Reuben Jones
{{Short description|British equestrian (1932–1990)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
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| name = Ben Jones}}
{{MedalSport | Equestrian}}
{{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalGold|1968 Mexico City | Team eventing}}
{{MedalCompetition|European Championships}}
{{MedalGold|1967 Punchestown|Team eventing}}
{{MedalGold|1969 Haras-du-Pin|Team eventing}}
{{MedalBronze|1965 Moscow|Team eventing}}
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Reuben "Ben" Jones (born 19 October 1932 in Newport, Shropshire, England; died 3 January 1990 in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire) was a British Olympic equestrian rider who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418035930/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/jo/ben-jones-1.html Ben Jones]; Sports Reference.com; Retrieved 29 October 2010
Equestrian career
Jones was part of the British team that travelled to Tokyo in 1964 to compete in team eventing. Eventing is an equestrian event which comprises dressage, cross-country and show jumping. Other team members were Michael Bullen, Richard Meade, and James Templar. The team was eliminated out of medal contention.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417113233/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/GBR/summer/1964/EQU/ Great Britain Equestrianism at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games]; Sports Reference.com; Retrieved 29 October 2010 Jones finished ninth on an individual basis riding a horse called The Poacher.{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} He was the first non-commissioned officer to compete for Great Britain in the equestrian portion of the Olympic Games.
Jones and the team from Great Britain at the 1968 Summer Olympics won the gold medal in the team eventing equestrian event. Teammates for the 1968 win were Derek Allhusen, Jane Bullen, and Richard Meade.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417114134/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/GBR/summer/1968/EQU/ Great Britain Equestrianism at the 1968 Ciudad de Mexico Summer Games]; Sports Reference.com; Retrieved 29 October 2010 Jones finished fifth on an individual basis that year. Jones also won gold medals in 1967 and 1969 at the European Championships as part of the British team.
Military career
Jones was an accomplished horseman; as a young man his ambition was to become a jockey, but he was too tall. He chose to join the army as a way to work with horses.
Jones was a sergeant of the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, in charge of equitation. In 1968, he was posted to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps; after his commission he was transferred to the General Service Corps at Melton Mowbray. There he was in charge of training at the RAVC remount depot. After retirement, he died in 1990 aged 57 while training a young horse.
In Newport there is a residential street named "Ben Jones Avenue" after him.
References
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Category:English Olympic competitors
Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain
Category:Olympic equestrians for Great Britain
Category:British male equestrians
Category:Equestrians at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Category:Equestrians at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Category:British show jumping riders
Category:People from Newport, Shropshire
Category:Royal Artillery soldiers
Category:Olympic medalists in equestrian
Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics
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