‘A beautiful person and a beautiful rider’: family and friends pay tribute to Georgie Campbell

Eventer Georgie Campbell will be remembered for her smile, kindness, and talent by all those who knew her.

Georgie was born on 7 October 1987 and grew up on her parents Ian and Debbie Strang’s Little Scotney Farm, in Kent, with her older sister Jo and younger sister Bertie. Debbie ran a livery yard and taught, and Georgie started riding aged two.

Georgie’s competitive equestrian career began in showing aged six, riding for producers Chris Willett and Carol and Simone Gilbert-Scott at Horse of the Year Show and the Royal International Horse Show.

She was a much-loved member of the Romney Marsh branch of the Pony Club with her 12.2hh pony Mountpleasant Western Star (Star). She represented her branch on teams across the disciplines and competed at the Pony Club championships six times. In 2008 she won the Urky Newton bursary for the best cross-country round.

She attended Cranbrook Grammar School, then completed a sports science degree at Nottingham Trent University. During this time she based her horse Just A Mystery (Meggie) at Mark and Tanya Kyle’s yard, and she rode on the university’s equestrian team. She was on the team that won gold at the British Student Equestrian Championships in 2009, and in 2010 was part of Team GB at the World University Equestrian Championships in South Korea, where they won team silver in dressage.

After university Georgie moved back to Kent and set up business at Little Scotney Farm, where she was soon joined by her Patterdale terrier cross Twig. Georgie gained the ride on Master Monarch (Ben) in 2009, and in 2010 she made her five-star debut (then CCI4*) at Burghley. In 2014 Georgie was third at Boekelo with Cooley Business Time (Rio), and the following year the pair completed Burghley. She won the Osberton young horse title with Monbeg Odyssey (Oddie) in 2016, and she completed Pau five-star in 2017 and Badminton in 2018 with Cooley Earl (Earl). Georgie’s biggest victory came in 2022 when she won the Lignieres CCI4*-L in France with Global Quest (George).

Georgie met her husband, New Zealand eventer Jesse Campbell, through the sport, and the couple were based in Wiltshire. They married on 12 December 2020 in an intimate ceremony attended by close friends and later relocated to Little Scotney Farm, where they set up Team Campbell Eventing.

Jesse described his wedding day as “the best day ever” and said he was “so proud” to be Georgie’s husband.

“People will talk about G’s smile, and it was incredible – it would make you feel like you were the centre of the universe. But what I love about this photo is how it captures her strength. She was a strong, beautiful, phenomenal woman who just loved everything and everyone,” he said.

“Working in the equestrian world is not an easy life; there are a lot of knocks and dark days. But G would navigate this by throwing so much joy and love at every situation. She would get as much joy from having a Greggs tea on the way home from the gallops as she would teaching a client in the pouring rain or jumping and galloping around the biggest courses in the world. It was just incredible to be at your side and feel this energy.”

Georgie’s family added: “How to describe our darling Georgie?”

“Fun, optimistic, kind, bubbly, joyful, mischievous, and loving, with the most generous laugh and beautiful energy.

“The person your sisters always most wanted to sit next to at family meals as we knew we’d have such a good giggle. The child your parents will for ever be so proud of, not only for your achievements but the way you lived your life and made everyone around you feel.

“Seeing how happy you and Jesse made each other and you being the most brilliant aunt and godmother to Jack brought us all so much joy.

“We don’t know how to do life without you, but we will make it our life’s work to make you proud and keep your memory alive. We love you for ever.”

From left: Jesse and Georgie with their dog Fern, Jo Williams (Georgie’s sister) with Georgie’s dog Twig, Jack (Jo’s son and Georgie’s godson), Mike Williams (Jo’s husband) and dog Roo. Standing: Debbie and Ian (Georgie’s parents) and Bertie (Georgie’s sister). Credit: Mel Smith Photography.

Friends of Georgie have paid tribute to her, describing her as humble, dedicated, fun, and beautiful inside and out.

Abbie Fernandes met Georgie at Dulwich Prep School in Cranbrook, Kent, aged 10 and the pair had been “partners in crime ever since”. They were bridesmaids for one another, and Georgie is godmother to Abbie’s daughter Maisie. Georgie is also godmother to her sister Jo’s son Jack.

“She was the consummate sportswoman, it was in her blood. She could turn her hand to everything – except for the fact she couldn’t swim so that’s where I could catch her in tetrathlon,” Abbie told H&H.

“She was our hockey team captain at school, then played first team hockey at university and at county level. She was on the lacrosse first team and played at county level. She was incredible at netball, and long distance running. At school she would run with the boys because there was no competition for her.

“She was that girl on the team; when we went to other schools they’d know who she was. You didn’t want to get in her way when she was headed to the goal – and I was grateful to be on her team rather than against her! She was terrifyingly competitive on a hockey or lacrosse pitch, but the softest, kindest and most non-confrontational person off it.”

Abbie said Georgie was “so dedicated, and horses were her dream”.

“She was laser-focused on making it happen and believed in herself. Even from when we were 11 or 12 we’d finish running practice and Georgie’s mum Debbie would be waiting in the car park with the lorry ready to drive to a show. She had so much commitment, it was just incredible. She was an inspiration to me, and in many ways I idolised her,” she said.

“A part of her charm was that she was totally unaware of the effect she had on people. She was so humble and she had so much more to give. She was so excited about Global Quest and Speedwell and felt that she really had two horses that could really make it with her.

“It sounds so cliché to say that someone was beautiful inside and out, but with Georgie it was genuinely true. People who came across Georgie at grassroots events have said she would speak to them and help them, she never had any airs or graces – she wanted to help people do their best. She barely said an unkind word about anyone, in fact most of the time she was telling me off for being judgemental. Between us we made the whole person, unless you tried to give us a maths equation, because neither of us could count!

“She’s been part of my life ever since I can remember, and I feel very privileged to have been her best friend.”

Hattie Cripps, former DC of the Romney Marsh branch of the Pony Club, told H&H Georgie was “the most wonderful girl”.

“I first saw Georgie when she was around six. I remember the exact moment, we were at a mini event at Eridge Park and she was riding a pony called Weston Star. I remember looking at her and thinking ‘Oh my god, that child is amazing!’. She was way above all the other kids at that age, and she just went on showing this talent. It was extraordinary,” said Hattie.

“She had the most amazing smile, and I don’t think I ever heard her say a nasty thing about anybody. We used to have Pony Club at their farm and as a teenager she was always there helping the younger kids, everybody loved her.

“She was on all the Pony Club teams; showjumping, dressage, eventing, tetrathlon, Prince Phillip Cup. There was nothing she couldn’t do, and she was so dedicated the whole way through life – she was the most amazing all-rounder, and such fun. We did a lot of dressing up and playing games at camp and she was always in the forefront of it all and making us laugh.”

Georgie Campbell and Darcy De La Rose

Pippa Funnell told H&H it is “so very tough to come up with a tribute to someone so special as Georgie”.

“I have read so many of the amazing messages sent to Jesse after the incredible post he put out about the tragic loss of his deeply cherished wife. I pray that Jesse, Georgie’s family and friends can draw strength from all the affection being shown,” she said.

“If there was ever a definition of accumulated love and support this situation would be it. We collectively grieve together over Georgie, she was not just stunningly beautiful with such a radiant smile but an amazing example of an exemplary member of the human race. She clearly had very high morals. It was so obvious that she was devoted to Jesse and her family, she was always gracious, thankful and of course great fun. People say ‘If you are lucky you can only count your good friends on one hand’ but because of the person Georgie was she would have needed many hands.”

Pippa added that Georgie was an “out-and-out competitor, completely dedicated to the horses she so adored.”

“It was wonderful to get the opportunity to work with her over recent weeks. I loved her attitude at looking to improve herself to help her horses. She was an absolute pleasure to teach, open minded and incredibly talented,” she said.

“She was inspired and excited about what the future held for her and her lovely team of horses. I felt between them they had all the attributes to succeed at the very top of the sport she so loved.

“Dearest Georgie. All of us in the eventing family will miss you terribly but we promise to look after and support those that you so loved. We will always remember you fondly with that wonderful wonderful infectious smile. Thank you. Xxx’”

Tom McEwen told H&H: “I feel so fortunate to be able to call Georgie my friend.”

“Jesse said to me the other day, ‘I could write a book about how incredible Georgie was’ so to try to boil it down to a few paragraphs feels impossible.

“And how true this is, I could honestly write pages and at the same time not need to say anything at all to explain how great Georgie is. The memories I have of Georgie are filled with kindness, happiness and an unwavering positivity that she threw at everything and everyone. Georgie always made you feel that she had all the time in the world for you. Because she genuinely did.

“From Jesse and Georgie’s wedding during Covid with only a small number of us, to more recently hunting in Ireland this year, any time spent in Georgie’s company was special and happy. The only time I was slightly scared of her was during a particularly competitive game of rounders.”

Tom said that in eventing Georgie has “always been one of the most dedicated and self-motivated people I know”.

“Her natural talent and passion were enviable. Georgie loved what she did. She loved her family and friends even more and she loved Jesse unconditionally. Jesse and Georgie’s relationship really showed everyone else how it should be done, always being by one another’s side with a happiness I will always remember,” he said.

“We should all lead our lives by Georgie’s example. How lucky we are to have had her in our lives.”

Georgie and Cooley Earl at Badminton 2018. Credit: Tim Wilkinson Photography.

Lisa White was Georgie’s dressage coach of six years, having met Georgie through Jesse.

“The big thing about Georgie was that she was peerless, in her elegance and with her natural harmony on a horse,” Lisa told H&H. “You could look across the warm-up and spot Georgie a mile away, the horses were always so happy and with her. Each time I would come back and see Georgie she had taken what we’d worked on and developed it to somewhere so beautiful and amazing.

“She was so talented but humble, and so courageous and competitive but kind – and that’s a really rare balance to find. She was steely in her competitiveness and in a pressurised industry, Georgie always had her horses as a number one priority, she never compromised.”

Lisa added that Georgie “astounded me in her ability to work with her horses and make the best out of every one of them”.

“They all loved her, and she loved all of them. She celebrated her victories by making them about the horse, and when things didn’t go right she shouldered them completely on her own,” said Lisa.

“I was very lucky to have worked with such a beautiful person and a beautiful rider. She was just a very special human being.”

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H&H senior news writer

Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.