Mary King MBE DL & Simon Middleton on Equestrian Passion, Experience & Retirement After 46 Seasons | Ep.36

Six-time Olympian Mary King MBE and Zebra Products founder Simon Middleton sit down to talk eventing careers, comebacks and 25 years of building one of the UK's leading equestrian brands.This is a rare double-header: a rider who reached world number one after breaking her neck, and the man whose premium equestrian distribution business was nearly over before it began — he broke his back the day before Zebra Products launched in 2000.Mary King is a six-time Olympian (team silver 2004 and 2012, bronze 2008), two-time Badminton winner, Burghley champion and the first rider ever to take both first and second at Kentucky with home-bred horses. She retired in March 2026 after 46 seasons in the sport.Simon Middleton is the founder and Managing Director of Zebra Products, the UK and Ireland's leading distributor of premium equestrian brands including Amerigo, Bucas, Uvex, Sprenger, Equipe and Veredus.According to Mary, her surgeon's advice after fracturing her C5 vertebra was simple: don't ride for eight weeks, and don't fall off for ten. Less than a year later she was back at the top of the sport.In this episode:- How Mary came back from a broken neck to reach world number one- Simon's journey from selling fruit to supermarkets to building Zebra Products- How home-bred event horses are produced from foal to 5-star- The brands, riders and moments that shaped modern British eventing- Mary's reflections on 46 seasons, six Olympics and stepping away from the sportListen now on Spotify or watch the full conversation here.0:00 Introduction1:35 Coming back from a broken neck3:05 Broken back day one of Zebra Products5:35 Starting Zebra in a foot-and-mouth year6:00 Non-horsey backgrounds and early riding7:26 Watching Badminton as a kid9:59 The mindset that gets you to the top12:39 Early career setbacks and pushing through20:44 Influencers vs. authentic brand marketing22:54 What people misunderstand about eventing28:46 Competing at the top as a mum33:00 A normal day in an Olympian's life35:07 Mary, Emily and a family dynasty43:59 Spotting a good product vs. good marketing45:07 Teaching your own daughter to ride50:15 Learning without TikTok or YouTube1:00:33 How tech has changed British Eventing1:02:15 Why Mary retired after 46 seasons1:09:12 What's next for Zebra Products1:10:17 Quick-fire round: 10 rapid questions1:17:04 Mentors, family and final reflectionsEpisode sponsor — Zebra Products: https://www.zebraproducts.co.uk/Website: https://www.justhorseriders.co.uk/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justhorseridersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justhorseridersYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JustHorseRidersOfficalSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7sUBwfQNIG40hRgs8hXbKi#justhorseriders #equestrianpodcast #justhorseriderspodcast #maryking #zebraproducts #eventing #badminton #britisheventing