United States Eventing Association

The USEA is proud to announce the five individuals and three horses who will be inducted into the USEA Eventing Hall of Fame during the USEA’s Annual Meeting and Convention in December. Bruce Davidson, Denis Glaccum, Kevin Freeman, David O’Connor, and Eileen Thomas along with the horses Custom Made, Good Mixture, and Irish Cap will be honored at the USEA’s Eventing Hall of Fame Gala to be held in conjunction with the USEA’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. We hope you will join us as we recognize the accomplishments of those who have dedicated their lives to our sport.

Although the criteria originally established for eligibility for the Eventing Hall of Fame required that riders be retired from international team competition for five years, that criterion was waived this year in the case of Bruce Davidson. The USEA believes that Bruce’s monumental achievements in the sport during the first half century of the Association fully justify such a waiver and that he and the horse that brought the World Championships to the United States in 1978 deserve to be honored together at our 50th anniversary celebration.

The USEA Eventing Hall of Fame and 50th Anniversary Gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Reston, Reston Town Center, Virginia on the evening of December 5 and we invite everyone to attend and enjoy with us this very special evening of festivities.

For full details please visit the Convention page.

Bruce Davidson

Bruce Davidson has been a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team since 1971. He was a member of two Olympic gold medal teams, 1976 and 1984, and earned two Olympic silver team medals in 1972 and 1996. In 1974, riding Irish Cap, Davidson was the first American to win the World Championships at Burghley in England. Due to his win the U.S was awarded the privilege of hosting the 1978 World Championships. Davidson defended his title aboard Might Tango and became the only rider to ever win back-to-back at the Lexington, Kentucky World Championships.

Davidson has represented the U.S. at two Pan American Games, winning both the individual and the team silver medal at the 1975 Games in Mexico City. At the 1995 Pan Am Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina he earned individual gold and the team silver medal. Davidson has competed at the prestigious Badminton CCI4* seven times and in 1995 became the first American champion. He has also added multiple wins at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event to his extensive record.

Davidson was the highest placed rider in the World FEI rankings in 1993 and 1995, and he was named the USEA leading rider every year from 1980 to 1995.


Kevin Freeman

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

Freeman represented the U.S. in three Olympic competitions. He was a member of the silver medal team at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo riding Gallopade and placed 12th individually. At the following Games in 1968 in Mexico City, Freeman rode Chalan as a member of the U.S. team. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Freeman was the highest placing American and won his second team silver medal aboard Good Mixture.

Freeman was also the organizer of the Freeman Farms Horse Trials in Oregon for many years and contributed much to the growth of the sport in Area VII.

Denis Glaccum

Denis Glaccum was one of the first members of the USEA, and rode in his first event in 1956. Four years later, Glaccum competed in the 1960 Olympic Selection Trials. In 1976, Glaccum started the event which would become the Chesterland Three-Day Event, and ten years later he formed Fair Hill Equestrian Events, Inc. Soon after, Fair Hill was hosting six horse trials a year which attracted top competitors from all over the country. Glaccum also pioneered the use of portable cross-country jumps at Fair Hill which caught on as a very innovative idea.

Glaccum co-founded the American Horse Trials Foundation, which allowed riders to collect tax-free donations. He served for many years on the USEA Board of Governors in a variety of positions and was involved with the introduction of computers to the organization and the headquarters’ move to Morven Park. Nine years ago, Glaccum assisted in writing the curriculum for the Course Designers’Clinics.

Glaccum is still an active competitor and now has the honor of having competed in events longer than any other American.


David O’Connor

David O’Connor was a member of almost every U.S. Equestrian Team for 20 years proving himself as one of America’s most successful international riders. In 1995, O’Connor won both Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the Fair Hill CCI3*. The following year O’Connor rode Giltedge as a member of the silver medal team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and was fifth individually aboard Custom Made. In 1997, O’Connor rode Custom Made to become only the second American to win the Badminton CCI4*. O’Connor’s performances at the Olympics and Badminton led him to the title of USEA Rider of the Year in 1996 and 1997.

At the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, O’Connor and Giltedge were members of the gold medal team and placed second individually. In 2000, O’Connor rode Custom Made to win the individual gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He was also a member of the bronze medal team aboard Giltedge, who then went on to win the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event the following year. Two years later, O’Connor once again stood on top of the podium as a member of the Gold medal winning team at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. His partner was Giltedge, who with David represented the U.S. Team an outstanding five times.

O’Connor is now retired from international competition, but continues to support the sport by training riders and horses and designing courses across the country. He also serves in the volunteer position of President of the United States Equestrian Federation.

Eileen Thomas

Eileen Thomas worked for the USEA for 17 years eventually becoming the Executive Director. Before living in the U.S. Thomas had spent 15 years working as secretary to the British Pony Club and was chief scorer at the Badminton Horse Trials. In 1974, Neil Ayer persuaded Thomas to move to the U.S. to help set up the office system for the USEA.

Thomas established the central horse registration and event registration programs, campaigned to have Training Points abolished, set the minimum age of four for competition horses, and revamped the grading system. Under her direction the Omnibus grew from a tiny booklet to four major volumes a year and membership and starter numbers flourished immensely. Thomas made the welfare of the horse top priority and campaigned for rule changes and for greater authority to be given to officials to ensure that abuse did not occur.

In 1982, Thomas’ years of dedication were recognized when she was awarded the prestigious Wofford Cup.

Custom Made

Custom Made is a 17.2 hand dark bay Thoroughbred gelding who was foaled in Ireland. Owned by Mr. Joseph Zada, Custom Made is best known for his individual gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games with David O’Connor in the irons. O’Connor and Custom Made won their first major event when they took first place at the 1995 Rolex Kentucky Three-day Event. The following year the pair placed fifth individually at the Atlanta Olympic Games and were third at the Badminton CCI4*. In 1997, O’Connor once again took Custom Made to Badminton where they won the prestigious event in superb style.

Custom Made won his very last competition at the Fair Hill CCI3* in 2002. He now lives in happy retirement at Stonehall Farm in Virginia with his best friend, the fellow Olympian medalist, Giltedge.

 
Good Mixture

Good Mixture was a 16.1 ½ hand brown gelding who was bought off the racetrack by Miss Geraldine (Gerry) Pearson in Oregon. After the 1972 Olympics, he was purchased by a group of USCTA members with Neil Ayer owning the largest share. In 1971, Good Mixture was named USCTA Horse of the Year, and in 1972 he was Kevin Freeman’s mount at the Munich Olympic Games where the pair was members of the silver medal winning team. In addition, they were the highest placed Americans earning an individual fifth place finish. Two years later, Good Mixture partnered with Mike Plumb and headed across the Atlantic Ocean once again to contest the World Championships which were held in England at the Burghley Horse Trials. Good Mixture and Plumb won the individual Silver medal and were members of the U.S. Team which took top honors earning the gold medal.


Irish Cap

A 17.2 hand bay gelding bred in Ireland, Irish Cap was owned and trained by Bruce Davidson. Irish Cap carried Davidson to a third place at the 1974 Badminton Horse Trials but he is probably best known for sweeping the medals at the 1974 European Championships held at the Burghley Horse Trials in England. Davidson and Irish Cap not only were members of the Gold medal team, but also won the Individual Gold.
Two years later, at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, Irish Cap and Davidson helped the U.S. Team win the Olympic Gold medal.

For more information please contact Jo Whitehouse, [email protected]