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]}

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

External links

• Kevin Babington at Olympedia