Olympic Equestrian Show Jumping 

I remember Melanie Smith (later Taylor) from a barn I was working as a groom at (I was around age 25/26) in Southern Pines, NC, USA in 1977 or 1978 and they brought all their horses to winter and train there. She had won Rider of the Year with Val de Loire and Val had won Horse of the Year...Val was an amazing horse. Funny thing happened to me with him. They told us that Val had certain habits, I loved him and he was great to be around with a special personality and yet was very sensitive also. One day when I was picking stalls, I must have been in a touch of a hurry and I sorta raised my voice asking him to move over and (I had been told but forgot) Val (17 plus hands - can’t remember now) slowly moved his BIG hind end over and gently maneuvered me into the corner of the stall and kept me there. I had to think about this and then remembered being told something about saying sorry or along those lines. I was not petrified in fear - Val and I really liked each other - I just messed up (I was not Val’s groom because they had their own specific grooms), but I was completely stuck in that corner! Then I began to apologize to Val de Loire... one of the best days in my life! It really did not take long and all of a sudden Val just stepped to the left and let me out - (I could not believe it and had a big smile on my face) - I said Thank You Val and I walked to his head and rubbed him and loved on him a bit and again told him how silly and stupid I was and then had to get back to work. There was NO WAY I was going to call for help, I knew I could handle it and undo what I had done. I will never forget the incredible ~ Val de Loire. Calypso was one of the horses they brought and he was young and had not been with them very long and was a little bit of a hand full and you had to really keep an eye on him... but so handsome and so talented too!

I was there that night. I think I didn't breathe till the jump offs were over. Looking back over 40 years later, I can't believe how lucky to watch all my heroes of the sport and spectacular horses I was!

OMG, Jet Run, Touch of Class, and Calypso all in one vid.... you friggin ROCK for posting this!!!!!!!

Jet-Run; a wonderful horse, and Michael Matz, his best rider.

Isnt it better to remark about Michael Matz...Gold Medal winner, hero of the Sioux City Iowa Plane Crash and Trainer of the mighty Barbaro? The kids Michael saved off the plane were there to cheer Barbaro home at the Kentucky Derby.

Terribly heartwarming.

Yes he is. I did not choose the wriders. I was making a movie about the sport. Barney Ward was very rough. Disturbing for me at least, as a filmmaker.

My heart was pounding for them in the jump off. Like I was in the crowd!

I love it how back then it was all about the horses, now it's a bit more about the riders and what horse they chose that day

William Steinkraus! So lucky Tatum O'Neil got to learn to ride from him and Marcia Williams for International Velvet.

Michael Matz and Jen Run are amazing

That combination is nuts though. One short stride in there, and if you don't come back enough before the first fence, you just crash. I feel like that'd be too dangerous to fly today.

This was in the day where you could wallop those fences and they'd stay put xD 2010 and you breath on a plastic pole and it falls!

This footage is wonderful! Takes me back :)

@vcalland I have several selections from my one hour film on Olympic level horseback riding on my RU-vid channel. The entire film is available via my website. Thank you. David Hoffman -- filmmaker

@kkenney24 Thank you for your response. I completely agree with your comment regarding the most recent films from the United States Equestrian Team. I call the USET and spoke with the Executive Director and tried to interest her in a new first class first rate film and she said she would call me back. That was six months ago. Unfortunate. David Hoffman -- filmmaker

it is a shame that the millions don't watch horses any more, more sports came into appeal it is a shame that they havn't relised what horses did for us back in the war days and what they still do for us now, but it is one sport i will follow and love for all my life.

thanks for the clip! sounds like a good program. May just buy this...

What a civilised video - thanks.

@astralweeks23 it was made in the mid 1980s

wow! absolutely wow

What year was this made? It has got to be from the 70s. I miss the old show jumping.. when most of the horses were retrained TBs!

Wow he is amazing o.o

Wow!! 😱

@astralweeks23 This was 1982. That is the year Lyps won the Invitational. Just saw the cooler he won this weekend.

What did he do?

What did I just watch?!?!

3:15 who is that? drool. so handsome.

@aklemm26 - Bane of my life ;)

@allinaday Wow, I never heard of Barney Ward before. What a jerk!

bare

And then Barney ward killed all those horses to defraud the insurance companies. Dirtbag.