Mick Saywell

Mick Saywell’s interest in horses started at an early age when introduced to them at the family home at Swinderby, Lincolnshire, by his grandfather. Saywell was soon riding at local gymkhanas on his own ponies. However, his show jumping career really took off after teaming up with Yorkshire owner Trevor Banks in 1970. Saywell enjoyed immediate success with Banks on his Great Britain début at the La Baule Grand Prix. On that occasion Saywell rode the outstanding horse Hideaway, and the pair became one of the best horse and jockey combinations in 1970s show jumping.

Victory at Le Baule was to be the first steppingstone that put Saywell on the road to the 1972 München Olympics where he finished 15th in the individual competition and narrowly missed out on a team medal in fourth place, when he was Britain’s top scorer. At the Olympics, Saywell again partnered Hideaway.

Another of Banks’s horses that Saywell rode, was the grey Chainbridge and the pair enjoyed two memorable victories. Firstly, in the 1976 King George V Gold Cup at the Royal International Horse Show at Wembley and then in the 1978 Dublin Grand Prix. Another Trevor Banks horse that Saywell was associated with was Anglezarke, who Banks bought for £70,000 at the 1977 Horse of the Year Show.

Saywell, who coached many youngsters at his arena at Cottam, saw his son Andrew and daughter Louise both became good standard show jumpers, and later in life he followed the career of his grandson Jake, winner of the team gold medal at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.