In the 1990s, the Chronicle was there for the highlights, such as two Olympic Games and three World Equestrian Games, as well as the lows like the horse insurance killings involving Barney Ward, George Lindemann, Paul Valliere and several others.
For better or worse, during the 1980s, the culture of the horse world entered the modern world, becoming more specialized and more of a business, and less bound by tradition.
Plenty of major changes swept through the equestrian community during the 1970s. In international competition, the U.S. Equestrian Team was a major international force, with show jumping, dressage and eventing squads sweeping the 1975 Pan American Games (Mexico City) gold medals, and all three teams earning medals over the course of the Olympic Games in Munich (1972) and Montreal (1976).
The decade of the 1960s was a golden era for horse sports and for the Chronicle. The ‘60s saw glamorous hunter stars like Cold Climate, Cap And Gown, and Isgilde become famous. The U.S. Equestrian Team sent jumper stars like Frank Chapot, Bill Steinkraus, Kathy Kusner and Hugh Wiley overseas to compete, and they won on the biggest stages like Aachen.
otomac Jipsy '01 dazzled even huntsman Larry Pitts as the American hound sped around the grand championship ring at the Bryn Mawr Hound Show in Malvern, Pa.
Focusing only on Pitts' biscuits and direction, the bitch solidly outperformed the other contenders with her "look-at-me" attitude that nailed the top title for her on June 3.
"She chased my biscuits and came back and stood like a dressage horse. All the hounds had quality, but she just whizzed around like she had wings. She could not have done better," Pitts said.
The Fox River Valley Hunt (Ill.) and Potomac Hunt (Md.) dominated the Crossbred and American rings, respectively, at the Virginia Foxhound Show. And the two titans battled in the judging for the hound grand championship at the end of the day.
When Fox River Valley Keg '05 edged out Potomac Hunt Jefferson '05 for the title of grand champion, it capped an exciting day May 28 in Leesburg, Va.
How do you end one of the most outstanding seasons of hunting in the 50-year history of your hunt club? Easy! Just invite the good folks from Tennessee Valley Hunt (Tenn.) to come up and join you for two days of hunting.
