active member of the South Wold Hunt North Pony Club as a child and produced ponies from a young age.
She set up her own yard in 2011
After university, Ros went travelling for four months before taking a summer job with Judy Bradwell. She stayed with Judy for four years before setting up her own livery and competition yard at her family’s farm in 2011.
Silver Curtis was her first horse
Ros’ first horse, Silver Curtis, gave her a taste for affiliated eventing and together they were shortlisted for the junior team as well as contesting their first advanced eventing class together.
She went to Tokyo but didn’t compete
Ros and her world champion horse Allstar B, who was owned by the rider’s late friend and mentor Caroline Moore, was the traveling reserve rider for the Tokyo Olympics.
The pair flew all the way out to Japan’s capital and they lived and trained with Team GB. However, in the end they weren’t needed and they never actually got to compete in the Games, for which there were no spectators on site due to Covid-19 regulations.
She won gold in Paris
Fast forward three years (the Tokyo Games were delayed due to Covid-19 and took place in 2021 instead of 2020) and Ros was back at an Olympics, but this time as a fully fledged team member.
This time her equine partner was Lordships Graffalo and together they helped Team GB to gold.
She completed Badminton for the first time in 2017
Ros partnered Allstar B for her Badminton debut and they caught the eye when finishing fifth in a competitive field. Just one year later, the pair became world champions in Tryon.
She made history at Badminton
Winning in 2025 makes Lordships Graffalo the first horse to reclaim the Badminton title in non-consecutive years. Their first victory came in 2023.
Main image © Badminton Horse Trials. Credit: Kit Houghton & Sally Newcomb
