Mrs. Waller’s Fondest Wish

Dear Sir:

Many people were saddened by the recent passing of Mrs. Thomas (Wilhelmine) Waller (April 30, p. 49). Not only was she a lifelong supporter of both show hunters and race horses, but she also was the consummate horsewoman. The horses always came first. Unlike many in the horse show world today, Mrs. Waller was not motivated by the blue ribbon.

Mrs. Waller was behind the creation of the regular working hunter division we find at the horse shows today. Originally, there was only a regular conformation division, in which she had a horse showing. It was a spectacular jumper but somewhat lacking in the conformation department. She eventually tired of her horse being called on top, only to be moved down the line behind fancier models, so she spearheaded the regular working division we have today.

When she asked me to ride Cheer For The Team in 1990, I was quite honored. I really only knew her through reputation. Over the several years I showed her horses, we forged a great friendship.

Mrs. Waller had her own way of doing things. And I discovered they were quite different from how others operate today. One thing that stands out in my mind was her uncanny ability to know how to plan a horse’s year so as to get the best performance out of him at specific times of the year. She knew how to “save” a horse and when his performance should “peak.”

There was no “point chasing” at Tanrackin Farm. Mrs. Waller would always lament on how disappointing it was for her to go to the indoor shows and see, as she put it, “broke-to-death” horses cantering around the ring with no “spark,” almost like lifeless drones. When her horses went to the fall shows, she wanted them to have “brilliance,” to have an air of excitement in their performance.

She was a firm believer in a “less-is-more” approach to training and showing horses, an approach she encouraged me to adopt. She always felt that horses, to a degree, should be allowed to be horses. Many times she would encourage me to leave Cheer For The Team a bit fresh-o her, the occasional head toss was completely acceptable. On this point we sometimes clashed. I was a young rider, wanting her horse to win lots of classes. But, to her, it was not about the blue ribbons. It was about a happy horse galloping (not cantering at a snail’s pace) around a course with spark and life to his performance.

Mrs. Waller thought a horse should be natural, not artificial. Sometimes I had to grin and bear it, but come indoors, Cheer For The Team was sound and always came through with brilliant performances. A carefully planned year yielded some great victories there.

Even today, when I confront an issue regarding what to do in a particular situation, I always ask myself, “What would Mrs. Waller do?” Inevitably, the outcome is always better when I follow her mantra.

I know Mrs. Waller’s fondest wish would be for horsemen and horsewomen everywhere to do right by their equine partners. Not to abuse or overuse them, but to treat them kindly and compassionately. It’s my belief that, if we all follow her advice, we’ll find a greater return than any blue ribbon can ever give.

Lyman T. Whitehead
Danbury, Conn.

Thanks From The Kentucky Producer
Dear Sir:

As you reported (May 7, p. 61) the May 2 “Rolex Equestrian Championships” broadcast on NBC was a success, pulling a surprisingly strong 1.4 overnight national rating.

As the executive producer on this production, I’ve been on the receiving end of a flood of congratulations. Although we at Carr-Hughes Productions are very proud of our work on this show, we are just one part of a large group that made this broadcast possible.

With that in mind, I would like to send my thanks to:

The leaders of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, who took some risky decisions months ago to make this show possible.The folks at EEI, their staff, officers, volunteers and officials, who care so greatly for their event.

The folks at the Kentucky Horse Park for all of their hard work keeping the grounds beautiful, despite the bad weather.

The folks at NBC for giving us a chance to air our show.

The people at Rolex, who have always encouraged us to make our coverage bigger and better.

The other program sponsors–Bayer, Lexus, AQHA, Kentucky Tourism, Practical Horseman, USEA, CCI and Dover Saddlery–for helping to make it all possible.

The riders, horses, grooms and owners, who put on such a great show.

And last but not least, the fans, both on site and at home, for making “Rolex” the special event it is.

I hope our production met your expectations, and I look forward to even bigger and better things in the years ahead.

Bob Hughes
Greenfield Center, N.Y.