She has not been on a major British team for five years: her last time was when she rode as an individual at the European Championships in Ireland in 2003, with Captain Christy.

She has since produced two children, having in 2001 married marquee hire businessman Phil Cook. Daughter Isabelle was born in 2005 and son Harry, who was one of twins but, sadly, the only one to survive, came along two years later.

Cook remarked: "I didn't stop riding for long but cut back the number of horses I had.

"It wasn't that hard to get back to top flight eventing — I've been in the sport for 20 years now and have experience on my side."

She has been a star in the making from her earliest days. The 37-year-old was bred 'in the purple' for an equestrian career: her father is the renowned racehorse trainer, now retired, Josh Gifford and her mother Althea (nee Roger-Smith) was one of the country's top women show jumpers.

The talent to get the best out of any horse is vital for long-term success in any equestrian career and one of Cook's early stars was Song And Dance Man, with whom she won team gold at the 1987 Junior European Championships.

She was back the next year to take Junior Europeans team gold and individual bronze with Smithstown Lad and the combination went on to win Young Rider Europeans team silver and team bronze in 1989 and 1991.

The young rider years were a breeding ground for great talent and among Cook's team mates was one Pippa Nolan, now better known under her married name of Funnell, and Cook's Beijing team mate, William Fox-Pitt.

That Cook was not going to be a 'young rider wonder' was made plain at her first Badminton three-day event in 1992. She finished 10th on Song And Dance Man, and marked her first senior team appearance a year later with a memorable individual European silver medal on this horse.

Team gold medals at the 1994 World Championships on General Jock, and then the 1995 European Championships on Midnight Blue II, were followed by individual European bronze in 1997 on General Jock, and European team gold once more, in 1999, on The Gangster II.

However, Cook missed a place at the 1996 Olympics when, at just the wrong time, both General Jock and Midnight Blue were out of action with minor foot problems. She was also reserve for the Sydney Olympics team in 2000 with The Gangster II.

Polly Williamson (nee Lyon), still a respected event rider and producer of young competition horses, was also at the Young Rider Europeans with Tina and won individual gold.

She remarked: "Tina is a lovely person — a proper competitor who prepares her horses in the old fashioned, correct way and gives them time to develop. And she is a star in the making."

Full article in the Herald

Click here for Herald piece about Miners Frolic

-------------------------------------
Click here to go back to Worthing sport.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Herald: richard.amey@worthingherald.co.uk