Rio Olympic Games show jumping champion Nick Skelton added another major accolade to his collection on Nov. 22 when he was declared the winner of the top prize at the prestigious 2016 FEI Awards gala dinner in Tokyo, in the presence of guest of honor, FEI Honorary President HRH Princess Haya.

Great Britain’s Skelton won the coveted FEI Best Athlete honor at the “Oscars of the equestrian world,” presented in association with the FEI’s top partner Longines at the Park Tower Hotel. The FEI Awards celebrate the excellence, commitment, dedication and courage of those in equestrian sport, and the glittering ceremony also saw Skelton’s groom Mark Beever declared winner of the FEI Best Groom award.

In recognition of outstanding efforts in what has been another exceptional sporting year, the ceremony kick-started with the presentation of the Longines Rising Star award going to Germany’s Sönke Rothenberger, an award honoring the pursuit of excellence and rising talent for a person 14-21.

Brazil’s Rodolpho Riskalla took home the Against All Odds award, while the FEI Solidarity award went to the Morocco National Federation/SA Charif Moulay Abdellah Alaoui, president of the Royal Moroccan Federation for Equestrian Sports.  This award was accepted on behalf of the federation by the Moroccan Secretary General Badr Fakir.

“The FEI awards are an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding work of those who deserve the recognition, not just of our community but of the wider sports industry, and we’ve had five fantastic award winners tonight,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos. “These talented and dedicated athletes and individuals constantly inspire future generations of athletes, and not just equestrian athletes, and can literally change lives and communities. The FEI is very proud to honor and acknowledge these achievements.”

Find out more about the five FEI award winners below.

LONGINES RISING STAR: Sönke Rothenberger

Rothenberger and his mount Cosmo were the youngest combination competing in the Olympic dressage in Rio, with a combined age of just 30, but they claimed team gold for Germany on their Olympic debut. Rothenberger’s other major achievements include: member of the winning German team at the 2016 Aachen CDIO***** (Germany); 2014 German Young Riders champion; 2014 European Young Riders team gold and individual bronze.

“To receive this award is a great honor for me”, he said. “There are so many other people who would deserve this, but to be the one who receives it, well it’s just amazing and the icing on the cake for everything we have experienced this year. I am really surprised and thankful and never expected that the FEI would honor me with this prize. Thank you again very much.”

BEST ATHLETE: Nick Skelton

Individual Olympic Games show jumping gold medalist the 2016 Olympic Games with the great horse Big Star, Skelton began riding at 18 months. In 1975 he took team silver and individual gold at the FEI European Jumping Championships for Juniors. At senior European level, he has won three gold, three silver and three bronze medals with the British team over a 26-year time period. At the age of 54, Skelton was part of Britain’s gold medal team at the 2012 London Olympic Games and finally claimed individual gold in Rio, at his seventh Olympic Games.

Skelton broke his neck in September 2000, which could have ended his career, but after retiring in 2001 he recovered and began competing again in 2002. He has also had a hip replacement and two knee operations.

“I would like to thank the FEI for this most fabulous award,” he said. “I’ve had an incredible year and this award makes it even better. I would like to thank the team that is behind me and Big Star for all their hard work and patience.”

BEST GROOM: Mark Beever

Skelton’s loyal groom Beever received multiple nominations (the most in this category) from other grooms, riders and the larger equestrian community. His loyalty and dedication to his boss is clearly evident as he’s worked for him for 31 years. Beever has groomed at numerous championships and Olympic Games, and he knows how to keep both horse and rider relaxed. His skill, knowledge and incredible work ethic means his horses always look outstanding, and he was instrumental in ensuring Big Star was fit and in prime condition for the Olympic Games in Rio.

Beever is very well respected by his peers, and his dedication to Big Star is beyond question, as he caters to his every need, ensuring the horse is happy and settled down before he looks after himself. Most importantly, Skelton has full confidence in Beever’s ability to care for his horses.

“I would just like to say thanks to everybody that voted for me,” he said. “It’s not just all about me. It’s a big team, a lot of hard work, but it all paid off in the end. Thank you to everybody and the FEI for doing this for me.”

FEI SOLIDARITY: Moroccan National Federation / SA Charif Moulay Abdellah Alaoui

The Moroccan Equestrian Federation were popular nominees in this category and even received full endorsement from the FEI Solidarity team at FEI headquarters complimenting them on their proactive stance on development and their successes in 2016.

They represent a concrete example of development in equestrian sport with all the necessary ingredients—development of the national federation structures, coach education, athletes training, values and particularly horse welfare.

The Federation has created solid foundations for the development of the sport and related employment in the sport in Morocco, as well as increasing awareness and promotion of the sport nationally and regionally. Education and knowledge transfer, and assistance to local breeders is also a priority.

“My Federation is very honoured to have received the FEI Solidarity award this evening,” Prince Moulay Abdellah Alaoui said. “Thank you very much. We are very touched and very humbled by the award we are receiving today.” 

AGAINST ALL ODDS: Rodolpho Riskalla

Multiple nominations were received for Riskalla, winner of the Against All Odds award. The 31-year-old competed for his home country of Brazil in Rio but in the para-equestrian dressage events at the Paralympic Games and not in the Olympic dressage events, which was his original plan.

Riskalla contracted meningitis in 2015, which resulted in the loss of both his feet and most of his fingers. Nevertheless, barely out of hospital following life-saving amputations, he was back in the saddle with his sights set firmly on the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, with less than a year to achieve his new goal. He had to learn how to ride again using prosthetic legs and few fingers, and his determination, passion, resilience and dedication have made him a national hero. Riskalla pursued his dream of representing his country at his home games despite what life threw at him and had to work tremendously hard to overcome adversity.

“To win the FEI Awards, it’s like the Oscars; it’s like being a superstar,” he said. “But also, to win Against All Odds represents exactly what happened to me this last year. Before this I never believed a human being could be so strong and adapt so quickly. It’s something that’s come from inside. It’s like the Olympic spirit. It’s something that is inside you, and I am really proud to be a para-dressage rider, a Paralympian and to be a representative of our discipline.”