Jim Wofford Part II: Carawich and the Upper-Level Riders of Today

...Last we knew Jim wasn't sure if he'd be able to ride in the World Championship. See what happens next!

.....I had already looked around the scene in the US. Anyone that had a four star horse had stars in their eyes since they knew they had a good chance to ride in the world games. The rules were every country could send 6 riders, a team of 4 plus two official individuals, plus, an additional 6 national riders. So there were 12 slots. That is why there was such a scarcity of horses since any rider that had a potential horse didn’t want to turn loose of it.

Above: Jim Wofford on Carawich, Badminton 1979

It was about December 21st and I had given up. I thought my chances were pretty much over. And in December I called Lars and I said, “Lars, I’m looking for a horse for one of my clients.” I was looking for a school-master. I described the rider and what they could spend. He said, “Yes, yes, I’ve got several. By the way I have just hung up with Carawich’s owner who said Aly is expecting.” I said, “Call the owner back and tell them Carawich has been purchased.” I never rode him until he got here. I bought him untried. I rode him in the 1978 World Championship and was 10^th and on the bronze medal team. I was the Silver Medalist at the Alternate Olympics in 1980. We won Rolex in 1981. I am especially proud of that because, it was not the first event at Kentucky Horse Park, but the first one sponsored by Rolex.

Jim Wofford and Carawich

In the summer of 1981 we took him to Germany because the 1982 World Championships were going to be there and the USET wanted an advance trip to see the course and the footing. Carawich broke his coffin bone in his right hind. We had to ship him home and he was quite lame for some time, was 6 months in the stall. He did eventually recover. Then we retired him in 1984 and he is still here, buried in the South paddock.

Q. When was the first time you referred to yourself as a professional event rider when asked the question “what do you do?”

A. Probably not until after 1984. Notice the way I say that because in 1984 the Olympic games were still ostensibly for amateurs only. For those of us like myself who had to scratch around for a living we had to be careful how we structured our business. If we were declared a professional we could never ride in the Olympics again. We were very careful not to refer to ourselves as professional. I retired in ‘84 and did not refer to myself as professional until then. They changed the rule a few years after that. It seems like another world, it was just stupid. A total anachronism.

Above: Jim Wofford and daughter Jennifer

with The Piedmont Hunt early '70's

Q. How did you balance raising children with an international eventing career?

A. It was a little easier 30 years ago than it would be now. First of all there were not so many events. Typically we would go to three events in the spring and then Rolex and that would be the end of the spring season. There would be four or five events in summer and early fall and those of us with Advanced horses would go to one or two horse trials and go to someplace like Radnor. Our time on the road was nothing like what the professionals have to do now. In addition, the spring 3-day event took place much later in the year, the first weekend in June, and then the Fall Championships took place the weekend of Labor Day or after. We didn’t have to start training so early in the year. The ramifications of that is that no one had to move to Florida or Southern California, depending on where you were. Gail and I shake our heads and think we never could have done it. We were dedicated to keeping our two daughters in the local school. Gail would have had to live here alone with two girls or I wouldn’t have been able to prepare. It was a very different scene.

Below: Jim Wofford with Jack LeGoff 1981

The difficulties were that occasionally in those days the team would travel for quite a long time. I was gone three months before the 1972 Olympics and six weeks before the ‘68 Olympics. Then, let’s see, we were gone for five weeks in 1980. I went abroad one final time in ‘83 and was away for three months before Burghley. That’s totally out of fashion now. These riders fly back and forth across the pond like it’s nothing. Back then trans-Atlantic travel was quite a big deal. Now they go to as many events in three months as I would in a season, and ride ten times as many horses.

We had to do other things with horses to keep ourselves occupied. There was not enough eventing to keep you off the street. Mike Plumb and Mike Page both won the AHSA equitation medal. Kevin Freeman, Mike Plumb, and I rode steeplechase races. They both rode in the Maryland Hunt Cup and placed. I never rode in the Hunt Cup but rode a lot under rules, including 2^nd in the New Jersey Hunt Cup.

Jim Wofford in the 1981 Blue Ridge Point-to-Point

And that sort of all-around exposure is very difficult for these event riders to produce, because there’s always another event the next weekend. Current eventers don’t even know that they are missing that. The upper level riders are phenomenally better than we were in dressage. In the last five years they have become better than we were in show jumping but that is because they go to Florida early in the winter, right after Thanksgiving, and they spend six or eight weeks at the horse shows and jump their young horses. Now they’re getting that end of the education that we were able to provide ourselves.

The one thing missing is…….

Find out what upper-level riders are missing in the the third and final portion of the Jim Wofford's Interview by checking in next week!

Jim Wofford Part I: A Pony Named Merrylegs and a Tale of Suspense.

Jim Wofford is hard to describe. Not because there isn't much to say. Rather, it's because there's so very much to say. He's an historian, fly-fisherman, writer, friend to Labradors, a family man and devoted husband. It's practically a side note that he also happens to be an eventing legend. As in: a three-time Olympian, medalist in two World Championships, and five-time winner of the National Championships. It's no wonder he's a member of the United States Equestrian Hall of Fame . But why stop there? He has also served as president to the AHSA (now USA Equestrian), as vice-president of the United States Equestrian Team, and secretary of the USCTA (now United States Eventing Association). With all of that it's hard to even see where to begin. So we start at the beginning:

Q. Who was your first horse or pony?

A. Merrylegs, a black and white Sheltand pony. She taught two brothers and one sister to ride; she was the family pony. I started riding her when I was three and quit when I was eight.

Q. What was your life like when you were growing up?

A. I grew up on a horse farm in Kansas. My father retired from the military and he and my mother purchased a farm they turned into a horse farm. He was the Class of 1920 at West Point and was in the army all his life. Fort Riley was the Middleburg of the horse world then. The Calvary Training School was there. All the recruits were brought there and taught to ride; all the officers were given advanced riding instruction. It was where the Army Olympic team trained; it was the center of horse sports. You have to remember before 1952 all of the horse sports were military in nature.

U.S. Army photo

1932 US Army Olympic Team. Capt. John W. Wofford 3rd from right

Q. What is the history of horses in your family?

A. My father was born and raised on a farm in High Point, NC and then went to West Point, and at that time learned how to ride. He must have been horse crazy since horses were in our family from then on. He graduated in 1920 and by 1930 was on the Army Team. He rode in the Olympics in 1932; he was a show jumper. Then 20 years later, in 1952, he was the first president of the USET, which was formed to train, field, and equip Olympic and international teams in the equestrian discipline as successor to the army. In 1949 the US army mechanized and no longer had horses to provide young officers to ride so they needed some organization to fill that function. My father coached both show jumping and eventing teams in Helsinki in 1952; both teams got a medal. My brother JEB Wofford was a member of the eventing team then.

Wofford family picture

John W. Wofford, portrait

Q. What made you decide to attend the Culver Military Academy?

A. Culver had horses. That’s all that mattered. Like most young men, I had a hard time with discipline at first. However, the military was part of my life, so I soon settled into the routine and enjoyed my four years at Culver.

Q. When did you move to Virginia?

A. We moved to Virginia, my wife and I, in 1971 when I got out of the army. I was in the army from 1967-1970 and we moved back here in 1971 because of horses.

Q. What does the view out your window look like?

A. I’m looking west out my window. My farm is on the Eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Upperville, VA. And looking away to the southwest, as I am now, you’re looking down the Blue Ridge Mountains. It still very much is country out here. Large horse and cattle farms. We were lucky enough to buy 100 acres 35 years ago when things were not as expensive as they are now. We could not buy ten acres now for what we paid for 100 acres back then. We bought the land in 1973 and have lived here on Fox Covert Farm ever since. There is a silent t for “covert”. In England “covert” is pronounced “cover” which is where a fox lives. It also means private, and we are private people. It suited us and suited the farm as there is a fox den on the farm.

Q. How did you meet your wife?

A. In ‘58 my brother had a string of horses out in Colorado Springs. I was thirteen and in between grade school and Culver. My father had passed away in 1955 so my mother sent me to Colorado Springs to ride with my brother. I met my wife, Gail, there. We are a strange story. I knew the moment I saw her that was the girl I was going to marry. And it came true and we still are. We’ve been together 51 years. We dated all through high school and college. We got married June 11, 1966 in Colorado Springs. Both of us were attending the University of Colorado. Right after my senior year we got married.

Wofford family picture

Gail Wofford on Perfect, bird hunting

Q. How would your wife describe you?

A. Difficult, absent-minded, stubborn, and sense of humor.

Q. Tell me about Pop.

A. Pop, or Carowich, was a 16.3 7/8 Thoroughbred, Irish Sport Horse. He was by a point-to-point stallion named Scratchy...isn’t that a horrible name? Scratchy was well known in the early 70’s in Ireland for breeding distance horses. All of the farmers used Scratchy if they wanted to produce a four-mile horse. was out of an unknown mare.

I first saw him in March of 1977. I had students at Badminton that I had been training and I was standing watching the vet check. I had been looking for a horse for myself to ride in the ‘78 championships. I was standing by my coach, Lars Sederholm (he coached me around my first Badminton and we had remained friends) and we were shoulder to shoulder watching the horses walk around the courtyard of the Duke of Beaufort’s hunting stables, which looks like a castle to you and I. We were waiting for the vet check to start and Lars was talking to someone to his left.

This big brown horse was walking by and he stopped and looked right at me. I got goosebumps. It was a bit of out of body experience. Horses don’t look in your eye, they look at shapes and sizes, but not in your eye. And he was looking at me in my eye. The groom kind of tugged on him. And he didn’t move. He kept looking at me. Then she really tugged and he went on and he had the most wonderful flowing walk. I grabbed Lars and asked who that was. He said, “That’s Carawich. He’s a wonderful horse but you’ll never be able to buy him”.

I watched him go with a girl called Aly Pattinson. And he was a cross-country machine. He had already won Burghley. It was the spring of 1977. Throughout that spring and summer I kept looking for a horse. Along by December I had pretty much given up. At that time the rules for competition required both the horse and rider to be of the same nationality before the first of the year of the competition. I don’t know why, that was the rule. So if I didn’t find a horse by January 1 of 1978 I was not going to ride in the World Games.

Does Wofford compete at the World Games? Does he ever ride Carawich?

Check back soon to find out.

Sharon White: "You Can't Beat Something that Makes Your Heart Pound".

We're lucky that fate would bring Sharon White from Alaska to horse-country Virginia.  Lucky because who knows if she would have ridden had she stayed in America's last frontier?  And if she had never ridden maybe she never would have evented.  Which would have been a pity as we never would have seen her win the 2008 Bromont Concours Complet  CCI***, or place 21st out of the Top 50 2008 Leading Riders, or take her mare, The King's Spirit, in 2008 to the Top 10 Leading Mares.  Sharon White has been selected for the USET Developing Rider Program six different times.  She has trained with the top talent in eventing including Bruce Davidson, Torrance Watkins, and Jimmy Wofford.  She's sweet, smart, quick to laugh and wholly devoted to her students and her horses.  Not to mention a gifted eventer.  Yes, it's a good thing that fate is on our side. 

photo credit to Mike McNally

Q.  How did you start riding?

A.  I started riding as one of the many things your mom made you do when you're trying to find out what your kid wants to do.  Ballet, piano, flute lessons.  And then came riding lessons and that was it.  My mom had always wanted a horse and never had one.  I started at the Great Falls Horse Center when I was twelve.

Q.  Where are you from originally?

A.  I actually grew up in Alaska.  I did not ride in Alaska and I didn't really know it existed.  It's not a good place to be an active event rider!  I came to Virginia when I was ten or eleven.

photo courtesy of Last Frontier Farm

Q.  What was the name of your first horse?

A.  The first horse I owned was Sprite--the epitome of the wrong horse!  Green horse and green rider combination.  She was a four-year-old horse off the track and I knew nothing.  I think I fell off her every day but I loved her to death.  I think in our first event we had about 300 penalties because it was before you got eliminated for having four stops.  For everyone out there struggling through some phase in eventing--I've struggled through all of them, with Sprite.  I remember when she first moved up to Training:  I couldn't get her through a triple to save my life.  Like I would fall down, pull her over...It was a complete nightmare!

Q.  What's your favorite thing about being an eventer?

A.  That would have to be cross-country!  That's definitely why you do it but then it becomes so much more than that.  You end up learning so much about your horse and I think that's so special.

Q.  How did you decide on orange and white as your colors?

A.  I decided on orange because it was a happy color.

photo courtesy of Kendall Church

Q. Tell me about your farm.

A.  I love my farm.  I feel very lucky every day.  It's called Last Frontier Farm, named after the State of Alaska which is the last frontier.  Not after Star Trek which some people think!

Q.  Do you have any pets?

A.  Oh yes.  I have two dogs: Butter and Theodore.  Butter is a Lurcher who I got from the Davidson's and Theodore is a hairy terrier who I got from the Murray's.  The Murray's event as well, so they're eventing-bred dogs.  And I have numerous stray cats that sort of move into the house because I'm not home often and I leave the door open and animals just move in. It cracks me up.

Q.  Do you have a favorite horse?

A.  Oh, my favorite horse would definitely, well, the most special one would be my first Advanced horse.  She was my first Advanced horse, first 4-star horse.  Ready About was her name.  She just taught me a lot.  She taught me a lot and there's something about your first Advanced horse.  I made lots and lots of mistakes on her and she always came through for me.  We were atrocious in the dressage!  It was before you had to get a qualifying score.  I had to retire her when you had to get a qualifying dressage score even though we had already gone around Rolex!

Sharon White on Ready About

Q.  How would your friends describe you?

A.  I don't know.  My best guess would be some version of out of her mind for how much she tries to do.  But I would hope, also, hope they would think very willing to help everybody.

Q.  Are you in a relationship?

A.  I am.  I have a fabulous, Swedish boyfriend.  It's been almost two years together.  And he does nothing with horses.  And, in fact, I think I scared him off of it completely.  He wanted to ride a little bit and he had done a little riding in Sweden.  I had this fancy six-year old that was so tall and beautiful.  I figured I'll put Henrik on him since they're both so tall and beautiful.  But it was a green rider and a six-year old horse...not my best idea!  I think he said he was never going to ride again!

photo credit to Mike McNally

Q.  Have you ever had any challenging moments that made you reconsider eventing?

A.  Every day.  It's a labor intensive sport.  It's a labor of love.  You're certainly not doing it for the money!

Q.  How did you know you were going to be good enough to make this your career path?

A.  Oh, I don't know.  I always thought I would be a great groom.  And it turned out that I could do more than that.  Another super thing I feel lucky about.

Q.  What would you have done if you didn't event?

A.  I did have other plans because my mother is very successful and I always thought I would follow in her footsteps--like a doctor or lawyer or something like that.

Q.  What are you proud of in your riding?

A.  I am proud of the hard work I've put into it and what I have managed to achieve.  I hope I'm a long way from being as good as I could be.  That's what I think is such a special thing, too, that it's a process and I feel like I get better every day.  I never stop working at it.  The longer you do it the better you get.  That's really nice.  You have a moment where you learn something new.  You can't beat that.  You can't beat that, and you can't beat the competition.  You can't beat something that makes your heart pound.

Q.  What is your schedule like?

A.  (Laughter).  Oh.  We've got about twenty-five horses in work.  We compete pretty much every weekend and I teach a lot, which I enjoy immensely.

Q.  Where do you compete?

A.  Everywhere on the East Coast.

Q.  What are your career hopes?

A.  Oh, I would like to have done Burghley and Badminton a bunch of times before I die.  I would really like to produce lots of nice advanced horses. I breed horses and also train young horses.  I bred Ready About, my mare, and she has had two foals.  I've bred a couple other three-star mares.  I've home bred five.  And I also produce the young horses; people will send me horses or I'll find a young horse.  I have some wonderful owners who are more friends in my life who have a passion for the horses like I do.

Sharon White fans show their support

Q.  Tell me about the Professional Rider's Organization (PRO).

PRO is an organization that we're starting to give more of a voice to the riders in eventing and to get the passion for the sport and the love of the sport out there, especially when there has been negative publicity.  People have focused more on the negative than the positive.  We have a fabulous sport.  I don't think there's a more well-cared for horse than the event horse.  The sport is fun and there's a great group of people that do it.  We'd just like the world to know and, in particular, the United States.

Q.  Is there anything you would like to add?

A.  The owners are what makes it possible.  The owners are so important, my staff is so important. I have the world's best groom now.  My owners are my friends and it takes a lot of synergy to give it the time to get the horses to the advanced level and stick with it because it is a labor of love for everybody involved.