| Piggy French | |
| Fullname: | Georgina March |
| Discipline: | Eventing |
| Birth Date: | 12 August 1980 |
Georgina "Piggy" March (née French, born 12 August 1980) is a British equestrian sportswoman who competes in eventing. She won the 2019 Badminton Horse Trials and 2022 Burghley Horse Trials on Vanir Kamira, and finished second at the 2011 Badminton Horse Trials and the 2017 Burghley Horse Trials. She won Individual silver at the 2009 and 2021 European Championships and a team gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games.[1] [2] She earned selection for the 2012 Olympic Games, but was forced to withdraw due to an injury to her horse, DHI Topper W. She was also selected for Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as a reserve; however, her owners did not want the horse to travel, Brookfield Inocent, if it was not to compete.
French is from North Elmham in Norfolk.[3] She gained her nickname early on when her sisters visited her in hospital and thought she looked like Piglet from the Winnie-the-Pooh stories.[1]
Having competed on smaller events, French's first championship level ride was in 2001 at the young riders European Championship, with a 4th place in the individual and a team gold medal.[1] French represented Britain as an individual at the 2009 Europeans, winning the individual silver medal aboard Some Day Soon. The following year, she competed at the World Equestrian Games, finishing 14th with Jakata. This combination then finished 9th at the 2011 Europeans, as French won her first senior team medal, team bronze.
In the senior ranks, she has competed at a number of CCI 4* (now 5*) competitions, and won the CCI5*-L Badminton Horse Trials with Vanir Kamira in 2019. Previously her best place at the top level was 2nd with Jakata at Badminton in 2011. Earlier this year (2022) French ran Burghley Horse Trials with her horse, Vanir Kamira and won it. French has also won numerous international 3* events, including
Hartpury CIC3* in 2010 with Jakata
Burnham Market CIC3* in 2011 with DHI Topper W
Bleinhem CIC3* in 2011 with DHI Topper W
Houghton CIC3* in 2012 with Jakata
Barbury CIC3* in 2013 with Tinka`s Time
Burgham CIC3* in 2014 with Westwood Marinier
Chatsworth CIC3* in 2018 with Quarrycrest Echo
French's top horse, Jakata, was retired at the end of the 2014 season. She had three top horses for the 2015 season: DHI Topper W, Westwood Marinier and Tinka's Time.[4]
| Results | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Kentucky (USA)late April | Badminton (UK)early May | Luhmühlen (Germany)June | Burghley (UK)early September | Pau (France)late October | Adelaide (Australia)early November | |
| 2002 | 31st (Flintlock II) | ||||||
| 2003 | 31st (Flintlock II) | 33rd (Done To Order) 36th (Flintlock II) | |||||
| 2004 | Did not participate | ||||||
| 2005 | 17th (Done To Order) | ||||||
| 2006 | 14th (Boherdeel Champion) EL (What A Performance) | ||||||
| 2007 | EL (What A Performance) | 12th (Paris) | |||||
| 2008 | RET (What A Performance) | ||||||
| 2009 | RET (What A Performance) WD (Some Day Soon) | ||||||
| 2010 | EL (Some Day Soon) | ||||||
| 2011 | (Jakata) | 4th (Flying Machine) | |||||
| 2012 | Did not participate | ||||||
| 2013 | EL (Westwood Mariner) | ||||||
| 2014 | 14th (Westwood Mariner) WD (Jakata) | ||||||
| 2015-16 | Did not participate | ||||||
| 2017 | (Vanir Kamira) | ||||||
| 2018 | EL (Vanir Kamira) | 22nd (Quarrycrest Echo) | 5th (Vanir Kamira) | ||||
| 2019 | 4th (Quarrycrest Echo) | (Vanir Kamira) | (Vanir Kamira) | ||||
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | (Brookfield Inocent) | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | |
| 2021 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19("replaced" by Bicton 5*: (Vanir Kamira)) | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | ||||
| 2022 | 4th (Vanir Kamira) | (Vanir Kamira) | |||||
| EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew | |||||||
| Results | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Event | Horse | Placing | Notes | |||||||
| 2001 | European Young Rider Championships | Flintlock II | Team | ||||||||
| 4th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2007 | World Young Horse Championships | Cast Away II | CCI** | ||||||||
| 2009 | World Young Horse Championships | Pinto de Toulgoat | 19th | CCI* | |||||||
| 2009 | European Championships | Some Day Soon | Individual | ||||||||
| 2010 | World Equestrian Games | Jakata | 16th | Individual | |||||||
| 2011 | World Young Horse Championships | Kiltealy Brief | CCI** | ||||||||
| 2011 | European Championships | Jakata | Team | ||||||||
| 9th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2014 | World Young Horse Championships | Cooley Dream | CCI* | ||||||||
| Carpe Diem IV | 5th | CCI** | |||||||||
| 2015 | World Young Horse Championships | Jump Jet | 13th | CCI* | |||||||
| Morswood | 12th | CCI** | |||||||||
| 2017 | European Championships | Quarrycrest Echo | 27th | Individual | |||||||
| 2018 | World Equestrian Games | Quarrycrest Echo | Team | ||||||||
| 10th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2019 | European Championships | Quarrycrest Echo | Team | ||||||||
| 15th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2019 | World Young Horse Championships | Cooley Lancer | CCI** | ||||||||
| 2021 | European Championships | Brookfield Inocent | Team | ||||||||
| Individual | |||||||||||
| EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew | |||||||||||