Birthdate: 2/17/58
Location: The Plains, Va.
Farm: O’Connor Event Team
411: Karen began competing internationally in 1979, when she was just 21 years old. In 1993 she married fellow equestrian, David O’Connor, and the two went on to create an eventing dynasty, once even standing on the Olympic podium together. Karen is a top international rider, and the top female event rider in the US.
Birthdate: 3/26/62
Location: Aldie, VA
Farm: Southern Edition Farm
411: From Virginia, Stephen got his first taste of competition riding in for the Loudon County Pony Club. He turned professional while in college and began competing internationally in 1989. Stephen got his professional start grooming for Bruce Davidson, and has gone on to create his own eventing legacy.
Stats: age 44, Kalispell, Mont.
My Sedona: ch. m., 16 hands, 13 years, U.S.-bred Thoroughbred (Starbird Glacier—Past Noon, Sauce Boat), owned by Cindy Marvin.
Last year, this pair was sixth in the Bromont CCI*** (Que.), ninth in the Galway Downs CIC*** (Calif.), and 10th in the CIC*** at The Event At Rebecca Farm (Mont.). This spring they were fifth in a division of advanced at Twin Rivers Winter (Calif.).
Stats: age 28, Shropshire, England.
ODT Sonas Rovatio: b. g., 16.1 hands, 9 years, Irish-bred (Diamond Mine—D’s And Do’s), owned by Andrew Cawthray.
Last year, this pair was eighth at the Boekelo CCI*** (the Nether-lands), 20th at the Blenheim CIC*** (England) and won the Strzegom CCI** (Poland).
Scott Stewart may not spend much time in Las Vegas, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a gambler. He’s one of the few hunter trainers who regularly takes chances on young horses, often importing them from Europe as yearlings or 2-year-olds. His slightly unusual system pays off—almost every horse he rides into the ring is a top competitor, and they all do it in the same classic style. You can point out a horse and say, “That’s a Scott Stewart type,” and if the horse moves well, jumps beautifully and looks good to boot, you’d be right.
When Tucker Johnson drove his horses through the final gate at the final obstacle in the final marathon of his career at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, he stood up in his carriage and saluted the crowd. After 25 years of competing at the highest levels of combined driving, Johnson was finally hanging up his whip.
“Tucker has been a real showman and a real promoter of the sport, and there’s something
in his personality that really attracts and appeals to the crowd,” said Edward Young, the chef
d’equipe of the U.S. combined driving team.
"A lot of serendipity was involved with the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games,” suggested John Nicholson, for whom the 16 days in September and October were the climax of a 16-year dream.
“People were doing things 30 and 40 years ago that led to these Games, when they really didn’t know that they were doing it.”
Sue Lightner is one busy woman. In between teaching lessons, riding, training and supervising horses on the farm for rehabilitation, she breeds some of the nicest young hunters in the country.
Anyone who’s ever hunted with Melvin Poe during his incredible 64 years (and counting) as a professional huntsman knows he’s a living legend. They might not be able to explain why, but they do know that there’s no one else like him.
They know that no other huntsman brings his amazing ease and joy to the task. And they know that few huntsmen have ever practiced their craft while exhibiting such a remarkable relationship between human and hound, especially with the independent American Fox-hound. Hounds just hunt for Melvin Poe.
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