by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 25, 2020
While the Tokyo Olympics actually happening next summer is as close as you can get to a sure bet in the Covid era, there remains the question of how many people can be present to watch live.
But Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is hoping there will be “full spectators present,” she told the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, according to Reuters.
“The best-case scenario would be when all athletes from all countries come here in safety and with peace of mind and the Olympics can, as in previous years, be held with full spectators present as well,” she said.
Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshirō Mutō expects an answer by the spring on measures for spectators, but the advent of the vaccines will no doubt help that along. Athletes, coaches and officials are set to be exempt from Japan’s 14-day isolation period and Mutō suggested fans travelling from overseas might also be free from quarantine. That also may be affected by the ability to be vaccinated against the virus.
A dry run this month at the packed Yokohama Stadium screened fans for body temperature and high-spec cameras tracking movement. During a visit to Japan, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the vaccines made him “very confident that we can have spectators in the Olympics stadium next year and that spectators will enjoy a safe environment”.
Approximately 4.48 million tickets were sold for the Olympics, which are now scheduled for July 23 to August 8, while 970,000 were sold for the Paralympics, set to run from August 24 to September 5. Tickets for the Games postponed from 2020 will be valid for 2021, but Tokyo 2020 will offer refunds to fans who are no longer able to attend.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 16, 2020
Anyone who has spent time with Lynn Matthews knows she is rarely at a loss for words. The one exception was the moment when the N.J. Department of Agriculture’s equine specialist learned she would be getting the prestigious Spirt of the Horse award at this month’s Rutgers Equine Science Center Evening of Science and Celebration.
Lynn laughed while remembering how ESC Founding Director Karyn Malinowski “had never seen me speechless” until she told the astounded recipient about the award.
“I couldn’t say anything, I was so excited. I’ve never been recognized in my entire career in state government because I always say, `No, no, no, the board chairman should get it,’ or this one or that one,” explained Lynn, who for more than three decades has done several jobs that benefit agriculture in New Jersey, including serving as secretary of both the state Equine Advisory Board and the board of the Horse Park of New Jersey. The award recognizes those whose lives have been impacted by their involvement with horses and who continue to give back to horses and the equine industry
“I’m not one for the limelight,” Lynn explained. “But this was my night and it was virtual and it was absolutely amazing.”
As Karyn noted, “Lynn unselfishly and tirelessly has dedicated her whole life to our industry. Sometimes people go above and beyond in their efforts, and Lynn is one of those people. Her summers and weekends are non-existent because she is working all the time. For that, the Equine Science Center wanted to recognize Lynn with this Spirit of the Horse award.”
Adam Furlong, president of the Horse Park of New Jersey, observed, “I cannot imagine that there are many people who have expended more energy and resources for the well-being of the park over the last 30-some years than she has”
For many, Adam noted, “She is practically synonymous with the Horse Park. I know few people in life who have greater passions or care than Lynn does for the Horse Park.”.
Lynn Mathews, left, at the Horse Park of New Jersey, with her niece, Grace Goeke and Tony, a 30-plus pony Lynn took care of for years.
Lynn actually had to get permission to accept the trophy that now sits proudly in the hutch in the dining room at her home, because there are strict rules about state workers accepting gifts. Lynn was thrilled that her supervisor, Joe Atchison, the director of marketing and development for the department of agriculture, also was on the Zoom call for the ceremony.
State Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher recognized Lynn by saying she, “serves the New Jersey equine community with great passion and commitment. She epitomizes the spirit of helping others, working hard, and getting results. In countless equine endeavors in New Jersey, Lynn has benefited so many people and activities throughout the years.”
Lynn’s first horse show experience was at the Morristown Armory, where the eight-year-old won her class on a pony named King Magic. Interestingly, the blue ribbon was pinned on his bridle by Lt. Col. James Marsh, who would go on to be president of the New Jersey Horse Council and take a leading role in the horse industry. He was someone Lynn would come to know very well.
During her youth in Lancaster, Pa., Lynn rode saddlebreds, winning a wide variety of saddle seat equitation classes and riding in the Good Hands at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden.
Lynn Mathews as a teen on her equitation horse, The Rogue.
She had a nice walk-trot mare that she rode to fifth place in a big ladies’ class at Devon. But after that horse bowed a tendon she got involved with Standardbreds. After buying, breaking and training a Standardbred filly, she went to Liberty Bell Park and got a job with Joe Greene. She met her husband, Rob Mathews, because Joe’s farm was buying hay from him. The couple now runs a Christmas tree farm in Chesterfield Township.
She picked up her trainer’s license before becoming involved with officiating, serving as a program director for the New Jersey Sire Stakes. Then 33 years ago, Lynn came on board with the department of agriculture.
That gave her “unbelievable opportunities to share my passion with kids and help them learn to be good horsemen and stable managers. The kids are our future, and if we can’t keep them excited somehow, there’s going to be a lot more big buildings and not as much agriculture.”
Lynn’s other positions with the department of agriculture include coordinating the junior breeder program, serving as the agricultural fair coordinator and being a member of the Animal Emergency Working Group. (Her husband goes with her to help in that regard.)
“He’s just the best partner in the world,” said Lynn. Karyn noted that when emergencies arise, “Lynn is there to help as a loyal supporter of the equine community in the state of New Jersey.”
She’s been a stand-in for director of the Sire Stakes program, since that person retired unexpectedly. Her load is a bit lighter now, since she just retired as an Emergency Medical Technician as well as a teaching CPR and Red Cross first aid.
Everything she has done has helped make a difference.
“I love giving back,” said Lynn, who earned a degree from Thomas Edison State University. She was quick to acknowledge, “My family and the department have been Incredible support for anything that I want to do for agriculture for horses.”
The other honor presented during the evening was the Gold Medal Horse Farm Award, which went to the 64-acre Centenary University Equestrian Center in Long Valley. Part of the New Jersey Equine Environmental Stewardship Program, the award recognizes outstanding equine farms for their dedication to environmental sustainability and management.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 1, 2020
Elegant and effective, Dominic Gibbs had “winner” written all over him when he competed in today’s ASPCA Maclay equitation championship at the National Horse Show. It was a marathon of a competition that ran 13 hours from the first horse to the victory gallop in the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.
Dominic Gibbs aboard Cent 15 on his way to victory in the Maclay. (Photo by Elaine Wessel/Phelps Media Group)
Because of Covid, the class had a record 252 riders entered in the first round, since qualifying had to be adjusted in view of limited opportunities to compete because of the pandemic.
The field was tested over an extremely demanding first-round course designed by Bobby Murphy, with rails falling more than usual for this class. The initial group was whittled down to 24 for the flat phase. Dominic, second to Gigi Moynihan of Oldwick after the first round, moved up to the top spot going into the first test after the flat competition.
The test was quite complicated, with a hand-gallop to the first fence and counter-canter approaches demanded to the sixth and 10th fences to test both leads, a triple of a skinny vertical one stride from a birch oxer and then two strides to another skinny vertical. Oh yes, and then between the last two fences, riders had to put in six steady strides, no more. Competitors needed to be proficient in extension and collection throughout.
I thought the contenders had sorted themselves out quite nicely after that round, but judges Emil Spadone and Mark Jungherr thought otherwise.
The course for Round 2.
So they called back the top four–Dominic; Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal winner Taylor Griffiths-Madden, Gigi and Sophee Steckbeck of Clarksburg in Monmouth County for one more round over a shorter course with two trot fences. After that, the result was the same.
Taylor Griffiths-Madden and Mac One III. (Photo by Elaine Wessel/Phelps Media Group)
Stacia Klein-Madden, who trains Dominic at Beacon Hill in Colts Neck, figured that the round after the flat phase “had so many tests built in that I speculated if whoever was leading delivered that test well enough to stay on top, that maybe there would be no other testing.”
But as she pointed out, since no scores were made public, no one but the judges knew how close the riders were.
As Emil noted, “There was a little room if someone maybe wanted to move up. They all held their own, but there was not enough of a change for us to change our order.”
Stacia took the decision about additional work in stride.
“Once they announced there was going to be further testing after the second round, you just had to get your head in the game and deliver again.”
And that’s what happened, though of course, the additional testing brought heightened tension.
“In the past, I have had some issues with nerves,” Dominic observed, “so I was just trying to keep myself calm and keep it under control to have the best round that I could for the second round. I think that really helping myself to calm down with breathing really helps a lot.”
Whatever he’s feeling on the inside, Dominic always looks composed and in tune with his horse, Cent 15.
“It’s a stunning picture, it’s a stunning horse I don’t know that I’ve ever had a rider get a top five ribbon in all the finals in the same year,” said Stacia.
The list includes fourth place in the Washington International and the Medal, as well as fifth in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East.
Stacia Klein-Madden and Dominic Gibbs. (Photo by Elaine Wessel/Phelps Media Group.)
As Stacia put it,” We kept knocking at the door until somebody answered.”
Since Dominic has another year as a junior rider, he will now try to raise the ante and win those other championships in which he placed during 2020.
I first met Dominic last year when he was fourth in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East, and I was impressed.
A Colorado Springs resident, he was so talented that his first trainer sent him to Katie and Henri Prudent. Though they guided him in the jumpers, they suggested he also needed an equitation specialist, which was how he became associated with Stacia.
Dominic bought his mount in Europe as a stallion and trained him to be an equitation specialist.
“He’s done a lot of work, and I think that is really something for him to be proud of,” Stacia said.
She cited Dominic’s strengths as “perseverance and determination. He really is truly thrilled with his horse’s every performance. He is always looking at the good of the performance and tries to learn from the mistakes.”
The Maclay wrapped up a crazy year for junior riders and their trainers, with Covid canceling USEF shows from March 20-May 31, and many shows deciding not to go ahead after that. Those who participated at the National offered kudos to the organization for running when so many others couldn’t.
As Stacia noted, “Every horse show we got to show at, I was just thankful we were showing.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 26, 2020
Searching for answers to your horse-related questions? Whether they involve health, pasture and manure management, exercise physiology or other equine-related subjects, the Rutgers Equine Science Center is offering an opportunity to learn from people who know.
The lineup for the “Ask the Experts” panel online at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 includes Karyn Malinowski, the center’s founding director; veterinarian Dr. Michael Fugaro, Kenneth McKeever, Michael Westendorf and Carey Williams.To register, go to: https://go.rutgers.edu/Fall2020ews
And mark your calendar for 7-8:30 p.m. Nov. 12, when the annual Evening of Science and Celebration will be held virtually. The keynote will come from Karyn Malinowski on a hot topic, “Equine Welfare: A New World for Equine Athletes.”
The guest speaker, Dr. Allen Page of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, will discuss, “Can We Use a Blood Test to Predict Catastrophic Racing Injuries in Horse?.” The toll taken by such injuries continues to be a matter of concern, as legislation is being directed to improve safety at the racetracks.
Also scheduled are presentations of the Spirit of the Horse Award and the Gold Medal Horse Farm Award. To register for the evening, go to https://go.rutgers.edu/Evening2020
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 26, 2020
One of the guiding lights of the Hampton Classic Horse Show, Agneta Currey, died Oct. 20.
A resident of Franklin, Tenn., Wellington, Fla., and Southampton, N.Y., she was a native of Sweden who met Brownlee O. Currey Jr., an investment banker at Equitable Securities, when she went to work in New York City in 1960. They married in May 1961.
Agneta Currey
Mrs Currey was instrumental and the leader in creating the partnership of 1984 Los Angeles Olympic double gold medalist Joe Fargis and the thoroughbred mare Touch Of Class.
Involved at the Hampton Classic Horse Show since 1977, Mrs. Currey’s efforts included chairing the board of directors and co-founding an advisory committee of professional riders and exhibitors to continuously improve the show. As head of the flower committee, she brought color and beauty to the showgrounds.
A rider since her childhood, Mrs. Currey and her three children trained at Topping Riding Club, one of the oldest riding clubs on Long Island, and she became a talented amateur hunter rider. Mrs Currey was instrumental and the leader in creating the partnership of 1984 Los Angeles Olympic double gold medalist Joe Fargis and his thoroughbred mare Touch Of Class.
Survivors include her children, Christian (Kathryn) Currey, Frances Briggs, and Stephanie (John) Ingram and 12 grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband.
The family will have a private memorial. Those wishing to honor her memory can make contributions to Currey Ingram Academy; 6544 Murray Lane; Brentwood, TN 37027 or the Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc.; P.O. Box 3013; Bridgehampton, NY 11932.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 25, 2020
This weekend is one that the Essex Foxhounds usually devote to appreciating the country way of life, highlighted by its Masters Chase of fun races at Natirar, a Somerset County park that once was part of a great estate.
The Covid situation meant the chase and its afternoon of tailgating couldn’t be held in 2020, but Essex recouped–and in the process made up for having to cancel its puppy show earlier in the year for the same reason.
Instead, it offered a hound clinic at its Peapack base, with members and guests gathering to hear an appreciation of hound breeding by Tony Leahy, president of the Masters of Foxhounds Association. He is the master of both the Fox River Valley Hunt in Illinois and the Massbach Hounds in Georgia, enabling him to hunt from August to mid-April.
Tony Leahy explains a fine point about hound breeding.( Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
The gathering benefited the Countryside Alliance of the Somerset Hills. It’s a non-profit “formed to educate the public about breeding horses and hounds and the sporting life,” said Jazz Merton, who is the joint master of Essex with Karen Murphy.
According to Tony, the Essex Foxhounds “is one of the foundation genetic schools of American foxhounds in the U.S., and for American foxhounds in the world.”
Jazz noted that huntsman Bart Poole has been working to breed hounds concentrating on three family lines. It was informative to see three generations of hounds and how they were related.
Buster Chadwell was the huntsman for Essex from 1940 to 1977, with one year off for serving in World War II. His son, Roddy, followed him in the position. Their hound acuity made the Essex pack famous.
“The Chadwell family was renowned for breeding and training deer-broke hounds,” said Jazz, referring to canines that won’t get distracted by running on deer. With the prevalence of deer in the area, that’s a gift.
“Once the older hounds are smart about that, the younger ones are easy to train. They get the picture pretty quickly. It’s like a team; they all really want to work together. That’s what the breeding program is about, having a group or a family of good hunting hounds,” Jazz continued.
“It’s better to have a family of good hounds than to have one superstar who’s always outrunning the pack.”
To the average person, the hounds may look pretty much alike, aside from different coloration or the way their spots are arranged. But Bart knows them all by name, and it’s impressive to see him address them and watch the way they respond.
Huntsman Bart Poole shows off the Essex hounds and Tony Leahy offers observations for guests in Peapack. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
He and Tony cited the attributes of each hound, but Bart was practically poetic talking about Rhubarb “She has all the qualities,” enthused Bart.
“We call her the Swiss army knife.”
Her “multidimensional strengths and road nose” were paired with the pluses of Bristol, who has a “brilliant fox sense and thoughtfulness” in a mating designed to produce a family that was bred to embody those traits. The offspring were Raisin, Radish, Reaper, Roddy and Rubbish (which Tony cited with a smile as another “great name.”)
There is a real knack in “how to create families and keep things going in a sustainable way,” said Tony. It’s both an art and a science.
“You can’t necessarily breed the best to the best and expect to get the best,” he explained.
One goal is to produce hounds that have longevity yet can “still run with as much power as possible. Any pack of hounds should try to maintain at least four, possibly five, dominant female lines.”
When discussing various qualities of the hounds, “bidability” is a word he prefers to use rather than trainability. The communal dynamic among hounds, huntsman and staff can offer a type of built-in consensus, the teamwork to which Jazz referred, and that requires hounds who are open to it.
“For a group of hounds to be a mile away from you and want to get back to you,” Tony said, “that’s special.”
Asked about the state of foxhunting in America, Tony noted that with Covid, “a lot of people are coming back to the sport. It’s safe, it’s family- and community-based.”
While there are restrictions on many other sports during the pandemic, being socially distant aboard a horse in the fresh air means hunting can continue.
“From kids to 90-year-olds, there’s a place in most any of the hunts for anybody. What we’re seeing is that hunts are re-energized,” Tony observed.
“People come back to something familiar and that has some honesty and integrity and purity to it. It’s a shared bond when you’re out there in the field.
During the afternoon, Valerie Gimbel was honored for being part of the Essex field for 50 years, while former hunt secretary Constance Silverman was recognized for her contributions.
Huntsman Bart Poole plays a tribute to the late James C. Brady. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Before the clinic began, Karen asked for a moment of silence for longtime Essex benefactor James Brady, who died last week. In Mr. Brady’s memory, Bart played “Gone Away” on his horn. (See Mr. Brady’s obituary in the On the Rail section of this website.)
Karen characterized Mr. Brady as “a strong supporter of Essex; he had an interest in what we did and how Essex stepped into this next century. He kept an eye on things.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 23, 2020
The new World Equestrian Center in Ocala, which is set to open in January, has been allocated the U.S. Longines FEI Nations Cup™ qualifier by the FEI. The prospective dates for the show hosting it are March 16-21, although the full FEI calendar is still awaiting approval.
The qualifier previously was staged at the Palm Beach Masters in Wellington, Fla., a fixture which is no longer being held. Prior to that, the qualifier was staged by HITS, also in Ocala, a few minutes’ drive from WEC. The class is the qualifier for the Nations Cup final, which was not held this year due to Covid. It usually runs during September in Barcelona. Another Nations Cup that is not a qualifier for the final is held at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.
WEC has state-of-the-art indoor arenas and two stadiums, a 5-star hotel, restaurants, a veterinary clinic and retail shops. The facility, under the same ownership as the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio, will offer not only hunter/jumper shows, but also dressage and eventing competitions as well as shows for a variety of breeds, and non-equestrian offerings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 22, 2020
The Vermont Summer Festival, which was held at HITS’ Saugerties, N.Y., facility this year due to Covid restrictions in is home state, is returning to its regular venue in 2021. However, HITS is remaining on board to handle the logistics.
“I am very excited to be a part of what John has created in Vermont, and continue the history and tradition of this circuit,” said HITS President Tom Struzzieri, citing his long relationship with the Vermont shows’ organizer, John Ammerman.
“For John to use myself and HITS to run these events on his behalf is flattering. I am confident that we can live up to the confidence he is demonstrating in HITS.”
The shows will run July 6-Aug. 15 in East Dorset, Vt.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 6, 2020
Ticket sales for April’s Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event have been delayed until a date to be announced in January, due to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 situation.
While the tickets normally would be available in the autumn of the year before the Kentucky Horse Park competition presented by MARS Equestrian, Mike Cooper, president of EEI that puts on the competition, explained the reason for holding off.
Oliver Townend was the winner at Kentucky in 2019, the last year the event was held. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“As we continue to navigate these unchartered waters connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are in constant communication with the USEF, Kentucky Horse Park, and local governments,” said Mike Cooper, EEI president.
“Naturally, our prime concern is the safety and well-being of everyone and, given the current circumstances, we think it wisest to delay the opening of ticket sales until we are certain that we have the absolute best plans regarding spectator capacity and safety.”
The event, set for April 22-25 2021, was cancelled for this year in the midst of the pandemic, along with the $225,000 Kentucky CSI3* Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, which is held on April 24, the Saturday of the 5-star after cross-country.
The Kentucky event, will include a 4-star S this year in addition to the 5-star, is very dependent on spectators and its trade fair. Among the steps expected to be implemented is an expansion of the number of tailgating spaces available for Saturday’s cross-country competition. This will allow for increased opportunities for watching cross country while maintaining any required social distancing.
Single-Day and Multi-Day tickets will be available. All grounds admission tickets to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event will include general parking and admission to the Kentucky Horse Park and International Trade Fair, but not access to competition in Rolex Stadium on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Reserved grandstand seating for those days is sold separately from grounds admission. Grounds admission is free for children 12 years old and under with adult ticket purchases.
Plans for hospitality packages are still being formulated and will be announced before tickets go on sale in January. For more information, go to https://kentuckythreedayevent.com/
“Many spectators, patrons and sponsors chose to roll over the money they had paid for the 2020 event and are anxious to hear plans for 2021,” said Lee Carter, EEI executive director.
“While we don’t yet know exactly what the 2021 event will look like, EEI will continue to ensure that those who rolled over their money receive maximum benefit for doing so and everyone can be sure that next year’s Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and the Kentucky CSI3* Invitational Grand Prix will still be `The Best Weekend All Year!’”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 1, 2020
It is truly the end of an era. Lt. Col. John Russell, the last of America’s influential cavalry veterans, passed away at his home in Texas Sept. 30 The world’s oldest living Olympic medalist was 100 years, 7 months and 28 days.
He likely was the last student of the legendary Brig. Gen. Harry Chamberlin in the Army’s equitation course before mechanization put an end to it.
The colonel, a show jumper, was the first non-German to win the Hamburg Derby–doing it on the American-bred quarter horse, Rattler–and rode on the U.S. bronze medal team at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.
He also was part of the team that took the Nations Cups in Lucerne, Switzerland, and Dublin. As an individual, he won the puissance in Dublin, as well as the Prize of Paris in 1949.
Col. Russell eventually was put in charge of the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Training Center, serving as a mentor and inspiration to scores of athletes over 80 years.
John Russell, second from left, met at the Helsinki Olympics with Capt. Antonio Reimao and Maj. Fernando Paes of Portugal and Sgt. 1st Class Norman Brinker of the USA.
Gretchen Ornia Pacher, who owns Palermo Show Stable in Bedminster with her husband, Osvaldo, rode with Col. Russell during her junior years in San Antonio, along with her younger sister, Kate Bauer, and best friend, Gayle Cox.
His students always called their instructor “Colonel,” even though his army days were long behind him. Gretchen noted, “Colonel really never stopped teaching, he loved this sport so much that he taught as long as he could up through his final years.
Col. Russell behind the desk at his office in San Antonio.
He was, she said, “a kind man who loved our sport and all aspects of it. His teaching methods made riders think and problem-solve for themselves. One famous line in lessons was Come again,' which basically meant,`Think about the jump or exercise you just did and try it again.’ No elaborate explanations, just think and give it another try.”
Col. Russell served in World War II as a member of Gen. George Patton’s staff, selected because of his equestrian skills–you’ll remember that Patton was quite a horseman himself–and earned a Bronze Star, the Soldier’s Medal and a Purple Heart. After the war, he was named to the U.S. Olympic team for the 1948 London Games, part of the last U.S. equestrian delegation chosen from the U.S. Army. Col. Russell finished 21st in individual jumping on Air Mail.
Once the Army equestrian team was disbanded, Col. Russell was selected for the first civilian U.S. equestrian team in 1952. At the Games in Helsinki that year, he won team jumping bronze on Democrat alongside Arthur McCashin (Miss Budweiser) and Bill Steinkraus (Hollandia).
At the 1951 National Horse Show, John Russell rode the Italian thoroughbred Blue Devil to win the Royce A. Drake Memorial Challenge Trophy, donated to the show by the 1948 U.S. Army Horse Show Team. Blue Devil also evented. (Photo by Budd)
In 1956, Col. Russell became the officer in charge of the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Training Center at Fort Sam Houston,Texas. Over the subsequent decades, he coached the U.S. modern pentathlon delegations at six Olympic Games, where his athletes won six medals. His teams were also winners in the world championships. He helped organize the 1959 and 1977 World Modern Pentathlon Championships, and organized the modern pentathlon at the 1959 Pan American Games.
Olympic eventing medalist Jim Wofford, who was assigned to the pentathlon stables while he was in the Army, remembered that his father, Col. John Wofford, the first president of the U.S. Equestrian Team, was Col. Russell’s coach. In an interesting twist of fate, Col. Russell in turn became Jim’s coach.
Jim recalled that Col. Russell offered, “such an unusual mixture. His foundational riding was completely and thoroughly technically correct. And yet his training and teaching were entirely based on intuition.
“What made him special was his extraordinary ability to understand the horse’s capabilities, to understand the rider’s capabilities and to understand how to get the rider to maximize the horse’s capabilities That is not a function of keeping the straight line from the elbow to the horse’s mouth.”
Jim also cited the colonel’s “come again” technique, that helped enable riders to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
Even though Col. Russell was no longer in the service when Jim was riding for him, he still had the clout of a commanding officer, “because whatever he said around the stables went.”
Gretchen recalled Col. Russell as “a friendly man who loved conversation. He and my father, Dr. Charles Bauer, would have lengthy conversations even after we were no longer clients. We often visited Colonel when we’d all go home to Texas for Thanksgiving. He was always interested in the horses Osvaldo and I would find in Argentina.
“In a sense, I can thank Colonel for my marriage. Col. Russell was the one who presented the invitation to my sister for the international junior jumper competition where Osvaldo and I met.
“Colonel was a phenomenal rider himself. Apart from being an Olympic medalist, he was a stylish rider with a knack for winning.
“There are thousands of stories about Col. Russell. He touched so many people’s lives, not only the riders he taught, but their families as well. He will be remembered as a wonderful and hard-working man who lived a full and productive life.” Due to Covid, there currently is not a planned service. He will be laid to rest at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery with family present.
“Next time I visit my father’s grave there, I will definitely stop and pay my respects to this very important man in my life. I look forward to an announcement of a celebration of his life in the future. I’m sure his friends and family will do one, once we can all gather again.”
Col. Russell on Democrat at the 1952 Olympics.
Col. Russell received many awards in recognition of his importance to the sport, including the Pegasus Medal of Honor from the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the Gold Medal of Honor from the UIPM, modern pentathlon’s international federation. He was inducted into the U.S. Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 2001 and the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the FEI in 2010.
After retiring from coaching, he ran the Russell Equestrian Center in San Antonio, where his sons carried on his legacy and trained the next generation of champions.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation or USA Modern Pentathlon.
British sailor Jasper Blackall, also 100, is now the oldest living Olympic medalist.
