Karen O'Connor

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This article is about the American equestrian. For the political science professor, see Karen O'Connor (professor). For the Irish judge, see Karen O'Connor (judge).

Karen O'Connor
O'Connor and Mr Medicott competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
Personal information
BornFebruary 17, 1958 (1958-02-17) (age 66)
Bolton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Medal record
Equestrian
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1996 Atlanta Team eventing
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney Team eventing
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Rio de Janeiro
Team eventing
Gold medal – first place 2007 Rio de Janeiro
Individual eventing
Silver medal – second place 2003 Fair Hill
Individual eventing
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place
1998 Rome
 Team eventing

Karen Lende O'Connor (born February 17, 1958) is an

2000 Olympic Games. She has also posted numerous wins and top-10 finishes at other international events. As of 2013, O'Connor is not competing, having suffered fractures to two thoracic vertebrae
during a fall at a competition in October 2012.

In 1993, O'Connor married fellow equestrian David O'Connor, also a three-day event rider for the US team. When not competing, she plays active roles in the administration side of the United States Equestrian Federation and the United States Eventing Association (USEA). O'Connor and her horses have been honored by multiple organizations for their competition record, and as of 2013, six horses ridden by O'Connor held positions in the list of the top 50 USEA high scoring horses.

Early life and marriage

O'Connor was born in

Princess Anne's involvement in the sport. For O'Connor's 11th birthday, she received a horse named Midnight.[3] She was a member of the United States Pony Clubs, in the Groton Pony Club in the Central New England Region. She has been inducted into the United States Pony Club Hall of Fame.[4] She later owned a Connemara pony named Erin's Shamrock, who in 1978 was awarded the Camlin Trophy by the American Connemara Pony Society "in recognition of a career of outstanding competitive performance".[5]

O'Connor married fellow equestrian David O'Connor, also an international three day event rider, on June 26, 1993.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8] They operate equestrian training facilities in The Plains, Virginia and Ocala, Florida.[7]

Career

O'Connor began competing internationally in the late 1970s, and in 1986 started riding with the US national eventing team, beginning with the Australian Gawler World Championships, mounted on Lutin V. She won multiple

2006 World Equestrian Games she rode Upstage as an individual, but did not compete in the team portion of the event.[9]

O'Connor has competed in five Olympic Games, representing the US team at all five and also riding as an individual at three. At the

2012 Summer Games, the US team repeated their placing, while O'Connor improved to 9th, riding Mr. Medicott.[11] Her 9th-place finish was the highest rank achieved by a US equestrian at the 2012 Games.[9] O'Connor was the oldest Olympian to represent the US in any sport at the 2012 Games.[13]

At the

compression fracture of her T5 vertebra. After one of the vertebra shifted, she underwent surgery on October 18.[16] In June 2013, it was announced that during the remainder of her recovery, Phillip Dutton would again take over as the rider of her top horse, this time 2012 Olympic mount Mr. Medicott.[17]

When not competing, O'Connor serves as a member of the USEF's Board of Directors and as an active member of the United States Eventing Association's (USEA) Instructor Certification Program.[9]

Honors

In 1995, O'Connor's horse Biko was named The Chronicle of the Horse's Eventing Horse of the Year, and in 1996, O'Connor was named the journal's Eventing Horseman of the Year, in combination with her husband, David.[18] In 1999, Biko was honored as the USEA's Horse of the Century,[10] and in 2006, was inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame.[19] In 2007, O'Connor's pony Theodore O'Connor was named The Chronicle of the Horse's Overall Horse of the Year and Eventing Horse of the Year, as they called him the "horse world's most adored underdog".[20] As of 2013, six horses ridden by O'Connor (Upstage, Biko, Prince Panache, Mandiba, Regal Scot and Grand Slam III) held positions in the list of the top 50 USEA high scoring horses.[21]

Notable Horses

  • Biko
    - 1984 Bay Thoroughbred Gelding (Beau Charmeur x Prince Hansel)
    • 1994 World Equestrian Games - Individual 11th Place
    • 1996 Atlanta Olympics - Team Silver Medal
  • Prince Panache - 1984 Bay Thoroughbred Gelding
    • 1998 World Equestrian Games - Team Fourth Place
    • 2000 Sydney Olympics - Team Bronze Medal
  • Joker's Wild - 1989 Bay Gelding
    • 2003 Pan American Games - Individual Silver Medal
  • Upstage - 1991 Bay Gelding (Touching Wood)
    • 2006 World Equestrian Games - Individual 42nd Place
  • Theodore O'Connor - 1995 Chestnut Sport Pony Gelding (Theodore x Honestturn)
    • 2007 Pan American Games - Team Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal
  • Mandiba - 1999 Dark Bay Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Master Imp x Chair Lift)
    • 2008 Beijing Olympics - Team Seventh Place, Individual 44th Place
    • 2010 World Equestrian Games - Team Fourth Place, Individual 19th Place
  • Mr. Medicott - 1999 Chestnut Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Cruising x Edmund Burke)
    • 2012 London Olympics - Team Seventh Place, Individual Ninth Place

References

  1. ^ "Biography". O'Connor Equestrian. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "Karen O'Connor: Family". O'Connor Event Team. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  3. ^ "Athletes: Karen O'Connor: Bio". NBC Universal. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  4. ^ "Pony Club Hall of Fame". United States Pony Clubs. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  5. ^ "Hall of Fame – Camlin Trophy Winners". American Connemara Pony Society. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  6. ^ "Karen O'Connor". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Rider Bio: David O'Connor". United States Eventing Association. June 23, 2006. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  8. ^ "David O'Connor Makes Olympic History with Lowest Dressage Score Ever". Eurodressage. September 20, 2000. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Karen O'Connor". United States Equestrian Federation. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Biko". United States Eventing Association. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  11. ^ a b "Karen Lende O'Connor". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  12. ^ Roome, Pippa (July 29, 2008). "Heidi White withdraws from American Olympic eventing team". Horse & Hound. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  13. ^ Williams, Doug (July 20, 2012). "Karen O'Connor: America's "Senior-Most" Olympian". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  14. ^ Roome, Pippa (May 28, 2008). "Eventing pony Theodore O'Connor put down following accident". Horse & Hound. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  15. ^ "Mandiba Returns at 2009 Dansko Fair Hill International CCI***". United States Eventing Association. October 16, 2009. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  16. ^ Berreth, Lindsay (October 8, 2012). "Updated: O'Connor Injured In Fall At Morven Park". The Chronicle of the Horse. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  17. ^ "Karen O'Connor gives up ride on top horse". Horse & Hound. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  18. ^ "The Chronicle's Past Horses & Horsemen Of The Year". The Chronicle of the Horse. March 24, 2006. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  19. ^ "Hall of Fame". United States Eventing Association. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  20. ^ Netzler, Kat (February 1, 2008). "Overall & Eventing Horse Of The Year: Theodore O'Connor". The Chronicle of the Horse. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  21. ^ "Historical High Score USEA Horses". United States Eventing Association. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.

External links

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