Great Britain’s David Doel has steadily established himself as one of eventing’s most consistent competitors at the five-star level, building an impressive international record highlighted by podium finishes on both sides of the Atlantic.

Doel’s eventing career began with the Avon Vale Pony Club, where he regularly competed on teams at the championship level. He went on to progress through the Junior and Young Rider ranks, earning team gold, silver and bronze medals, as well as an individual bronze. In 2014, he stepped onto the senior international stage with his Nations Cup debut and was awarded the Goldman Cup as the best Under-21 rider of the season.

Doel made his five-star debut at Pau in 2018 and has remained a regular competitor at the level ever since. Much of that success has come alongside his longtime partner, Galileo Nieuwmoed. The pair made their Badminton Horse Trials debut in 2022, finishing sixth, before adding a fourth-place finish at Pau later that year. Since then, Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed have continued to prove their consistency at the highest level, finishing inside the top ten at every five-star event they have completed together.

Doel made his Kentucky Three-Day Event debut in 2023 aboard Galileo Nieuwmoed, making an immediate impression with an eighth-place finish in the CCI5*.

Just months later, the pair produced one of the standout performances of their career at the 2023 Burghley Horse Trials; Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed finished second after completing the competition on their dressage score, further establishing themselves as a combination capable of challenging at the very top of the sport. Their success continued with a third-place finish at the Maryland 5* in 2024 and another top ten result at Pau in 2025.

Three years after their Kentucky debut, Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed returned to the bluegrass for the 2026 Kentucky Three-Day Event, this time taking their place on the podium with a third-place finish. Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed delivered a standout performance throughout the weekend, adding no penalties across the cross-country and show jumping phases to finish on their dressage score of 30.8 and secure a place on the podium.

Doel also continues to build depth at the highest level, with multiple horses qualified for five-star competition. As of August 2026, he sits 24th in the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings, further reflecting his consistency on the international stage.