USEA/Meagan Delisle photo
The eventing community mourns the passing of Dr. Timothy Holekamp, who died on Sunday, April 20, 2025. A lifelong horseman, innovative breeder, and tireless advocate for young horses and U.S. breeding, Tim leaves behind a profound and enduring legacy within our sport.
Together with his wife, Cheryl, Tim founded New Spring Farm in Missouri, where the couple cultivated a breeding program that would help redefine what American-bred horses could achieve on the world stage. Among their most celebrated success stories is the Trakehner stallion Windfall — who represented the U.S. at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and helped bring home a team bronze medal with Darren Chiacchia — purchased and imported from Germany with the intention to influence North American breeding lines with his genetics. Windfall became one of the most influential eventing stallions in modern history, leaving a lasting mark on sport horse breeding in North America in particular.
One such progeny standout was Tsetserleg TSF (“Thomas”), a Trakehner gelding by Windfall who earned both team and individual gold medals at the 2019 Pan American Games and represented the U.S. at two World Championships with Boyd Martin. Tsetserleg, who is owned by the Turner family, went on to become one of the most consistent and admired 5* horses in the country, and is still campaigning today at the age of 18.
But Tim’s contributions extended far beyond the fences. A fierce supporter of developing young horses and U.S. breeding programs, he helped launch the Holekamp/Turner Le Lion d’Angers Grant through the USEA. The grant provides travel funding each year to the top-placed 7-year-old who went through the USEA Young Event Horse Championships who is qualified to represent the U.S. at the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships in Le Lion d’Angers, France. The goal? To give U.S.-produced horses a chance to compete against the best in the world — and to show that they belong there.
Tim co-chaired the USEA Young Event Horse Committee, served as President of the American Trakehner Association, and opened the doors of New Spring Farm to clinics, breed inspections, and countless educational opportunities. He believed deeply in American horses, American riders, and the power of a well-laid foundation.
For his efforts, Tim and Cheryl were honored as the 2019 Trakehner Breeders of the Year by the German Trakehner Verband — the first Americans ever to receive the distinction. But those who knew Tim will remember him even more for his generosity, his intellect, his conviction, and his absolute joy in watching a young horse come into its own.
Tim Holekamp’s legacy will live on in the horses he bred, the riders he supported, the programs he shaped, and the belief he instilled in an entire generation of U.S. breeders. We send our deepest condolences to Cheryl and to all who loved and admired him.
Rest well, Tim. You helped build the path forward.
