Harry Meade is the current FEI Eventing World Number One.

Harry has been at the top of the sport for over 20 years. Widely respected in the equestrian world for his quiet and sympathetic style of riding, he is also well known as a five-star specialist who is able to consistently produce horses through the grades to deliver at the very highest level.

In 2024/5, Harry piloted six horses clear and inside the time around Burghley, Kentucky, and Badminton consecutively (two horses at each of the three events) – a feat only achieved once before in the history of the sport. He also finished on his dressage score at all three of these Grand Slam events. In June 2025 Harry was crowned FEI World Number One, following multiple top-level results. In 2025 alone Harry had seven five-star starts, and all seven finished in the top-ten, all at Badminton, Kentucky and Burghley - with two horses in the top six at all three events.

Harry has completed Badminton and Burghley a total of 30 times.  He remains the youngest rider ever to have received a much sought-after Armada dish – awarded for five Badminton completions. In the last three years alone at Burghley he has been third three times, fourth twice, ninth and twelfth.  He has made three trips to Kentucky, and finished third, fourth and fifth.

For the past seventeen years, Harry has been a member of the Lottery-funded World Class squad.

Harry has been a member of the BBC commentary and presenting team over many years

and has written regular columns for leading print publications, including Horse and Hound.

Harry has also been influential in matters of international governance through his

involvement with numerous federations, panels and committees, where his passion for the

sport, wealth of experience and proactive engagement is evident.

History

Harry’s childhood was spent in the saddle, developing him into a natural and instinctive rider. Inspired by his father, a three-time Olympic Gold Medallist, Harry was keen to emulate Richard’s career.

Growing up, Harry was an active member of the Pony Club. After winning the Pony Club Championships on a one-off catch ride, Harry represented the British team at the Junior European Championships, where he won a prize for the stand-out cross-country performance of the competition.

Despite his many successes, Harry is no stranger to hardship. In 2013, he suffered what were deemed to be career-ending injuries when both of his arms shattered in a rotational fall. A long and uncertain rehabilitation period followed, with eight operations to reconstruct both elbows. Extraordinarily, six months later he came third at Badminton – a year that would later be regarded as one of the toughest in the event’s history, with fewer than half the field finishing.

That year, Harry was named the EHOA Rider of the Year (by the body that represents

owners within the sport) the ERA Rider of the Year (by the riders’ body), the

BEWA Rider of the Year (by the press and media) and Horse & Hound’s Rider of the Year, voted for by the readership.

In 2020, Harry suffered another serious fall at Thoresby when his foot became caught in the stirrup, and he was dragged under the horse while being repeatedly stamped on the head. As well as fractures, he sustained a significant brain injury, affecting his vestibular system ever since. Despite this, Harry remained at the top of the sport, and climbed to the top of the world rankings in 2025 and 2026.

Harry and his wife Rosie have two children together, Lily 14 and Charlie 12. Harry’s two senior members of staff are Jess Errington and Molly Parkin who have been with him for 18 and 12 years respectively.