It’s #InternationalWomensDay and a day we here at EN look forward to each year. If you missed Tilly’s incredible walk down history lane last year, it’s well worth another read here. There are countless women who have blazed trails in equestrian sport, so we’re celebrating a few more today:
1. Torrance Watkins
Torrance Watkins was the first woman inducted into the USEA Hall of Fame in 2003. The first woman to win an Olympic medal in eventing, Torrance picked up individual bronze in the 1980 competition at Fontainebleau aboard the 15.1 Paint, Poltroon. – the same year many countries would boycott the Moscow Olympics. She would also be a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. team in Los Angeles the following Games in 1984.
2. Karen O’Connor
Five-time Olympian Karen O’Connor certainly needs no introduction to even the most casual of eventing fans. With partners such as Biko, Prince Panache, Theodore O’Connor, Upstage, and many more, Karen solidified her name as one of the greats throughout five Olympics, three World Equestrian Games, and two Pan American Games and was inducted into the USEA Hall of Fame in 2018.
3. Jackie Potts
We would be remiss not to mention one of the hardworking members of the grooming and horsemanship community, and who better to lead us off than Jackie Potts? Jackie has been the head groom for British rider William Fox-Pitt for nearly 30 years and has collected multiple grooming awards from organizations such as the FEI and British Eventing. As someone who has traveled to five Olympics and five World Equestrian Games, Jackie is full of incredible information on how to keep top horses ticking along in their best form, and she sets an example for care that we all can strive to follow.
4. Karen Stives
Another USEA Hall of Fame inductee (2006), Karen Stives and Ben Arthur collected an individual silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming the first woman to win an individual medal in eventing at the Olympics (worth noting that Torrance also won an individual medal, in 1980, though the competition was not officially a part of the 1980 Moscow Olympics). She would also be named USCTA Rider of Year three times, in 1981, 1987, and 1988.
5. Mary Coldren
Event organizer extraordinaire Mary Coldren has been a stalwart part of U.S. eventing since 1984 as a competitor, volunteer, organizer, treasurer, licensed official, and many other hats. Mary has been Fair Hill International’s show secretary since 1995 and has served on Fair Hill’s Board of Directors for 10 years. She has been dubbed by The Chronicle of the Horse the “unofficial queen of ride-time scheduling, she’s the cheerful wizard behind the curtain at many East Coast events, making sure each rider has a workable time schedule and the day goes smoothly.”
Shannon Lilley and Mary Coldren at the 2018 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
We could truly go on endlessly celebrating the fearless women who make up our incredible sport. There are not many sports on which men and women have the opportunity to compete together, and that deserves some celebration. What amazing women would you like to add to our list?
And finally as a special treat, please enjoy this compilation of footage from the 2000 Sydney Olympics featuring both Ingrid Klimke and Sleep Late and Karen O’Connor and Prince Panache:
