William J. Barnes

William J. Barnes, founder of the Barnes Agency, died in Wellington, Fla., on March 6, from complications from cancer.

He was 58.

On the morning of his death, Mr. Barnes had watched his wife, Nancy, compete at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby (Fla.).

Mr. Barnes, of Westfield, N.J., grew up in Jersey City, N.J., and began riding as a teenager. In 1981, Mr. Barnes founded the Barnes Agency, which is an international and domestic horse-shipping agency. The agency has shipped horsesto the 2003 Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic, as well as to the Olympics,and to countries throughout the world.

In 1993, the Barnes Agency shipped all of the foreign teams’ horses to the World Pairs Driving Championships in Gladstone, N.J.

Mr. Barnes also organized the first sports event held at the then Brendan Byrne Arena at The Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. The event, held in 1981, was a $150,000 grand prix to benefit the local Lions Club. In his free time, Barnes enjoyed flying and had enough hours to get his pilot’s license.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Barnes is survived by his sister, Mary Barnes, and by brothers Kevin and Richard. Memorial contributions may be made to Development Office, New Bolton Center, 382 W. Street Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348.

Ted Freudy

Horse show photographer Ted Freudy, a fixture at many of the top horse shows in the United States for more than 30 years, died on Jan. 20. He was 88.

As one of New York’s top society photographers and the owner of Freudy Photos, he covered not only horse shows, foxhunts and polo matches, but also weddings, cotillions and debutant parties. His clients–from states and cities like New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Southern Pines, N.C., and Aiken, S.C.–were among the country’s most prominent sportsmen, business leaders and government leaders. Mr. Freudy photographed the Fords, the du Ponts, the Paleys and the Rockefellers. Three of his photographs appear in the recently published book The Private Passion of Jackie Kennedy Onassis: Portrait of A Rider.

Mr. Freudy captured an elegant shot of a Lipizzaner stallion at the National Horse Show in New York City’s Madison Square Garden many years ago. It is now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The New York Times published Mr. Freudy’s photos of well-known brides and brides-to-be nearly every Sunday for more than 30 years. His father, Harry, began the business in the 1920s, and in the 1940s, Ted and his older brother, Malcolm, joined the business.

At a formal event or a polo match, Mr. Freudy’s customers always greeted him respectfully as “Mr. Freudy.” Customers knew of his business by word-of-mouth, because of his impeccable reputation. Society knew him to be discreet, ethical, personable, and strictly professional.

Mr. Freudy was born in New York in 1916. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1937 and served as a corporal in the Pacific theater in World War II, decorated four times.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; daughter Lorna Drake; sister Jean Topol; one grandson and two great-grandchildren.

Timeless

Green conformation hunter and amateur-owner hunter champion Timeless was humanely destroyed on March 2, due to complications from Cushing’s disease. She was 25.

Her career spanned the 1980s, mostly on the West Coast, with some East Coast victories. Christine Schreck owned Timeless, while Patrick Rostron, Cindy Brooks and John French trained her.

She was a registered Thoroughbred and had two foals, a filly by Hill Of Gold and a colt by Olisco. She was also an approved Selle Francais broodmare.

Timeless spent many happy years retired at Saturday Country Farm in Watsonville, Calif. A trophy will be awarded in her memory to the green conformation hunter champion at the Menlo Circus Charity Horse Show in August.

Kris Ward

Kris Ward, mother of show jumping rider McLain Ward and former wife of Barney Ward, died in her home in North Salem, N.Y. on April 29 of natural causes.

Ms. Ward began her riding career in California and moved east when she married Barney Ward. She rode show hunters and became well-known herself as a trainer, especially of ponies and children. She was also known for her great sense of humor and often remarked, “I always read about ‘McLain Ward, son of Barney Ward.’ Do they think he hatched from an egg? I had something to do with it too.”

In recent years she had found a new love in riding Western and had purchased a reining horse. She could often be found ringside at her son’s competitions, cheering him on.

A memorial service was scheduled for May 16 at the Old Salem Farm Charity Horse Show in North Salem, N.Y. J.M.

Mary Gilmer Burch

Hunter/jumper rider Mary Gilmer Burch died unexpectedly on March 27. She was 48.

Ms. Burch was a native and resident of Birmingham Ala. She began showing hunters as a youngster, winning in several divisions on her Thoroughbred gelding Blue Max. She continued to show in the hunter divisions as an adult, until she discovered that she really loved show jumpers too. She actively competed her Percheron-Thoroughbred mare Pour Le Me Rite, winning the Alabama Hunter Jumper Association’s Ross Hill Memorial Jumper Award every year from 1997 to 2000 and again in 2002.

She was a member of the AHJA Board of Directors.

Ms. Burch also bred horses at her farm. “She was passionate about her interest in horses and generous with her time and energy,” said friend Penny Garzarek. “Mary was a lot of fun and always ready to help a friend in need.”

Ms. Burch is survived by her daughter, Lucy (a professional jockey), son Ben, and mother Mary Gilmer, of Birmingham.

Word For Word

British event horse Word For Word, whom Mark Todd rode to the individual bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics, died on April 9 as the result of a fall at the Burnham Market Horse Trials in England. He was 15.

According to a report in Horse & Hound, Word For Word flipped over a fence on the cross-country course and died immediately.

Todd retired from international competition after the 2000 Olympics, so Word For Word had been ridden since then by British rider Polly Stockton. She escaped serious injury in the fall but had to take a couple of weeks to recover.

In addition to his Olympic performance, Word For Word finished second at the 1999 Burghley CCI**** (England) with Todd. Stockton had been aiming him for Burghley again this year for owners Mary Rose and Mike Cooney.

“He was a real four-star horse,” said Stockton.

Nicholas

Belgian Warmblood stallion Nicholas died on March 12, apparently of heart failure, while breeding a mare at Emerald Spring Equestrian in Prosperity, S.C. Nicholas was the sire of Soubrette, winner of the Eastern National Young Jumper Championship in 2000.

Nicholas had shown as both a jumper and dressage horse and had even tried eventing for the first time a week before his death.