“Keeps Me Young”: 68-Year-Old Equestrian Icon Expressed His True Feelings After the London Show Win

There aren’t many 68-year-old equestrians around, but John Whitaker is defying the odds. Despite his advancing years, his abilities remain intact, and then some. This was evident in the legend’s performance during the London International Horse Show. Whitaker capped off an amazing Super Sunday for Britain by winning the Santa Stakes with his steed, Sharid.

As an enthusiastic crowd watched and cheered him on, the famed equestrian and Sharid were the only pair to pull off a double clear. John Whitaker was the third of six riders to go through what he described as a difficult course. Before him, Scott Brash and Ben Maher made their way through it, with a variety of faults recorded. Neither could perform the double clear.

John Whitaker named the audience’s love the secret of his youth

When asked in an interview post the event, John Whitaker admitted that winning in front of his crowd never gets old. The legendary equestrian noted, “Absolutely not, no, it’s, uh, in front of your own crowd. Such an enthusiastic audience, you know, it’s a fantastic feeling. Yeah, keeps me young.”

John Whitaker reserved words of praise for his trusted mount, too. He said of the equine, Sharid, “Yeah, Sharid, uh, he’s only second class this show. So, he’s still fresh, he’s not tired, and he’s not the easiest ride but he can really jump, and when everything works out, you’re good.” The conversation then turned to the nature of the course and the difficulty level it posed.

A difficult course for the best of equestrians

John Whitaker pointed to the number of clears recorded in that event to emphasize the difficulty level adjoining the course. He noted Ben Maher and Scott Brash had a difficult time of it before he and Sharid took on the course. The equestrian legend added, “I thought, maybe not take all the risks, you know, try and jump clear. And I knew my time was beatable but I was clear and it put just the right amount of pressure on the others coming after and they made faults.”

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John Whitaker’s strategy bore fruit in the end. He added one more win to his kitty in what has proved to be a long and successful career. Whitaker appears to have no plans of slowing down in the meantime. It remains to be seen what the future holds for him.

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