{{Short description|British equestrian (1914–2000)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Use British English|date=July 2012}}
{{MedalTableTop | medals = {{MedalSport | [[equestrianism|Equestrian]] }} {{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }} {{MedalCompetition | [[Olympic Games]] }} {{MedalGold| [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]] | [[Equestrian at the 1968 Summer Olympics|Team eventing]]}} {{MedalSilver| [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]] | [[Equestrian at the 1968 Summer Olympics|Individual eventing]]}} {{MedalCompetition|[[European Eventing Championship|European Championships]]}} {{MedalGold|[[European Eventing Championship|1957 Copenhagen]]|Team eventing}} {{MedalGold|[[European Eventing Championship|1967 Punchestown]]|Team eventing}} {{MedalGold|[[European Eventing Championship|1969 Haras-du-Pin]]|Team eventing}} {{MedalSilver|[[European Eventing Championship|1959 Harewood]]|Team eventing}} {{MedalBronze|[[European Eventing Championship|1959 Harewood]]|Individual eventing}} {{MedalBronze|[[European Eventing Championship|1965 Moscow]]|Team eventing}} {{MedalBronze|[[European Eventing Championship|1967 Punchestown]]|Individual eventing}} }}
Major '''Derek Swithin Allhusen''', [[Royal Victorian Order|CVO]] (9 January 1914 – 24 April 2000) was an English [[Equestrianism|equestrian]] who was a 54-year-old grandfather when he rode Lochinvar to [[Equestrian at the 1968 Summer Olympics|team gold and individual silver]] medals at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]] in [[Mexico]].
Derek Swithin Allhusen was born in [[London]] and educated at [[eton college|Eton]] and [[Trinity College, Cambridge]]. In 1937 he married The Hon Claudia Betterton. He served throughout the Second World War with [[9th Queen's Royal Lancers]], and the 24th Lancers (December 1940-September 1943) being awarded the American [[Silver Star]] in 1944 with the 9th Lancers.<ref name=SilverStar>{{cite web |access-date=2007-12-13 |url=http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor2/SS/2_WWII/indexes/army/Army-A.html |title=Allhusen, Derek S. |work=U.S. Army Awards of the Silver Star for Conspicuous Gallantry in Action During WORLD WAR II |publisher=HomeofHeroes.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607125134/http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor2/SS/2_WWII/indexes/army/Army-A.html |archive-date=7 June 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=37585 |date=30 May 1946 |page=2614 |supp=1 }}</ref>
On returning from Germany he brought back two horses with him and settled in [[Claxton, Norfolk]]. He rode one of the horses, Laura when representing Britain in the [[Winter pentathlon|pentathlon]] at the [[1948 Winter Olympic Games]]. He eventually took up [[eventing]] in 1955, riding Laura's daughter Laurien on two [[European Eventing Championship|European Championship]] teams, winning a team gold medal in 1957, then team silver and individual bronze in 1959. In 1961 he bought Irish-bred Lochinvar and rode her in two winning European Championship teams (in 1967 and 1969) as well as the gold and silver at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He was offered appointment as an [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]] for his achievements but declined it; feeling his team-mates [[Richard Meade (equestrian)|Richard Meade]], [[Jane Bullen]] and [[Reuben Jones]] also deserved recognition.
On his retirement from the sport he continued as a breeder and Laurien's son Laurieston was ridden to [[Equestrian at the 1972 Summer Olympics|team and individual Olympic gold medals]] in [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Games in Munich]], with Richard Meade in the saddle. Allhusen was president of the [[British Horse Society]] from 1986 to 1988.
Allhusen was appointed to be one of Her Majesty's Body Guard of the [[Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms]] in 1963,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=43169 |date=26 November 1963 |page=9713 }}</ref> he was appointed Standard Bearer from 1981 to 1984.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=48506 |date=27 January 1981 |page=1209 }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=49613 |date=10 January 1984 |page=355 }}</ref> He was appointed to be a [[Royal Victorian Order|Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] in 1983.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=49583 |date=31 December 1983 |page=4 |supp=1 }}</ref>
In November 1955, 1956 and 1957 he was nominated as a [[High Sheriff of Norfolk]] (and appointed in March 1958) in the [[King's Bench Division|Queen's Bench]] Division of the [[High Court of Justice]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40632 |date=15 November 1955 |page=6436 }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40924 |date=13 November 1956 |page=6418 }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=41340|page=1779|date=18 March 1958}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== *{{cite web|access-date=2007-12-13 |url=http://www.olympics.org.uk/athletebio.aspx?at=263 |title=Derek Swithin Allhusen CVO DL |publisher=British Olympic Association}}
==External links== *[https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000501/ai_n14308311 Obituary] from [[The Independent]] {{Olympic champions – Equestrian team eventing}} {{European champions – Equestrian team eventing}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allhusen, Derek}} [[Category:1914 births]] [[Category:2000 deaths]] [[Category:People educated at West Downs School]] [[Category:People educated at Eton College]] [[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge]] [[Category:9th Queen's Royal Lancers officers]] [[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]] [[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]] [[Category:Olympic equestrians for Great Britain]] [[Category:British male equestrians]] [[Category:Olympic winter pentathletes for Great Britain]] [[Category:Winter pentathletes at the 1948 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:Equestrians at the 1968 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain]] [[Category:Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain]] [[Category:British show jumping riders]] [[Category:English male equestrians]] [[Category:24th Lancers officers]] [[Category:English Olympic competitors]] [[Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order]] [[Category:Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms]] [[Category:High sheriffs of Norfolk]] [[Category:Olympic medalists in equestrian]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:People from South Norfolk (district)]] [[Category:Military personnel from London]] [[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]