(See information about the funeral, survivors and memorial donations at the end of the obituary. Shelley Howerton Page, who will be going to the funeral, would like to print out email remembrances and give them to Ann’s family. Contact her at shelleyhpage@gmail.com)
One of the horse world’s very special people, Ann Rickard Haller, 56, died today after suffering complications related to an ongoing thyroid condition. Ann was working as the press officer and cross-country controller at the Great Meadow International event in Virginia this weekend when she felt ill and went to urgent care, before being hospitalized in Haymarket and then Manassas.
The ultimate worker and volunteer, Ann’s generous spirit was tirelessly devoted to the sport of eventing and brightened every competition where she was involved. If something needed to get done, she would do it, in style, efficiently and with a smile.
Ann Haller (Photo©by Nancy Jaffer)
Ann worked in the press office at many of events around the country including the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Fair Hill International, Rebecca Farm, North American Youth Championships, the Jersey Fresh International, the FEI World Equestrian Games and the U.S. Eventing Association American Eventing Championships, among others.
While she often was the cross-country controller, wherever she was needed, there she was, lending her expertise and work ethic.
She had been married to Roger Haller, the cross-country designer for the 1978 World Championships and the 1996 Olympics, who died in 2016. They were a formidable couple in their contributions to the sport they loved.
Ann and Roger Haller (Photo©by Nancy Jaffer)
Roger and his family founded the Essex Horse Trials at Hoopstick Farm in Bedminster. It went on to become one of the most important events in the country after moving to the U.S. Equestrian Team’s Hamilton Farm in Gladstone, where it gained sponsorship from MARS Inc.
Essex was discontinued in 1998, but revived in 2017 at Moorland Farm in Far Hills, and Ann was on hand to be part of that.
Ann Haller with Ralph Jones, co-chair of the MARS Essex Horse Trials that was founded by her late husband, Roger Haller, and his family. (Photo©by Nancy Jaffer)
An “army brat,” as she described herself, Ann was the daughter of the late Col. Daniel Rickard.
She grew up in various locations around the country. She was a graduate H-A pony clubber from Hood Pony Club (Texas) and a member of more than half a dozen pony clubs. A longtime Georgia resident who had worked as a dietician before focusing on eventing full-time, she moved to Maryland recently.
A past member of the U.S. Pony Club’s board of governors who was inducted into the USPC Academy of Achievement, she continued to be involved in Pony Club for more than 25 years as an instructor, clinician, coach and in many other aspects of that organization. Those she taught stayed very close to her, even after they moved on from Pony Club.
When she was nine, Shelby Allen met Ann at Pony Club camp for the South Region. Shelby rode with Ann until she went to college.
“After that, she helped me get basically every single job I’ve had,” said Shelby, who worked for Eventing Nation and is starting nursing school this week.
“She played a lot of roles in my life, from teacher to mentor and friend. She was just a really special person,” Shelby observed, noting Ann was practically a surrogate mother for many of the Pony Clubbers with whom she worked.
“Every single person she met felt very loved by he,” said Shelby.
“She made a huge impact, even if you only saw her briefly. She gave everybody that really special personal feeling.”
A memorial service will be held at 11a.m. this Saturday, Aug. 31 at Trinity Episcopal Church, First Avenue, Columbus, Ga., with a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked Ann’s friends to consider a donation to the United States Pony Club Annual Fund (https://www.ponyclub.org/giving), or to the Roger Haller Education Fund (USEAFoundation.org/donate
Ann is survived by her mother, Meta Fooks Rickard of Columbus, Ga; her brothers Paul Rickard (Brooke) of Midland Ga., and Col. Tom Rickard (Elizabeth) of Ft. Meade, Md; her aunts Mary Alice “Tuke” Shoemaker of Belton, Tex. and Mary Bolling Fooks Whittemore of Falmouth, Me; and her uncles Robert Fooks (Peggy) of Norfolk, Va and James Rickard (Kay) of Traverse City, Mi.
