Virginia HOLGATE-LENG

As the daughter of peripatetic Colonel Ronald Morris Holgate, “Ginny” Leng [né Holgate] was raised in many countries of the world before settling in Britain in 1971. She began riding at age three. Her career was interrupted in 1976 when she broke her left arm in 23 places and amputation was considered. She made the 1980 British Olympic team but the equestrian athletes did not go to Moscow. In her Olympic début as Miss Holgate in 1984 she won a bronze in the individual three-day, and a silver in the team event. She repeated those performances in 1988 at Seoul. “Ginny” Holgate had claimed a team gold at the 1981 European championships, but her big breakthrough came in 1985 when she won the European title in the three-day individual and helped Britain to the team title. She repeated that effort in 1987 and 1989. Holgate-Leng also won the Badminton Horse Trials Championships in 1985 and 1989 and holds the record at the Burghley Horse Trials with three wins (1983, 1984, and 1986). Holgate-Leng was world individual champion in 1986 and helped Britain to world team eventing titles in 1982 and 1986.