Hall of Fame

USEA's Eventing Hall of Fame

Induction into the United States Eventing Association's Eventing Hall of Fame is the highest honor awarded within the sport of eventing in the United States. Those inducted into the USEA's Eventing Hall of Fame have truly made a difference in the sport of eventing. Inductees have included past Association presidents, volunteers, riders, founding members, course designers, officials, organizers, horses, horse owners, and coaches.

Criteria for Induction

  • A record of working tirelessly over a period of years on behalf of the sport's growth, development, and/or the welfare of event horses.
  • Riders must be retired from representing the U.S. in international team competitions for a minimum of five years (Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games, or other CCIOs).
  • Horses must be retired from representing the U.S. in international team competition for a minimum of two years.
  • Nominees may not be a current member of the Hall of Fame Screening Committee and/or the USEA Board of Governors (with the exception of former USEA Presidents).
  • All nominees should demonstrate a consistency of excellence.

Every four years, at the discretion of the USEA Board of Governors candidates for induction are compiled. A screening committee consisting of current Hall of Fame inductees, current/former USEA/USCTA Presidents and CEOs research and screen the candidates following selection guidelines and criteria. The screening committee then provides a ballot of proposed Hall of Fame inductees to the USEA Board of Governors for their approval. The induction takes place at the USEA's Eventing Hall of Fame Dinner during the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.

Hall of Fame Inductees

Neil R. Ayer (1926-1990)

Neil Ayer was primarily responsible for the success and popularity of American eventing in the 1970s and the 1980s...

Major General Jonathan R. Burton (1919-2019)

Major General Jonathan “Jack” Burton, always a horse lover, was born in 1919 and began his equestrian career galloping racehorses as a young boy...

Captain John H. Fritz (1924-2012)

Captain John “Jack” Fritz, born in 1924, rode horses as a child and was introduced to dressage while studying at Princeton University...

Edward Harris (1912-2005)

Edward Harris served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and Captain of a submarine chaser in World War II on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in addition to carrying out the duties of Executive Officer of a destroyer chaser...

Jack LeGoff (1931-2009)

Jack LeGoff was born in France in 1931 and competed in dressage, show jumping, and eventing as a child, even riding steeplechasers as a teenager...

Alexander Mackay-Smith (1903-1998)

There is possibly no one who has done more to further the interests of all equestrian sports during the last century than Alexander Mackay-Smith.

Jenny Camp

Jenny Camp, a bay mare foaled in 1926 at the Remount Depot in Front Royal, Virginia, is arguably one of the most famous Army-bred horses...

The Grasshopper

Standing only 15.1 hands, The Grasshopper made history competing in a multitude of international team competitions.

Richard Collins (1908-1984)

Richard "Dick" Collins attended a military school in Southern California with a strong riding program...

J. Michael Plumb

Born in 1940 in Syosset, New York, Michael Plumb got his start with the Meadow Brooks Hounds Pony Club where he earned his "A" rating...

Torrance Watkins

Torrance Watkins was born in 1949 to a foxhunting family and made her hunting debut at age four...

James C. Wofford (1944-2023)

James C. “Jimmy” Wofford was born in 1944 and raised on a horse farm in Milford, Kansas...

Bally Cor

Bally Cor, sired by the steeplechaser Cormac, was bred by Dr. Charles Reid. Reid's friends, Harden Crawford, III and his wife Ailsa, bought a half interest in her as a youngster...

Plain Sailing

Plain Sailing's international career spanned almost a decade and several top riders...

Denny Emerson

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Edward E. “Denny” Emerson originally taught high school English and sold real estate in his native Vermont...

Michael Page

Michael Page hails from North Salem, New York and is well known as the rider in one of eventing's most successful combinations with his partner The Grasshopper...

Karen Stives (1950-2015)

Karen Stives earned her place in three-day eventing history when she rode her mother's big grey gelding, Ben Arthur, to win the individual silver medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics...

Biko

Biko, a large, bay Irish Thoroughbred/Irish Draught gelding (Beau Charmeur x My Hansel), was owned by Dick and Vita Thompson of Malvern, Pennsylvania...

Kilkenny

Kilkenny (aka "Henry"), a bay gelding owned by Mrs. Dorothea Wofford, competed in two Olympic Games with rider Jim Wofford...

Bruce Davidson

Bruce Davidson was a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team for more than 30 years, first making the team in 1971 when he was 18 years old...

Kevin Freeman (1941-2023)

Kevin Freeman’s first international success came in 1963 when he won team gold and individual silver medals at the Pan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil...

Denis Glaccum

Denis Glaccum was one of the first members of the USEA and rode in his first event in 1956...

David O'Connor

David O’Connor was a member of almost every U.S. Equestrian Team from 1986 until his retirement in 2004 and is one of America’s most successful international three-day event riders...

Eileen Thomas

Eileen Thomas was Executive Director of the USEA and served the organization for 17 years from 1974 to 1991...

Custom Made

Custom Made (Bassompierre x Purple Heather) is a 17.2 hand dark bay Irish Sport Horse gelding who was foaled in Ireland in 1985...

Good Mixture

Good Mixture (Mixture x Romaha) was a 16.1 ½ hand brown gelding born in 1962 who was bought off the racetrack by Miss Geraldine (Gerry) Pearson in Oregon...

Irish Cap

A 17.2 hand bay gelding bred in Ireland, Irish Cap was owned and trained by Bruce Davidson...

Roger Haller (1946-2016)

The son of Elliot Haller and Jean Haller Reid, Roger Haller grew up with a love for horses...

Amy Tryon (1970-2012)

Amy Tryon had a competitive record that few can match. With her beloved Poggio II, Amy represented the United States Eventing Team no less than five times...

Lana DuPont Wright

Lana DuPont Wright broke the glass ceiling for women in eventing all over the world when she became the first woman to compete on a team at the Olympic Games...

Giltedge

Throughout his eight years competing for the United States, Giltedge appeared on the international team five times and earned five medals...

The Gray Goose

As a youngster, this seven-eighths bred Irish horse was not everyone’s cup of tea, at least not until Kim Walnes found him in a yard in Ireland and saw something very special in him...

Jacqueline B. Mars

The support that Ms. Jacqueline B. Mars has provided for the sport of eventing as an owner and patron is legendary...

Jo Whitehouse

Born and raised in Filey, Yorkshire, England, Jo Whitehouse was hooked on eventing when she attended her first Pony Club Eventing Rally...

Margaret Lindsley Warden (1904-2007)

Margaret Lindsley Warden organized the first event in the United States in June 1952 at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee...

Mike Huber

One of the youngest riders ever named to an international Team, Mike Huber finished 13th at the 1978 World Championships at only 18 years of age...

Rebecca Broussard (1942-2010)

A horsewoman herself, Rebecca “Becky” Broussard was passionate about the sport of eventing...

Richard (1930-2012) and Vita Thompson (1937-2008)

Richard “Dick” and Vita Thompson were very special supporters of the sport of eventing...

McKinlaigh

Thom Schultz and his wife Laura Coats were on a horse buying trip to Ireland and just happened to stop by Ireland’s Young Event Horse Competition at the 1998 Punchestown Three-Day Event...

Molokai

Dorothy Trapp Crowell found Molokai (Hawaii x Pretty Copy) fresh off the track as a 4-year-old...

Winsome Adante

Winsome Adante (Saunter x Juswith Genoa) was owned by Ms. Linda Wachtmeister, ridden by Kim Severson, and bred in England by Janet and Chris Gooch...

Tim and Nina Gardner

Nina and Tim Gardner have been active supporters of the sport and its future for many years as owners, breeders, and volunteers of the Association...

Dr. A. Martin Simensen (1930-1995)

Dr. A. Martin “Marty” Simensen served as the U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) Veterinarian for over 22 years and was widely known and loved for his commitment to his patients and the owners behind them...

Karen O'Connor

Karen Lende O’Connor has competed in five Olympic Games, three World Equestrian Games, and two Pan American Games...

Howard Simpson

Howard Simpson grew up fox hunting and served as Master of the Foxhounds (MFH) for the Mill Creek Hunt in Illinois...

Captain Mark Phillips

Captain Mark Phillips was born on September 22, 1948, in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England...

Out and About

Out and About (“Outie”), a 16.2 hand dark bay Thoroughbred gelding (L'Amour Rullah x Incarnadine), was Kerry Millikin’s horse of a lifetime and one of the greatest eventing Thoroughbreds of all time...

Janie Atkinson

After graduating from Rutgers University with a Master’s Degree in Animal Science, Janie Atkinson began working as a lab tech in the University of Kentucky Veterinary Science Department in 1969. She moved from Lexington in 1970 to accept a position as industry liaison with the newly formed American ...

Brigadier General Harry D. Chamberlin (1887-1944)

Jim Wofford compared the work of Brigadier General Harry D. Chamberlin in the equestrian community to that of Mozart and was quoted saying, “We are the beneficiaries of Chamberlin’s genius, and horses around the world live far more comfortable and productive lives because of his work.”

Trish Gilbert (1941-2024)

Trish Gilbert was one of the first women to break the barriers put up against women competing in the sport of eventing. She had considerable success in the early years of eventing amongst non-military competitors. Prior to relocating to her current home in Hartford County, Maryland with her husband ...

Eagle Lion

Out of the famous mare Stream Lion, a producer of many excellent event horses, and by the Thoroughbred sire Gipfel whose progeny went on to be top-class sport horses, Eagle Lion competed at the highest level of the sport with Bruce Davidson Sr. in the tack. The horse, bred by Patricia Nicholson and ...

Sally O'Connor

Sally O’Connor has enjoyed a lifetime of involvement with horses both in eventing and dressage. She had a robust eventing career in the 1960s and 70s as well as competing in the dressage ring for many years, earning numerous championship accolades while studying under the tutelage of classical rider...

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