Tina Cook is a part of one of Britain’s best known equestrian families. Her father, Josh Gifford, was champion steeplechase jockey of Great Britain on four occasions before embarking on a career as a trainer which reached its peak in 1981 when he trained Aldaniti, with cancer survivor Bob Champion as jockey, to an emotional triumph at the Grand National. Her mother, Althea Roger-Smith, had been an international show jumper who had represented Great Britain at Nations Cup level. Cook became a full time competitor whilst still in her teens and enjoyed considerable in various junior competitions.
She made a spectacular major championship début in 1993 when she won the silver medal at the European Championships and was a mainstay of the British three-day event team for the remaining years of the decade. She won gold medals in the team events at the 1994 FEI World Equestrian Games and at both the 1995 and 1999 European Championships whilst adding an individual silver bronze from the 1997 European Championships at Burghley. Despite this success she was only named as a non-travelling reserve for the Sydney Olympics. After being absent from major championships between 2003 and 2007 she was recalled to the national team for the 2008 Olympic Games after two riders were forced to withdraw from contention. She outshone her more favoured team-mates in Beijing and came home with two bronze medals. The following year Cook, partnering Miner’s Frolic, took the European title and added a second third European team gold sixteen 14 years after her first. The pair were also members of the gold winning team at the 2011 2010 World Equestrian Games, and in 2012 won a silver medal in the team competition at the London Olympics. Cook then partnered De Novo News, to win a team silver medal at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, and with Billy The Red, was called up as a late travelling reserve for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Great Britain