Kevin Babington

Kevin Babington (born 24 August 1968) is an Irish equestrian.[1] He competed in two events at the 2004 Summer Olympics.[2] In 2019, Babington was paralyzed from the neck down following a fall at the Hampton Classic Horse Show.[3][4]

Kevin Babington
Personal information
NationalityIrish
Born (1968-08-24) 24 August 1968
Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland
Sport
SportEquestrian

Biography

Babington was born in 1968 in Clonmel, County Tipperary,[1] the youngest of eleven children.[3][5] He attended a riding school in Kill, County Kildare when he was 17, undertaking his riding instructor exams with the British Horse Society.[1] The following year, he moved to the United States to become a professional show jumper.[1][3]

After working as an instructor at a summer camp,[5] he moved to New Jersey, setting up his own business.[1] In 2001, he was part of the Irish team that won gold at the European Championships,[1] before finishing in eighth place at the FEI World Equestrian Games a year later.[1][6] At the 2000 FEI Nations Cup, he was part of Ireland's team that won gold,[4] the first for Ireland at the Nations Cup in more than sixty years.[1]

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Babington competed in the individual jumping and team jumping events,[7] with a best finish of joint-fourth in the individual event.[8] Originally, Babington had finished in fifth place, but the horse rode by the original gold medal winner, Cian O'Connor, was disqualified for doping.[9]

In August 2019, Babington was riding at the Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, New York, where he fell from his horse.[1][10] As a result from the fall, he was paralyzed from the neck down.[1][11] Despite his injury, Babington continued to work as a horse trainer.[1] In February 2021, Babington was awarded with a lifetime achievement award by the American magazine Robb Report's Horsepower Gala.[12]

References
  1. "Kevin Babington". Olympedia. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Kevin Babington Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  3. "About The Kevin Babington Foundation". Kevin Babington Foundation. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  4. "Kevin Babington: Learning to live again after life changed forever on Long Island". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  5. "Paralyzed top Irish equestrian sees hope in new spinal treatment". Irish Central. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  6. "Paralysed showjumper Kevin Babington steps up rehab". Horse Talk. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  7. "Team, Open". Olympedia. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  8. "Individual, Open". Olympedia. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  9. "Cian O'Connor". Olympedia. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  10. "Babington Strong". Practical Horseman. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  11. Macur, Juliet (January 2021). "A Top Equestrian Paralyzed in an Accident Sees Hope in a Coming Treatment". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  12. "Lifetime achievement award for Olympic rider with life-changing injuries". Horse and Hound. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
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