Biko, a large, bay Irish Thoroughbred/Irish Draught gelding (Beau Charmeur x My Hansel), was owned by Dick and Vita Thompson of Malvern, Pennsylvania. Biko was the stalwart of the U.S. Team in the 1990s with rider Karen O'Connor (a USEA's Eventing Hall of Fame inductee in 2018), and in 1996 helped the U.S. win silver at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. He and O'Connor represented the country on multiple occasions and competed and finished with top placings, including third at the Badminton Horse Trials CCI4* in and fifth at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4* in 1998.

In 1999, he won the Horse of the Century Award from the USEA. During the induction ceremony, O'Connor described Biko, "He had a full brother who competed the Grand National, amazing conformation, beautiful withers - which actually kept me in the saddle most of the time, great shoulder, wonderful length hip to hock. He was an unbelievably good-looking horse with impressive size at 17.3 hands. He had an amazing work ethic and loved to be ridden every day, and an unbelievable gallop and incredible brain. A gentle giant."

The gelding was an ambassador for the sport of eventing and was beloved by children and all who met him. He was retired in 1999 at age 15, and a ceremony was held at the 2001 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event to commemorate his career. Biko passed away on January 29, 2014, at the age of 30.