David O’Connor and Custom Made. Photo courtesy of US Equestrian.
Legendary eventing horse and Olympic gold medalist Custom Made will be posthumously inducted into the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions. The 17.1-hand Irish Sport Horse known to many as “Tailor” will be buried in the Memorial Walk of Champions, the final resting place for some of the most famous equine athletes.
“The sport of eventing is an integral part of the Kentucky Horse Park story, and this should be recognized in our Hall of Champions,” said President Lee Carter. “Custom Made is arguably the most decorated horse to compete at the Park, having won the Kentucky Three-Day Event [1995], Badminton Horse Trials [1997] and Olympic gold [2000]. While Custom Made is no longer with us, we are thankful to David O’Connor for allowing future generations the chance to learn the history of this amazing horse.”
Tailor (Bassompierre x Purple Heather) was foaled in Ireland in 1985. In 1998 he was imported to the United States by owner Joseph Zada of Xandarius, LCC to be a mount for O’Connor. The two captured the hearts of Americans in their first year of partnership by winning the 1995 Kentucky Three-Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The following year, Tailor and O’Connor finished third in the Badminton Horse Trials (England) and placed fifth individually in the Atlanta Olympic Games. They returned to Badminton in 1997 to secure the win, making Tailor the second American horse ever to win the prestigious competition.
The remarkable duo achieved their crowning moment at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, winning the eventing individual gold medal. This was the first eventing gold medal for the U.S. in 25 years. They continued a successful career together including the win of the gelding’s final competition at the 2002 Fair Hill International Three-Day CCI4*-L (Elkton, Maryland). He was formally retired at the 2004 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and was inducted into the United States Eventing Association Hall of Fame in 2009.
Tailor lived out the rest of his life at Jacqueline Mars’ Stonehall Farm in The Plains, Virginia. He died in October 2019 at the age of 34 with O’Connor by his side, ending a celebrated chapter in U.S. eventing history. “Tailor was the horse of a lifetime,” said O’Connor. “The most powerful horse I have ever sat on and a true gentleman of every sort. He was a great combination of athlete, legend, and friend.”
A public ceremony will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park on April 23 at 5:30 p.m.
