Horse & Hound
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Robert whose career in the saddle spanned some 70 years posted 29 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) section championships, 23 Royal International (RIHS) championships and six supremes at both HOYS and the RIHS.
As we remember the ‘ultimate showman’, here is a look back at five of his special horses who he rode in the spotlight.
1. Kings Warrior
During his time on the circuit this strapping bay middleweight claimed the hunter of the year accolade at HOYS in 1991, 1992 and 1994. He also won the RIHS hunter championship three times.
Robert was first acquainted with Kings Warrior when the gelding was a four-year-old and the pair made their ring debut the following year at Royal Windsor, where they won the novices. Later in his career Kings Warrior took the coveted hunter tricolour at Royal Windsor four years running.
Horse & Hound
Trending: Robert Oliver riding Loughkeen Dancing Lord
TRIBUTES have flooded in for the “ultimate showman” Robert Oliver, who has died at the age of 80.
In his seven-decade career, Robert won and was champion in every category of horse class at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) numerous times, and his animals have stood supreme multiple times at both shows.
Born in Herefordshire to non-horsey parents, his uncle, farrier William John Watts, encouraged Robert to ride, and he started showing on ponies for the Eckleys at Cusop Stud.
He spent five years as a farm student, going on to work for Ernest Evans, who had showjumpers and pointers, and Derek Crossman, during which time he was in charge of a range of horses from racehorses to hunters. He had a passion for hunting; starting aged eight and hunting with seven different packs. He field-mastered for the South Herefordshire, and the Ledbury for five seasons, after w