| Nicknames |
Spot [when he was in the United States of America with a colleague in the 1980s a reporter called him 'Johnny on the spot' and the name stuck]. (horseandcountry.tv, 06 Oct 2012) |
| Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning gold at the 1989 European Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (horseandhound.co.uk, 11 Feb 2021) |
| Hero / Idol |
British equestrian jumpers Harvey Smith and David Broome. (horseandhound.co.uk, 10 May 2020 |
| Injuries |
He fractured his collarbone after a fall from his horse at the 2019 Gothenburg Horse Show in Sweden. He was told by his doctor to not ride for four weeks. (horseandhound.co.uk, 10 Apr 2019, 05 Apr 2019)
In December 2000 he became ill and collapsed prior to a show in Stockholm, Sweden. He was taken to hospital with a suspected brain haemorrhage and needed emergency surgery to correct the problem. Following treatment, he made a full recovery and returned to competition in May 2001 at an international show in St. Gallen, Switzerland. (fei.org, 06 Dec 2007; dailymail.co.uk, 30 May 2001; horsetalk.co.nz, 01 Dec 2000) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"In this sport you lose more than you win, and you need to learn to cope with that. You have to be able to pick yourself up and come back and try another day." (ponymag.com, 14 Aug 2020) |
| Awards and honours |
He has been named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in recognition of his services to showjumping. (fei.org, 06 Dec 2007) |
| Famous relatives |
His younger brother Michael competed with John on the British equestrian jumping team that won silver at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. His children Robert, Louise, and Joanne, his brother Steven, his niece Ellen, and his nephews William, George. James, Joe, Thomas, Donald, and Jack have also competed at an elite level in jumping. His wife Clare has served as vice president of British Showjumping. (britishshowjumping.co.uk, 11 Dec 2018; equestrianteamgbr.co.uk, 23 Aug 2011; dailymail.co.uk, 22 Dec 2007) |
| Other information |
SIBLING RIVALRY
His brother Michael is also an elite level equestrian jumper, competing at five editions of the Olympic Games between 1984 and 2016. "Michael and I have spent our lives competing against each other. We don't hold back if we're in a jump-off, and we'll both try to win. But if only one of us is riding, the other will be helping and supporting them. It's actually nice to have someone there all the time, and we've given each other confidence over the years, too. Also, if you're going to be beaten, it might as well be by your brother." (ponymag.com, 14 Aug 2020)
STABLES
He, his wife Clare, and his daughter Joanne run John Whitaker Stallions at Stud & Horses near Huddersfield, England. He and Clare are also managing directors of John Whitaker International, a business that manufactures and supplies equestrian products. (Facebook page, 22 Feb 2023; johnwhitaker.com, 01 Jan 2023; dailymail.co.uk, 25 Dec 2021; stallions-at-stud.co.uk, 2016)
MEMORABLE HORSE
He considers Milton to be one of the most important horses of his career. "Milton was the special one, he was a horse of a lifetime. He won individual and team gold at the European Championships in Rotterdam in 1989, after taking individual silver and team gold the year before. He became World Cup champion twice - in 1990 in Dortmund and in 1991 in Gothenburg. Milton also won individual silver and team bronze at the World Equestrian Games [WEG] in Stockholm in 1990. During his career, Milton won over 1.2 million pounds in prize money. Now [speaking in 2021] you can win a million in a year, but that was a big deal at the time. Winning a championship is not something many riders do, so that was a good one, in those glory days with Milton. I think Seoul [the 1988 Olympic Games] would have been my best opportunity to win a gold medal in my entire career. Milton would have been in with a really good chance but the owners didn't want him to go because it was so far for the horse to fly. It was a big thing to fly horses in those days." (dailymail.co.uk, 25 Dec 2021; horseandhound.co.uk, 11 Feb 2021; worldofshowjumping.com, 07 Apr 2020) |
FEI Database
johnwhitakerhorses.com 
www.facebook.com/john.whitakerinternational 
twitter.com/JohnWhitakerint 
instagram.com/johnwhitakerint 
