Harry Meade - Riding High!
Congratulations to Harry, not only, for rising to the top of the FEI World Athlete Eventing Rankings, but also for all three of his entries finishing in the top 10 at Burghley Horse Trials 2025!
At Glaze & Gordon, we’re proud to have provided Harry and his team with essential kit since 2023, when they first approached us about the PC Racewear Duvall 150 breeches – a trusted favourite on Harry’s training kit and a cornerstone piece in our collection.
With Harry officially crowned FEI Eventing World Number One this summer and off the back of his fantastic Burghley achievement, we wanted to take a moment to look back on and celebrate Harry’s journey so far.
“It’s a great honour to be world number one, and a real milestone. It’s particularly rewarding for the wider team behind me – they are so invested and their hard work and support has led to this, I’m proud for all of them”.
Harry Meade, 2025, FEI World Number One June & July 2025
Harry’s team are based in the picturesque village of West Littleton, a stone’s throw from the iconic Badminton estate. He lives there with his wife Rosie, and their two children Lily and Charlie, who are both already showing a passion for the sport, regularly out competing on their ponies.
Above: Harry and his team with Annaghmore Valoner wearing the G&G Deluxe Headcollar after winning Bramham 2024.
Like his children, Harry’s love of riding was sparked at a young age, growing up in the heart of an eventing family. His father, Richard Meade, was a legendary figure in the sport, winning three Olympic gold medals and two Badminton titles.
Harry was guided by his father to develop instinct and feel in the saddle – not through formal lessons and competition, but through experience, particularly in the hunting field. Harry was an active member of the Beaufort Pont Club and went on to win the National Pony Club eventing championships in 1999. He represented Team GB at the Junior European Eventing Championships in 2001, where he received a special prize for the stand-out cross country performance of the championship.
“I’ve followed eventing since before I could walk and it’s the sport I love. There are still mountains in front of me that I want to climb, but for a brief moment in a life where you rarely stand still, we’ll take a moment to pause and look back and feel some pride in what everyone has achieved”.
Harry Meade
Above: Away Cruising in the Sixteen Cypress Waffle Cooler Rug at the Badminton Trot - Up in 2023.
Eager to learn from the best, while studying at Bristol University, Harry worked as a stable jockey for William Fox-Pitt. This proved an invaluable experience. It was whilst at William’s that he took over the ride of Midnight Dazzler, a notoriously difficult horse who came to Harry with a chequered record. The pair overcame many challenges and built a great partnership, completing many top-level competitions together. In 2009 Harry was the youngest person in Badminton’s history to receive an Armada dish, awarded for 5 completions.
After several seasons working with William, Harry decided to branch out and establish his own yard. Harry credits his time with William for shaping his patient, sympathetic approach to riding and for honing his talent in producing young horses, bringing them confidently through the levels.
While he kept a relatively small team of horses, Harry consistently delivered good results. Over the next ten years, he maintained a solid track record with regular lacings at 5* level and multiple horses competing at the very top of the sport.
Harry’s career hasn’t been without its challenges. In 2013, while competing at Wellington Horse Trials, he suffered a devastating rotational fall that left him with what appeared to be career-ending injuries. Both elbows required extensive reconstructive surgery, with eight complex operations. Harry required 24-hour care, and it was a long road to recovery. Much to the surprise of his doctors, six months later Harry was back on board and in the starting line up at Badminton Horse Trials with his long-time partner Wild Lone. Extraordinarily they finished in 3rd place, an incredible feat in any circumstances, but all the more given the severity of his injuries.
Their momentum continued with a strong performance at the 2014 World Championships. But just as hopes were high, tragedy struck. Wild Lone sadly passed away after finishing the cross country – a heartbreaking loss for the entire Meade team. Harry had produced the horse from a four-year-old and it was a devastating end to what had been an extraordinary journey.
Above: Harry in the Smathers & Branson Elephant Martini Needlepoint Belt at Badminton 2023.
In recent years, Harry has been quietly but confidently building an enviable string of top-class horses. Each one has been carefully developed with patience and the hallmark calmness that defines Harry’s approach. Today, he has five horses competing at the highest level. Among his current starts is Grafennacht, the 2024 Maryland runner-up, who was passed on to Harry by the William Fox-Pitt following William’s retirement from top-level eventing.
“My focus is always each horse’s long-term development, both mentally and physically with their longevity in mind. I’m always learning, and the key to ongoing success is being able to do it on all kinds of horses”.
Harry Meade
Harry’s supremacy at 5* level was abundantly apparent at Burghley 2024, when he finished 3rd, 4th and 12th with Cavalier Crystal, Annaghmore Valoner and Superstition respectively. At the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, he finished 3rd with Et Hop Du Matz and 4th with Grafennacht. Just two weeks later at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials, he delivered again – taking 4th place with Cavalier Crystal and 6th with Superstition. Unsurprisingly this spate of outstanding five-star performances saw Harry top the world rankings, an accolade that few British athletes ever achieve in their chosen sport.
The world number one underlined his consistency at the recent Burghley Horse Trials. The likelihood of bettering his 2024 results seemed ambitious. But another week of extraordinary horsemanship saw him finish 3rd on Cavalier Crystal for the third year running, 4th on Annaghmore Valoner for the second year running, and 9th (3 places better than last year) with Et Hop Du Matz. In doing so Harry became the first rider in Burghley’s history to complete with three horses more than once.
He also has a record of being the only rider ever to have produced two horses in the time at Burghley, Kentucky and Badminton consecutively.
We can’t wait to see what the future holds for the world number one as his career continues to go from strength to strength.
Above: Harry after completing his round on Cavalier Crystal at Burghley 2025, to finish 3rd place for the 3rd year in a row!
As well as training in the iconic PC Racewear Duvall Breeches, Harry has also become a fan of our very own G&G Traditional Training breeches – both of which are now part of his regular riding wardrobe at home. Since then, we’ve been proud to supply Harry and his team with a range of essential kit to support them both at home and on the road.
This includes the Sixteen Cypress Cooler Rugs and the standout Smathers & Branson Elephant Martini and Salmon Belts, which he regularly matches with his signature colourful trousers in the trot-ups. His horses also travel in style and comfort thanks to out G&G Deluxe Headcollars and Engel Sheepskin Covers – ideal for those long overseas journeys.
Harry’s Head Girl, Jess Errington, is a huge fan of our Sommer Grooming brushes – a must-have that’s always packed on the lorry for competitions.
We at G&G are incredibly proud of Harry’s achievements and delighted to support him and his team with the kit they rely on every day.
Above: Harry, and Annaghmore Valoner in the Sixteen Cypress Waffle Cooler pre Trot Up at Burghley 2024.
