Harvey Smith

Harvey John Smith (born 29 December 1938) is a retired British show jumping champion. He stood out from the ranks of showjumpers because of his broad accent and blunt manner. His career was often controversial: in 1971 he was disciplined (overturned on appeal) after he gave a "V sign" to the judges following a near-perfect round which won him the British Show Jumping Derby for the second year in succession; this act also earned him a 'tongue-in-cheek' part in an advertisement for Victory V sweets with the slogan 'They've got a kick like a mule!' The expression "Doing a Harvey Smith" entered the English language for giving a V sign.

Early life

Harvey John Smith was born on 29 December 1938 in Gilstead, England, to Walter and Ethel Smith who wanted him to "continue the family tradition and work in the construction industry with his older brother John". He rode his first pony at seven, and competed in his first show in 1947 at 8 years old on a local farmer's milk pony. He was not fond of school and preferred to spend his time outdoors with animals, and bought his first jumping horse Farmer's Boy in 1954.

Show jumping career

Smith competed in two Olympics. At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, he rode Madison Time to 11th place in the Individual jumping and 8th place for Great Britain in the Team jumping. He rode Summertime to 4th place for Great Britain in the Team jumping competition at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. .

Smith won the John Player Trophy, the grand prix of Great Britain, seven times.

In 1989 Smith was honoured for being the first man to have jumped in 100 Volvo World Cup Qualifying Rounds.

He retired from show jumping competition in 1990.

Other activities

Smith became so famous that he embarked on a brief, but unsuccessful, singing career. In 1975 he released a record with picture sleeve called True Love/End of the World on Handkerchief HANKY 3.

He later became a television commentator for the British Broadcasting Corporation, doing equestrian coverage at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

During the 1970s in his spare time he competed in professional wrestling.

In 1990, after retiring from show jumping competition, Harvey joined with wife and trainer Sue Smith, a former showjumper herself, to form a racing team at their Yorkshire base, Craiglands Farm. Their charge Auroras Encore won the 2013 Grand National.