David O'Connor (equestrian)

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David O'Connor
Personal information
BornJanuary 18, 1962 (1962-01-18) (age 62)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Medal record
Equestrian
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Individual eventing
Silver medal – second place 1996 Atlanta Team eventing
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney Team eventing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place
2002 Jerez
 Team eventing
Bronze medal – third place
1998 Rome
 Team eventing
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1999 Winnipeg
Team eventing
Silver medal – second place 1999 Winnipeg Individual eventing

David John O'Connor (born January 18, 1962) is a retired

2002 World Equestrian Games he assisted the US team to gold. After his retirement from competition in 2004, he became involved in the administrative side of international eventing. O'Connor has held top coaching roles for the US and Canadian national eventing teams, and was president of the United States Equestrian Federation from 2004 to 2012. During his career, O'Connor and his horses were awarded many honors, including equestrian and horse of the year awards from several organizations. In 2009, he was inducted to the United States Eventing Association's Hall of Fame, and two of his horses have been granted the same honor. O'Connor is married to fellow international event rider Karen O'Connor
, and the pair operate two equestrian training facilities in the eastern United States.

Personal life

O'Connor was born in Washington, D.C.[1] His English-born mother, Sally O'Connor, was a dressage rider, judge and author. David began riding at a young age, and as a child participated in a cross-US horseback ride with his mother and brother, covering 3,000 miles over several months.[2]

O'Connor married fellow equestrian Karen O'Connor, also an international three day event rider, on June 26, 1993.[3] The pair became the first married couple to compete on the same US Olympic equestrian team when they rode with their team to a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.[2] They rode to a second shared medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, again marking a historical Olympic moment as the first husband and wife duo to do so.[4] They operate equestrian training facilities in The Plains, Virginia and Ocala, Florida. When not involved in equestrian activities, O'Connor enjoys reading and golfing.[2]

Career

Competitive career

In 1986, O'Connor began riding in international competition for the US.

1994 World Equestrian Games, he placed 44th individually riding On a Mission[8] and again acted as an alternate for the US team.[6]

O'Connor competed in two Olympic Games for the United States. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in

Rolex Kentucky Three Day, once at the CCI4* level and twice at the CCI3* level.[5]

Administrative career

In 2002, both Custom Made and Giltedge were retired from competition.

2010 World Equestrian Games.[14] In January 2013, O'Connor left the Canadian team after being appointed chef d'équipe to the US national eventing team.[15]

Awards and honors

The USEA named O'Connor their Rider of the Year in 1996 and 1997,[9] and in the same years named O'Connor's horse Lightfoot was the Horse of the Year.[2] O'Connor was also named The Chronicle of the Horse's Eventing Horseman of the Year in 1996, in combination with his wife, Karen. In 1997, O'Connor was awarded the Whitney Stone Cup, an annual award by the United States Equestrian Federation which honors "an active competitor who displays consistent excellence in international competition and high standards of sportsmanlike conduct while serving as an ambassador for the United States and equestrian sport."[16] In 1998, Lightfoot was named the USEA Horse of the Year, and in 1999, another O'Connor horse, Rattle & Hum, was awarded the honor. Rattle & Hum also took home The Chronicle of the Horse's Eventing Horse of the Year in 1999.[2] The following year, The Chronicle of the Horse named O'Connor both Overall Horseman and Eventing Horseman of the Year, and his horse, Custom Made, was named both Overall Horse and Eventing Horse of the Year. Two years later, in 2002, Giltedge, O'Connor's other main horse, was named both Overall Horse and Eventing Horse of the Year.[17] The United States Equestrian Federation named O'Connor their Equestrian of the Year twice, in 2000 and 2002.[18] Also in 2002, O'Connor was awarded the USA Equestrian Sportsmanship Award.[2] In 2009, O'Connor and Custom Made were inducted into the USEA Hall of Fame, and in 2012 Giltedge was awarded the same honor.[19] As of 2013, four horses ridden by O'Connor (Giltedge, Custom Made, On a Mission and Wilton Fair) held positions in the list of the top 50 USEA high scoring horses.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b "David O'Connor". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Rider Bio: David O'Connor". United States Eventing Association. June 23, 2006. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  3. ^ "Karen O'Connor". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "David O'Connor Makes Olympic History with Lowest Dressage Score Ever". Eurodressage. September 20, 2000. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c Lieser, Sara (January 18, 2011). "O'Connor Announces Bid For Eventing Technical Advisor/Chef d'Equipe". The Chronicle of the Horse. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "David O'Connor: Career Highlights". O'Connor Event Team. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  7. ^ "1990 Stockholm". Fédération Équestre Internationale. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  8. ^ "1994 The Hague". FEI. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c "David O'Connor". United States Eventing Association. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  10. ^ "1998 Rome". FEI. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  11. ^ "Custom Made". United States Eventing Association. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  12. ^ "Giltedge". United States Eventing Association. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  13. ^ Bailey, Mollie (September 5, 2012). "Get To Know Chrystine Tauber". The Chronicle of the Horse. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  14. ^ "David O'Connor Has Applied to Coach the U.S. Eventing Team in 2013". Horse Canada. January 19, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  15. ^ "Fredericks Named Canadian Eventing International Technical Advisor". The Chronicle of the Horse. October 26, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  16. ^ "Christine McCrea Honored With 2012 Whitney Stone Cup from USET Foundation". USET Foundation. January 30, 2012. Archived from the original on August 31, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  17. ^ "The Chronicle's Past Horses & Horsemen Of The Year". The Chronicle of the Horse. March 24, 2006. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  18. ^ "O'Connor captures top honor". Free Lance-Star Publishing. January 20, 2003. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  19. ^ "Hall of Fame". United States Eventing Association. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  20. ^ "Historical High Score USEA Horses". United States Eventing Association. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

External links

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