Biography

Bill Levett

British-based Australian Bill Levett (61) first competed here in 2000 and last competed in 2023. Badminton entry Huberthus started last year but did not complete. In 2019 Bill gained 15^th place with Lassban Diamond Lift with who he was a member of the Australian squad for the 2018 WEG (individual).

Australian born Bill, who is based near Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, where he runs his own yard, relocated to the UK in 1994. Although his parents were schoolteachers, his father’s passion for horses meant that he and his four sisters were encouraged to ride. He helped break horses at a local station and after a year moved to work for former Australian international eventer Neale Lavis – winner of individual Olympic silver and team gold at the 1960 Olympic Games – then a racehorse trainer. At college in Victoria Bill studied Stud Management and returning to Neale’s yard worked his way up to Stud Manager and had the opportunity to try eventing. In 1988 he won a Range Rover Scholarship to Gatcombe Park and train with Mark Phillips and subsequently took a year off from the yard. In 1990 selected for the Australian squad for the WEG he returned to England with Mirabooka NJ a horse given to him by Neale. All of Bills’ own horses have the NJ suffix in recognition of Neale’s contribution to his career – NJ was his nickname. In 2014 Bill represented Australia at the WEG in France (Shannondale Titan) and in 2016 with Alexander NJ was selected as the travelling reserve for the 2016 Australian Olympic team – but had to withdraw Alexander NJ just prior to departure. 2021 is Bill’s 27^th year of competing in the UK.

Bill is a BE accredited trainer. He met his wife Jenny, a self-employed strategy consultant, in 2001. The pair run a 15 horse competition yard and has 19-year-old twins, Joshua and Ursula. Joshua is a keen competitor in eventing and last year represented team GBat the Junior Europeans. Ursula competes in international vaulting and has competed for team GB as a member of the senior team for the Europeans in 2019 and World Championships in 2021, ’22 & ’23.

Huberthus AC is a 12-year-old KWPN registered gelding. He is by VDL Douglas (also the sire of former 4* horses Fernhill Pimms, Seapatrick Dark Cruise and 5* horse Pennlands Douglas) and out of a mare by Voltaire. He is a younger half-brother to Matthew Sampson’s former successful grand prix jumper and HOYS winner Anubertha. Huberthus was produced to intermediate level by Chris Hall and Emily Oppenheimer and came to Bill mid 2019. He completed his first international event – the CCI3* at Alnwick – in 2020 and in 2021 competed Blenheim and Bicton 4*L.