Bertie Hill

Bertie Hill, a West Country farmer and Devon’s point-to-point champion, began his Olympic career at Helsinki in 1952 when he placed seventh in the individual three-day event. At the European Championships he won gold medals in both the individual team events in 1954 and gained his third European gold in the 1955 team event. At Stockholm in 1956, Hill won an Olympic gold in the three-day team event and placed 12th individually. In 1960 he was again a member of the Olympic team and became the first British rider to compete in three Olympic Games. Hill was appointed the first official trainer of the British team in 1967 and guided them to a host of international successes. His son, Anthony, was a member of the British team that won the European Junior Championships in 1972.