United States Eventing Association

Karen O’Connor’s 1997 Rolex winner, Worth the Trust, died on February 19, 2019 from complications of old age. He was 34 years old. He died like he did everything else in his life ― with honesty and courage.

Upstage (Touching Wood x Golly D’Ore), Richard and Vita Thompson’s Thoroughbred gelding, passed away today at the age of 28.

The USEA is saddened to report that Fifi Prime, formerly known as Fifi Coles, passed away peacefully and painlessly in her sleep on December 7, 2018. Fifi was the editor of the USCTA News (now Eventing USA) for 22 years taking it from a newsletter to a magazine and was instrumental in establishing the sport of three-day eventing in the United States. Fifi traveled all over the world to cover eventing at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan Am Championships for the USCTA News and worked tirelessly to promote the sport.

In 1996 Jill Henneberg represented the U.S. at the Olympic Games on an off-the-track Thoroughbred mare she found in a backyard and purchased for a few hundred dollars. Nirvana II (by Hawkins Special) was only 3 years old and Henneberg was only 13 years old when they came together and they would be a pair for the next 30 years – until Nirvana passed away today at the age of 33.

Kyra King Stuart passed away suddenly today, December 5, 2018 in Honeyoe Falls, New York at the age of 79.

Helen McKell Sproat passed away August 10, 2018 at the age of 85. She grew up in Chillicothe, Ohio and married Ben Sproat in 1955, who preceded her in death. They raised four children: Anne, Sam (JoAnn), Tom, and Scott (Jackie). She was blessed with four granddaughters: Hannah Sproat, Rose Sproat, Wrenata Sproat, and Caroline Sproat.

The USEA is sad to report that Enchantez, an 18-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Devil’s Joy x Reunion) was euthanized today due to a broken leg.

Mike Tucker, legendary eventer, course designer, technical delegate, and commentator passed away today at the age of 73. For over 40 years Tucker was the equestrian commentator for the BBC and his voice is synonymous with eventing at events around the world.  

Julie Norman’s Consensus, the 18-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Contucci x Miss Me Not 2823), passed away during the cross-country phase of competition in the Open Preliminary division at the Ocala Winter I Horse Trials on February 9, 2018. A necropsy determined that “Thomas” suffered an aortic rupture while on cross-country.

Hollywood, the 16.2 hand Thoroughbred gelding by Mighty Adversary and out of Reckless Knight, passed away on January 30, 2018 at the age of 26.