What do eventers Bruce Davidson, Denis Glaccum, Kevin Freeman, David O’Connor and Eileen Thomas have in common? This year, they will be inducted into the U.S. Eventing Association Hall of Fame. Horses Custom Made, Good Mixture and Irish Cap will also be honored.
The induction ceremony and gala will occur during the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention, Dec. 2-6, in Reston, Va.
In order to honor Davidson, the Eventing Hall of Fame commitee waived an eligibility requirement that riders be retired from international team competition for five years. They chose to do this based on his monumental achievements over the past 40 years.
Davidson helped the U.S. team capture four Olympic medals—gold in 1976 and 1984 and silver at the 1972 and 1996 Games. Davidson, aboard Irish Cap, was the first U.S. rider to win the World Championships. The following year he defended his title to become the only rider to ever win back-to-back World Championships and then broke yet another record by becoming the first American to win the Badminton Horse Trials (England).
Kevin Freeman’s first international success came in 1963 when he won a team gold medal and individual silver at the Pan American Games. He won a second gold medal at the Pan Am Games and was a member of silver medal Olympic teams in 1964 and 1972. Freeman has contributed to the sport’s growth for many years, most notably by organizing the Freeman Farms Horse Trials in Oregon.
Denis Glaccum, one of the first members of the USEA, competed in the 1960 Olympic selection trials. Glaccum started the Chesterland Three-Day Event and founded Fair Hill Equestrian Events. Glaccum was integral to the growth of eventing by co-founding the American Horse Trials Foundation and serving for many years on the USEA Board of Governors.
David O’Connor, one of America’s most successful international riders, was a member of almost every U.S. eventing team for 20 years. His highlights include wins at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** and Badminton, a team silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games and an individual gold at the Sydney Olympic Games. O’Connor, now retired from international competition, trains riders and horses, designs courses across the country and serves as the president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
Eileen Thomas, Executive Director of the USEA, has been with the organization for 17 years. In 1974, Neil Ayer persuaded Thomas to move to the United States 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 for competition horses and revamped the grading system.
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Custom Made, a 17.2-hand dark bay Thoroughbred gelding owned by Joseph Zada, is best known for his individual gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games with O’Connor. The pair also won the 1995 Rolex Kentucky CCI****, placed fifth at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and took top honors at Badminton. “Tailor” won his last competition at the Fair Hill CCI*** (Md.) in 2002. He now lives in happy retirement at Stonehall Farm, Va., with his best friend and fellow Olympic medalist, Giltedge.
Good Mixture was a 16.1 ½-hand brown gelding bred by Geraldine Pearson in Oregon. He was later bought by a group of U.S. Combined Training Association members including Ayer. In 1971, Good Mixture was named USCTA Horse of the Year. The following year, Good Mixture and partner Freeman were the highest-placed U.S. pair at the Munich Olympic Games, earning individual fifth place and team silver. Good Mixture and Mike Plumb won individual silver and team gold medal at the World Championships (England) in 1974.
Irish Cap, trained by Bruce Davidson, was a 17.2-hand bay gelding bred in Ireland. Irish Cap carried Davidson to third place in the 1974 Badminton, but he is probably best known for sweeping the medals at the 1974 European Championships, earning individual and team gold. Two years later, at the 1976 Olympic Games, Mont., Canada, Irish Cap and Davidson helped the U.S. team win gold.
