My Take
Mark Phillips is one of those figures who genuinely earned his place at the top table through grit rather than glamour. A gold medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympics and multiple Badminton Horse Trials champion, he built a reputation as one of Britain's finest event riders at a time when three-day eventing was brutally demanding and not remotely fashionable. I find it quietly impressive that after his high-profile marriage to Princess Anne ended, he didn't fade away — he reinvented himself as a course designer and went on to coach the U.S. equestrian team to serious international success, which takes real ego-check to pull off. Horse & Hound columnist, Royal Victorian Order recipient, 185 cm of quiet, methodical dedication to a sport most people couldn't survive a weekend in. Solid career, understated legacy.
Overview
Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (born 22 September 1948) is an English Olympic gold medal-winning horseman who competed for Great Britain, and the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, with whom he has two children. He remains a leading figure in British equestrian circles, and is a noted eventing course designer and a columnist for Horse & Hound magazine.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mark Phillips
- Name (Japanese)
- マーク・フィリップス
- Reading
- まーく・ふぃりっぷす
- Born
- September 22, 1948 (age 77)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Rat
- Origin
- Tetbury, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 185 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- event rider / military officer / equestrian
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Marlborough College
Awards & achievements
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- Royal Victorian Order
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.