Reuben Jones was born in Newport, Shropshire. 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.

At Tokyo in 1964, Sergeant Ben Jones of the King’s Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery became the first NCO to represent Great Britain in the Olympic equestrian events. At the Tokyo Games, Britain was eliminated in the team event but individually Jones finished a commendable ninth. Four years later in Mexico City, Jones improved to place fifth in the individual event and won a gold medal in the team event.

Jones served at King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, and later in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. He died at 57 in Melton Mowbray in a tragic accident while training a horse. Newport honors him with a street name: Ben Jones Avenue.