United States Eventing Association

Horses Came First, Second, and Last: My Unapologetic Road to Eventing Gold

Trafalgar Square Books is pleased to announce the release of Horses Came First, Second, and Last by Jack Le Goff, with Jo Whitehouse.

With an astounding eighteen medals in eight international championships and team gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1976 and 1984, Jack Le Goff created the standard by which modern-day equestrian teams are measured. But Le Goff’s techniques could be unforgiving—tough, brutal, and abrasive—and earned him critics as well as converts. In this, his autobiography, Le Goff tells the whole story, from impoverished beginnings in Morocco, to the tragic death of his father, to his successes as a competitive equestrian. Readers will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of high-level equestrian sport, as well as an entire section devoted to Le Goff’s much-admired and extremely successful training philosophy.

Jack Le Goff was a French equestrian, best known as the coach of the American three-day eventing team from 1970 to 1984. He coached the team to multiple international championships, winning 18 international medals, including several in the Olympics. Le Goff is known for having a large impact on the American eventing world, and the era in which he coached has been called the golden era of American equestrianism. Prior to becoming an American coach, Le Goff served in the French army and competed in three-day eventing for France. He rode in the 1960 Summer Olympics, winning a team bronze medal, and the 1964 Olympics. He subsequently coached the French national team, winning multiple regional and international medals. After retiring, he acted as a consultant to the United States Equestrian Team (USET), identifying and developing new riders; helped to coach the Canadian national team; and served as director of the USET Training Center.

Jo Whitehouse held the position of CEO of the United States Eventing Association for over twenty years, before retiring in 2015. Jo was introduced to eventing in England by her local Pony Club. She rode in her first Pony Club event at age 13 and became addicted to the sport. She met Jack Le Goff in 1987 when she began working for the then-USCTA in South Hamilton, MA.

For more information, contact [email protected].