Course designers Anthony D’Ambrosio and Linda Allen have just been elected to the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and will be inducted March 5 at the group’s annual dinner in Wellington, Fla.
While both have impressive course designing credentials (Tony has designed the World Cup Finals; Linda the 1996 Olympics) each also made their mark in other areas of the industry.
As a rider, Tony is perhaps best known for setting records in the puissance; first in 1973 at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden, where he jumped 7 feet, 4 inches aboard Sympatico. Nine years later, he rode Sweet & Low at the Washington International Horse Show over a wall standing 7-feet, 7 and one-half inches, an indoor record that still stands.
Tony won more than 30 Grand Prix competitions, including the Hampton Classic and the USET Show Jumping Championship. He is also well-known as a technical advisor/delegate and course designer l.
He and his wife, Michael, are based out of Wild Horse Ranch in Red Hook, N.Y., which specializes in developing Grand Prix jumpers. He has sold four Olympic horses, three of which he developed from an early age, as well as many other Grand Prix winners.
With more than 60 years involvement in equestrian sports, Linda began as a rider, representing the U.S. in international competition, then following that with a career as an internationally respected official judge and course designer. The Californian has also served as president of the ground jury for FEI events in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. She also served on the ground jury for the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games and 2000 FEI World Cup Finals, as well as for other FEI events around the world.
Linda has been a design consultant for more than 50 equestrian facilities throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada and conducted clinics worldwide for riding, course design and judging. She has served on the boards of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, the U.S. Equestrian Team, the Young Jumper Futurity and the Young Jumper Championships, among others.
She also wrote the book, 101 Jumping Exercises for Horse and Rider, and the DVD, The JumpSmart Guide to Course Building. Linda has won many awards, including the USEF Pegasus Medal of Honor and the California Professional Horsemen’s Association Horsewoman of the Year.