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While Plumb entered equestrian immortality as America's single Olympic Hall of Fame inductee, five other riders have shared fame in World and Olympic competitions.
On June 19 of this year, equestrian champion J. Michael Plumb was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. The induction was held in Chicago, Illinois.
Plumb A Humble Team Player
Although singly selected for the Hall honor, Plumb said in an interview in Horse Illustrated, August 2008, page 26 that equestrian riding is a team affair which should include all his teammates, and not leastly, the horses who win the competitions.
"...there are a lot of wonderful horses who deserve the recognition for this (induction) honor," he claimed.
The most experienced of United States equestrians, Plumb competed in an American record eight Olympic Games. His first Olympic ride came at the age of 20 in 1960 in Rome. Thereafter, he won a spot on each team through 1984.
Plumb's Olympic Medals
- Team Gold, 1976 and 1984
- Team Silver, 1964, 1968, and 1972
- Individual Silver, 1976
Murders of 1972 Among Difficult Olympic Moments
Difficult Olympic moments for Plumb Included the 1972 murder of six Israeli athletes, the euthanization of his horse, Markum, during the 1964 flight to the Tokyo Games, and competing in torrential rains in Mexico in 1968 when show jumping obstacles were under water.
In 1964, Plumb had to mount a horse he'd never ridden before, Bold Minstrel, the regular mate of rider Billy Haggard. The situation became one of Plumb's most revered memories in his long career.
Haggard had not made the Olympic team in 1964, but after the traumatic loss of Markum, which Plumb had to endure on the plane, Haggard told Plumb to ride Bold Minstrel instead. To this day, Plumb regards Haggard's gesture as a breathtaking experience of generosity for which he remains grateful.
David O'Connor and Custom Made in Star and Stripes
In 2000, the Olympic games in Sydney, Australia encompassed an American moment and an equestrian triumph not often experienced more than once. David O'Connor rode Custom Made to Individual Gold in eventing. O'Connor and his mate circled the eventing field with an American flag waving high around them, creating a moment in time for all American equestrians.
Other Equestrian Olympic Medals for United States
- 1984, Los Angeles, California; Team Gold, eventing and Team Gold, show jumping
- 1992, Barcelona, Spain; Team Bronze, dressage
- 2004, Athens, Greece; Team Gold, show jumping and Team Bronze, eventing, dressage
Recent Participants in World and Olympic Games
- Debbie McDonald and (horse) Brentina - Team Bronze, dressage, 2004 Olympics; Team Bronze, dressage, 2006 World Games, Aachen, Germany.
- Sue Blinks and Flim Flam - Team Bronze, dressage, 2000 Olympics; Team Silver, dressage, 2002 World Games, Jerez, Spain.
- Peter Wylde and Fein Cera -Team Gold, show jumping, 2004 Olympics.
- Beezie Madden and Authentic - Team Gold, show jumping, 2004 Olympics; Individual Silver, Team Silver, show jumping, 2006 World Games; named top equestrian of 2006 and 2007; Authentic named USEF Horse of the Year in 2006.
The 2008 Olympics were held in Beijing, China.
The copyright of the article Meet United States Equestrian Champions in Equestrian is owned by BarbaraAnne Helberg. Permission to republish Meet United States Equestrian Champions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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Sep 13, 2008
