We’re looking forward to our annual Junior Prize Giving this evening and to welcoming back Toby Vintcent (Phillips '80) as our Guest of Honour. An interesting and varied biography, we first re-connected with Toby at the Celebration of Sport Dinner here at AGS in November. He has since returned to the School for National Book Day and now as our Guest Speaker this evening.

Toby was at Aylesbury Grammar School from 1975 to 1980. While here, he rode for Great Britain in a Junior British Three Day Event Team, the equestrian triathlon of dressage, showjumping and cross-country. After AGS he went into the Army and served for three years as a commissioned officer in the 16^th/5^th The Queen’s Royal Lancers, an armoured cavalry regiment.

Leaving the Army, he joined SG Warburg & Co in the City of London as a graduate trainee (although not having a degree) and became an investment manager. He retired at the age of 42 having become a marketing director and the group’s principal presenter and public speaker.

Toby kept up his equestrian interests: he was team manager of the British Under 17 Three Day Event Team for 7 years and went to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games as the Deputy Team Manager of the British Equestrian Contingent; he served for 6 years on the board of the British Equestrian Federation, the national governing body, the latter 5 being responsible for the elite equestrian performances at the Beijing and London Olympiads.

While living in London, Toby was active in politics becoming the youngest ever Chairman of the Greater London Area (effectively the population within the M25) for the Conservative Party.

His first Formula 1 thriller, Driven, was published in 2015 being highly reviewed and shortlisted for the British Sports Book Awards; Crash followed in 2016. His third F1 thriller, The Ringmaster, was launched on 5^th July 2018 in time for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Toby is married to a former international Three Day Event rider and they have a son born in 2004.
 
We’re excited to hear his words to our Year 7 - 9 students and parents this evening at our annual Junior Prize Giving taking place the Foundation Hall.