Karen O'Connor

Last updated

Karen O'Connor
Karen O'Connor Mr Medicott cross country London 2012.jpg
O'Connor and Mr Medicott competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
Personal information
BornFebruary 17, 1958 (1958-02-17) (age 65)
Bolton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Medal record
Equestrian
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1996 Atlanta Team eventing
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2000 Sydney Team eventing
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team eventing
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2007 Rio de Janeiro Individual eventing
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2003 Fair Hill Individual eventing
World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1998 Rome Team eventing

Karen Lende O'Connor (born February 17, 1958) is an American equestrian who competes in three-day eventing. Although she did not come from a family of equestrians, her interest in horses started at an early age, and she received her first horse for her 11th birthday. O'Connor began competing internationally in the late 1970s, and in 1986 began riding for the US national eventing team. Since then, she had ridden in five Olympic Games, three World Equestrian Games and two Pan-American Games, winning multiple medals, including a team silver at the 1996 Olympic Games and a team bronze at the 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.

Contents

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 Bolton, Massachusetts, [1] to parents Phillip and Joanne Lende. She was the second child of three, and the only girl; her two brothers are Steven and Chip. [2] She did not come from a family of equestrians, but became interested in the sport after seeing a documentary on Great Britain's 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 CCI3* events, including the Rolex Kentucky Three Day and the Fair Hill International, and the CCI4* at the 1999 Rolex event, riding Prince Panache. [9] During the 1990s, O'Connor and her horse Biko were mainstays of the US eventing team, riding to multiple top-ten finishes at major international events, including the Badminton Horse Trials and the Rolex Kentucky Three Day. [10] O'Connor rode at the 1994 World Equestrian Games and the 1998 World Equestrian Games, helping the US team to a bronze medal at the latter. At the 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 1988 Summer Olympics, riding The Optimist, she posted a DNF (did not finish) in both the team and individual portions. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, riding Biko, she and the US team rode to a silver medal. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, riding Prince Panache, O'Connor and the US team again took a medal, this time bronze. O'Connor did not ride as an individual at either the 1996 or the 2000 events. In the 2008 Summer Games, riding Mandiba, she placed 44th individually, while the US team took 7th. [11] O'Connor was not originally scheduled to ride in the 2008 Games, but was moved to a competition spot in July 2008 when teammate Heidi White was forced to withdraw. [12] Four years later, 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 2003 Pan American Games, O'Connor took an individual silver medal, riding Joker's Wild. [9] During the 2000s, O'Connor and her 14.1  hands (57 inches, 145 cm) sport pony Theodore O'Connor, nicknamed Teddy, gathered a large following as he competed and won against much larger horses. The pair finished third at the 2007 Rolex Kentucky Three Day and sixth at the same event in 2008. At the 2007 Pan American Games, O'Connor, riding Teddy, won individual gold and assisted the US squad to a team gold. In 2008, short-listed for the US eventing team at the 2008 Olympic Games, Teddy suffered a catastrophic injury and was euthanized. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) issued a press release that stated "Seeing was believing with ‘Teddy’ as it seemed impossible to imagine that a pony of his size could do his job with such tremendous ease." [14] In September 2009, O'Connor suffered a broken shoulderblade in a motorcycle accident. She was out of competition for five weeks, during which time her main mount, Mandiba, was ridden by fellow US eventer Phillip Dutton. [15] Between 2010 and 2012, O'Connor continued her successful career, riding to multiple top-ten finishes, and several wins, at CCI2–4* events, aboard a number of horses. [9] On October 6, 2012, O'Connor fell while competing at the Morven Park Fall Horse Trials in Leesburg, Virginia. She suffered a burst fracture of her T4 vertebra and a 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

Related Research Articles

Cian O'Connor is an Irish equestrian who competes in show jumping. He has competed at three Olympic Games, four World Championships and six European Championships, and has attained 133 senior caps for his country. He placed first at the 2004 Olympics, but his horse was later discovered to have a banned substance in its system, and O'Connor was stripped of the gold medal. He won an individual bronze medal at the London Olympic Games 2012 and was a member of the Irish team that took a gold medal at the European Championships in Gothenburg in 2017. O’Connor also won a bronze individual medal at the latter event. At the Tokyo Summer Olympics, Cian and his Irish-bred mount Susan Magnier’s Irish bred Kilkenny finished seventh in the individual class.

David John O'Connor is a retired equestrian who represented the United States in the sport of three-day eventing. He competed in two Olympic Games, winning a team silver at the 1996 Summer Olympics and an individual gold and team bronze at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 1999 Pan American Games, O'Connor took an individual silver and team gold and at the 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.

Kimberly "Kim" Severson is a highly successful international equestrian. She took several years of dressage lessons before training in eventing, and began with a background in Pony Club. One of her first upper level event horses was Jerry McGerry, whom she took intermediate.

James Cunningham Wofford was an American equestrian who competed in many international competitions in the sport of eventing. He was most known as a trainer of both horses and riders, and as a retired president of the AHSA and vice-president of the USET.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip Dutton</span> Australian equestrian

Phillip Peter Dutton, OAM is an Australian-born Olympic-level equestrian rider competing in eventing for the United States of America. He is a dual Olympic gold medalist who formerly competed for his country of birth but now competes for the USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabell Werth</span> German equestrian

Isabell Werth is a German equestrian and world champion in dressage who competed in the Olympics six times winning twelve medals, seven of them gold. She holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by any equestrian athlete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beezie Madden</span> American equestrian

Elizabeth Madden is an American Olympic champion equestrian competing in show jumping. She has two Olympic golds and one silver in team jumping, and an individual bronze. She won the FEI Show Jumping World Cup twice; won two silvers and two bronzes at World Championships; and won two golds, one silver and two bronzes at the Pan American Games. She was the first American to break into the international top three show jumping ranking, and the first woman to win over one million dollars in show jumping prize money.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristina Cook</span> British three-day eventing rider

Kristina "Tina" Cook, is a British three-day eventing rider. She is the 2009 European Champion and a three-time Olympic medallist, winning individual and team bronze medals in 2008 and team silver in 2012. She has also won two World team golds and four European team golds.

Gina Miles is an American eventing rider. Riding McKinlaigh, owned by Thom Schulz and Laura Coats, Miles won a silver medal in individual eventing at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingrid Klimke</span> German eventing rider

Ingrid Klimke is a German eventing rider. She appeared at five Olympics from 2000 to 2016. With her horse Abraxxas, she won two gold medals in team eventing at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won a team silver with Hale-Bob.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Ostholt</span> German eventing rider

Frank Ostholt is a German eventing rider. With his horse Mr. Medicott, he won a gold medal in team eventing at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He is married to Swedish equestrian Sara Algotsson Ostholt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Rose</span> Australian equestrian

Shane Rose is an Australian equestrian. A three-time Olympic medallst, he started riding at the age of five at the Forest Hills Pony Club. Rose lived with his parents and three siblings in Duffys Forest, New South Wales. He was educated at Newington College Preparatory School, Lindfield (1978–83), and Pittwater House. Rose's love for horses continued to grow, and at 21 years of age he represented Australia in the Young Rider Trans-Tasman competition with Mr Joe Cool.

John Michael Plumb is an American equestrian and Olympic champion who competes in the sport of three-day eventing. He holds the title of the US Olympic competitor who has competed in the greatest number of Olympics, winning two team gold medals, three team silvers and one individual silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Tomlinson</span> German-British dressage rider

Laura Tomlinson MBE is a German-British dressage rider competing at Olympic level. As of 30 June 2012 the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) ranked her 3rd in the world riding Mistral Højris and 36th on Andretti H. In that year, Tomlinson, riding Mistral Højris under her maiden name of Laura Bechtolsheimer, won two medals in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London; gold for Great Britain in the team dressage with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin, the first ever Olympic team gold in the discipline for her country, and bronze in the individual dressage behind gold medalist and compatriot Dujardin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janne Friederike Meyer</span> German equestrian

Janne Friederike Meyer is a German rider who competes in show jumping. She was part of the German team winning the gold medal at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. In 2012 Meyer participated in the Summer Olympics in London as part of the German show jumping team with her horse Lambrasco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Dujardin</span> British equestrian and writer

Charlotte Susan Jane Dujardin is a British dressage rider, equestrian and writer. A multiple World and Olympic champion, Dujardin has been described as the dominant dressage rider of her era. She held the complete set of available individual elite dressage titles at one point: the individual Olympic freestyle, World freestyle and Grand Prix Special, World Cup individual dressage and European freestyle, and Grand Prix Special titles. Dujardin was the first rider to hold this complete set of titles at the same time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Wilson</span> British equestrian

Nicola Wilson is a British equestrian rider specialising in three-day eventing. Riding Opposition Buzz, she won a team gold at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games and team silver at the 2012 Olympic Games. She is also a seven-time medallist at the European Championships, including team golds in 2009, 2017 and 2021 and individual gold and bronze in 2021 and 2017, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonelle Price</span> New Zealand equestrian

Jonelle Price is a New Zealand equestrian, competing in eventing. She is married to Tim Price, also a New Zealand eventing rider. They are both competing at top international level.

William "Will" Coleman III is an American equestrian. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he competed in the Individual eventing and Team eventing. At the age of six, Coleman's family moved to Charlottesville, VA where he started riding. His first horse was a Shetland pony that arrived in the bed of a pickup truck. Coleman soon started riding in the hunt fields of Virginia Piedmont Hunt where he learned the fundamentals of horse back riding. His father was his first show jumping coach, being an avid fox hunter and horseman in his own right. As his love for eventing grew he started training with Olympic veterans Karen and David O’Connor regularly. After graduating from Woodberry Forest School in 2001, Coleman took an apprenticeship with the O’Connors.

Astier Nicolas is a French equestrian. He represented his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he won the gold medal in the team eventing and the silver in the individual eventing.

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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Karen O'Connor". United States Equestrian Federation. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Biko". United States Eventing Association. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  11. 1 2 "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.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.