Jane Gregory was an international equestrian

Equestrianism

Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

. She first rode for her country in 1994, competing in the World Equestrian Games

World Equestrian Games

The FEI World Equestrian Games are the major international championships for equestrianism, and administered by the Fédération Equestre Internationale . The games have been held every four years, halfway between sets of consecutive Summer Olympic Games, since 1990...

 of that year, and competed for Great Britain in Dressage

Dressage

Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...

 at the Atlanta and Beijing Olympic Games

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

.

Early life

Born in Bromley

Bromley

Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...

, Kent

Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

, Gregory came from a non-equestrian family. At the age of seven she started to learn to ride, going weekly to a riding centre near her home in Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

. Her first horse was called Timolin, a Connemara, and was bought for her by her godmother

Godparent

A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...

 for £175. She joined the North Cornwall Pony Club, winning the junior section of club's championships in 1976.

International career

Her international career started in 1994. In that year she competed in the World Equestrian Games. She rode at the Atlanta Olympics 1996 with her horse Cupido. For several years after this she did not compete internationally due to horse injuries, but by 2001 she was first in the small tour rankings. She made a full comeback in 2006 when she won grand prix and grand prix special with he horse Lucky Star at Munich CDI in May, then she won the grand prix freestyle at the Mariakalnok CDI.

Her last coach was Ulla Salzgeber

Ulla Salzgeber

Ulla Salzgeber is a German equestrian and Olympic champion. She won a gold medal in team dressage atthe 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney with the team from Germany....

. She competed in Dressage for Team GB at the Beijing Olympics, stating "I am in a state of shock" upon finding out that she was selected. She was a member of the GB dressage team along with Laura Bechtolsheimer

Laura Bechtolsheimer

Laura Bechtolsheimer is a British dressage rider competing at Olympic level. As of 30 April 2011 the Fédération Equestre Internationale rank her 3rd in the world riding Mistral Hojris and 23rd on Andretti H. A granddaughter of the billionaire property magnate Karl-Heinz Kipp who founded...

 and Emma Hindle

Emma Hindle

Emma Hindle is a British international equestrian. She first rode for her country in 2004, competing in the World Equestrian Games of that year, and competed for Great Britain in Dressage at both the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games....

.

Personal life

Based from Great Cheverell

Great Cheverell

Great Cheverell is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. In some sources the Latinized name of Cheverell Magna is used, especially when referring to the ecclesiastical parish.-History:...

, Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...

, in 2006 Jane married her partner of twenty years, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 dressage rider Aram Gregory. Gregory died on 1 April 2011 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 51.

Results

Games	Age	Sport	Event	Team	Position
Atlanta Olympics Summer 1996	37	Equestrianism	Mixed Dressage, Individual	Great Britain	42
Atlanta Olympics Summer 1996	37	Equestrianism	Mixed Dressage, Team	Great Britain	8

External links

• Team GB Profile