Biography

It will be a Badminton debut for French team rider and young horse champion, Thomas Carlile (34) who is based in Sauvigne Sous le Lude (in the middle of the Le Mans, Angers, Tours triangle) where he runs ‘Ecurie Carlile Complet’. It will also be a first event at the level for his entry Zanzibar Villa Rose Z, well placed last year in his 4* competitions. Thomas was selected for the 2021 Olympic team (Birmane) but had to withdraw his ride in Tokyo shortly before the start of the competition.

Thomas who was born in Toulouse to British parents started riding at the age of 12 and two-years later was competing in his first Pony Championship. He took French nationality after leaving school. At the age of 20 Thomas based himself in Wiltshire with Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks. A year later he returned to France set up his own stable near Toulouse and with Current Diplomat competed in his first 3* events. After eye-catching performances in his first world young horse championship in 2009 (Popof Des Bois) he was sent both Sirocco du Gers and Tenareze. In 2013 he came to wider attention making his mark at the National young horse championships in Pompadour, taking vice-champion in the 4&6 year-championships, winning the 5-year-old championship and placing 3^rd in the 7-year-old championship. A few months later year he made history when winning both 6&7-year-old World Championships at Le Lions D’Angers; the 6-year-old with AA stallion Tenareze and the 7-year-old with Sirocco du Gers. The following year he gained more accolades when winning the 7-year-old class with Tenareze subsequently sold to Britain for Harry Meade with who he is entered for Badminton this year. In 2015 Thomas relocated to the National Stud at Le Lions and was subsequently 2^nd in the 7-year-old championship with the stallion Upsilon, now the sire of several young horses in the UK including offspring of the Badminton winning mare Classic Moet. In 2015 he made his senior championship team debut competing in the European Championships at Blair Castle winning team bronze. The following year he was long-listed for the Olympic Games but had to withdraw Sirocco du Gers from the list and in 2017 was a member of the European team in Strzegom (Upsilon).

Thomas also regularly competes in FEI jumping. Outside of horses he enjoys golf and Formula 1.

Zanzibar Villa Rose Z (aka Zedzed) owned by Philippe Lacuze and Michel Lecuelle is a 10-year-old French-bred Zangersheide registered gelding. Bred by Kamel Boudra, he is by the successful jumping stallion Zandor Z (a son of the influential part-bred AA Zeus) out of Ukraine Villa Rose by Arioso Du Theillet – the eldest of eight for his dam. His breeder Kamel Boudra is an equestrian TV presenter and commentator and a passionate breeder of sport horses at his Villa Rose Stud. Zanzibar has been produced through the levels by Thomas. In 2021 the combination was well placed at 4* level. Badminton will be first at the level for horse and rider