Fiona Bigwood (born 24 April 1976) is a British
dressage rider, and winner of a silver medal in the team dressage event at the
2016 Summer Olympics.
Early life
Bigwood was born on 24 April 1976. By the time she was 10 years old, Bigwood rode
Tanya Larrigan's old Grand Prix horse Salute on lease. She soon competed at the 1993 Junior European Championships and the Young Rider European Championships. As a teenager, she trained in Denmark
and was educated at
Croydon High School
Croydon High School is an Independent school (UK), independent day school for girls located near Croydon, London, England. It is one of the original schools founded by the Girls' Day School Trust.
History
The school was founded in 1874 in Welles ...
.
Career
In 1997, Bigwood became the youngest British rider to be selected for a Senior European Championships.
In the same year, she won the British National Elementary title with Afrikka and was shortlisted for the 1998 World Equestrian Games.
Afterwards, she competed at the
2010 World Equestrian Games and at four
European Dressage Championships
The European Dressage Championships are the European championships for the equestrian discipline of dressage. They are held every two years in odd-numbered years. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in both individual and team competitions ...
(in 1999, 2005, 2007 and 2015).
In 2014, she suffered a concussion after a fall while riding. As a result of her injury, Bigwood experiences double vision which means that she wears an eye patch while riding.
Upon returning to competitions, Bigwood earned a silver medal for Great Britain in the team dressage event at the
2016 Summer Olympics. However, she would later sell her silver medal winning horse "Atterupgaards Orthilia" to Danish rider Agnete Kirk Thinggaard.
Personal life
She was married with three children; her ex husband,
Anders Dahl
Anders (or Andreas) Dahl (17 March 1751 in Varnhem, Västergötland – 25 May 1789) was a Swedish botanist and student of Carl Linnaeus. The dahlia flower is named after him.
Early life and education
Andreas (Anders) Dahl was the son of Chri ...
, is also a dressage rider.
In 2016, Bigwood and her husband relocated from Bourne Hill House from
Horsham in
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ...
to
Brantridge Park where they have established an equestrian centre.
Bigwood and Dahl Sell Bourne Hill and Relocate to Brantridge Park
Retrieved 2/5/21.
Notable Horses
* Mr G de Lully - 1993 Bay Swedish Warmblood Gelding (Gauguin de Lully x Ambassadeur)
** 2005 European Championships - Team Fifth Place, Individual 20th Place
** 2007 European Championships - Team Fifth Place, Individual 18th Place
* Wie-Atlantico De Ymas - 1999 Chestnut Hanoverian Gelding (Wie Weltmeyer x Rondo)
** 2010 World Equestrian Games - Team Silver Medal, Individual 16th Place, Individual 12th Place Freestyle
* Atterupgaards Orthilia - 2005 Bay Oldenburg Mare (Gribaldi x Donnerschlag)
** 2015 European Championships - Team Silver Medal, Individual Ninth Place
** 2016 Rio Olympics - Team Silver Medal, Individual 17th Place
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bigwood, Fiona
Living people
1976 births
British female equestrians
British dressage riders
Olympic medalists in equestrian
Equestrians at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Olympic equestrians for Great Britain
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain
English expatriates in Germany
People educated at Croydon High School
People from Balcombe, West Sussex
People from Horsham