Early Life
King was born in Newark-on-Trent 8 June 1961. Her father, Lieutenant-Commander M D H Thomson was a naval officer who suffered for the rest of his life from the consequences of a motorcycle accident that happened before Mary was born. Latterly he took the position of verger in Salcombe Regis parish church. He died in 2000. Her mother Patricia Gillian (Jill) continues the role of verger at the church. Mary also has an elder brother Simon Francis Bennett Thomson.
She attended Manor House Independent School (Honiton), Kings Grammar School (Ottery St Mary) and Evendine Court School of Domestic Economy (Cordon Bleu) (Malvern).
She did not grow up in a horsey family, but became fascinated by the vicar's pony, and eventually, aged 6, she persuaded her mother to lead her around the lanes on it. After that, she rode everything she could, even a donkey, and realised that she wanted to become a professional rider. It was not until she went to watch the Badminton Horse Trials, aged 11, with Axe Vale Pony Club, that she realised she wanted to become a professional three-day-event rider.
After school, she went to work for Sheila Willcox, a former European Champion, where she learned everything, from breaking in and producing young horses, to top class stable management.
A longing to travel took her to Zermatt where she worked as a chalet girl and which she described as being "great fun and a doddle after working in the yard". Subsequently she joined the tall ship, Sir Winston Churchill, first as a trainee, then as a watch leader, before returning to set up her own stables.
King converted a couple of cow sheds in a disused farmyard near her home and looked after other people's horses, gave riding lessons and bought and sold horses. To supplement her income, she cleaned houses, cooked, kept gardens tidy for people and delivered meat for the local butcher.
Funding proved even more difficult in 1988 when she started competing professionally, requiring her to sell horses which had proven successful. This changed, when after being offered good money for Divers Rock, a horse on which she had achieved 7th place at Badminton, she turned the offer down commenting "I'd rather be famous than rich." It proved to be the right decision because she secured her first sponsorship deal on the back of her success.
Read more about this topic: Mary King (equestrian)
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