The man who became the first American to win an Olympic individual equestrian gold medal at Mexico City in 1968 recalls the gifts and foibles of the horse with whom he jumped into history.

I first learned of Snowbound's existence from the lips of John (later Sir John) Galvin, the Australian-born benefactor of both the U.S. and Irish equestrian teams.

"I've found a horse that might make you a useful hack," he told me, using a vernacular term he often employed. Like many of his remarks, this one proved a considerable understatement.