Canada’s longtime show jumping Olympic medalist and chef d’equipe, Tom Gayford, died over the weekend at age 97.
He rode on Canadian teams for nearly 30 years, beginning in the 1940s until the 1970s. At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, he was on the show jumping squad that won Canada’s first gold medal in the sport’s most important competition.
Ten years later, he became the Canadian team’s chef d’equipe, continuing in that role until 1996. He was inducted into both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, as well as the Jump Canada Hall of Fame, as both a coach and rider.
Visitation for will be Friday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Humphrey Funeral Home, 1403 Bayview Ave., Toronto. to attend and bring their photos and stories. A private family funeral will be held at a later date.