My favorite sport, rider, horse and the most beautiful jump off. Joe is not just an amazing rider but a phenomenal person. He is so soft spoken, kind and slow with the horses and humble too. I was blessed to have had some training from Joe and strive to be like he is. Thank you Joe fargis, the GOAT
and a Thoroughbred mare, not a warmblood! and at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, at altitude. William Steinkraus' & Snowbound, a full Thoroughbred, dark bay, gelding, ex-race horse. Won the Olympic Gold medal over the biggest Olympic track ever built. P.S. An Irish bred Pony won the Silver medal, " Stroller ", only 4 faults ( one fence ) behind "Snowbound". Stroller The Greatest, a 14.2 hh (1.48 m) Pony. Bred on the island of Ireland, breeder unknown, breeding unknown but people think he was by a great bloodied Thoroughbred sire and out of a great Connemara mare. What that Pony "Stroller" was asked to Jump in 1968 shouldn't have been allowed. could have twisted his gut or got injured. Stroller lived till he was 34. p.p.s. Stroller had a 'decaded tooth' in Mexico and was walking around his box with his head down and ear back. They the brit. vet. gave him pain killer, thus the Pony was able to take on the biggest Individual 2nd round course ever built. one fence was 5ft 9in front bar, with 7ft 3in spread and back bar stood 6ft high. The picture in on Google Image search: 1968 Olympic show jumping fence with Bernie T. standing in the middle of the Massive fence. Both Snowbound and Stroller had it down. Two horses jumped it clean but they didn't get clear rounds in the 1st round like Snowbound & Stroller.
"Come on" there has to be 1 or 2 ex-race horses ( " Flat " racing not steeple chasers or hurdlers), in parts of America (USA) or I.r.e.l.a.n.d., that Can JUMP !! Flat race horses that were not fast enough on the track but Can JUMP and Careful too. The last "Irish-bred" show jumper to claim an Olympic Medal was by a Full Thoroughbred called: IRISH a chestnut gelding by a TB sire called "Regular Guy". This full TB jumped by a top class s.j. rider called Norman Dello Joio Won the 1992 Olympic Bronze Medal in Barcelona. The Gold Medal went to Classic Touch and Ludger B. (GER) and the SILVER Medal went to the GREAT " Ratina Z " and "Piet Raymakers (NED) ". I will never forget watching that Final, jump-off. The last fence was a 170 m (5 ft 7 in) vertical and both Classic Touch & Ratina Z cleared it at high impulsion rate.
my trainer was the one who bought touch of class originally and made her up. then she was injured in a really bad riding accident and couldn't take her to the olympics so joe did
So sad, and I saw the movie based on this called A Sunday Horse, watched it 5 times in one week! But I love, love, love Joe Fargis. I saw him win the Hampton Classic Grande Prix in his 70's!!! What an accomplishment.. so in awe of him. But my fav equestrian, hands down, is McLain Ward; his eq is impeccable.
@96horseluvr Joe had a copy, I guess taped off the original TV coverage. That course was huge and ToC was incredible! she just sort of skips over the fences.
Totally amazing. i just saw the movie based on Debi Walden's life and Touch of Class and the Evangelist.. What a great movie. Watched it 5 times in one week!
@PetervdWaaij Um, yes... sorry, slip of the mind. However the date is not relevant to the coincidence and is therefore beside the point. The coincidence is the extreme similarity between the two names of horses that won individual gold medals (in fact both horses won both team and individual gold if I remember correctly).
