OLYMPIC EVENTER JAMES WOFFORD PASSES AWAY AT SEVENTY-EIGHT

James Wofford, the former Olympic eventer and renowned trainer died on 2 February aged 78, from pancreatic cancer. Born in Kansas, Mr Wofford came from an equestrian family. His father Col John Wofford rode in the US show jumping team at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, his eldest brother Jeb won a bronze medal in eventing at the 1952 Helsinki Games and his brother Warren was a reserve for the showjumping and eventing teams at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. Wofford himself joined the US eventing team in 1965, and was part of the silver medal-winning team at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. His many other achievements included individual and team bronze at the 1970 and 1978 World Championships respectively, team gold at the 1967 Pan American Games, and five national championship titles. He retired from competition in 1984, but made a brief return in 1986 when he won the Kentucky Three-Day Event. Apart from that, Mr Wofford was a highly sought-after coach. He also served as president of the American Horse Show Association, which became US Equestrian, from 1988 to 1991. He was the first vice-president of the US Equestrian Team. He authored several books including: Training the Three-Day Event Horse and Rider, Gymnastics: Systematic Training for Jumping Horses, 101 Eventing Tips, and Take A Good Look Around among others. His autobiography Still Horse Crazy After All These Years: If It Didn’t Happen This Way, It Should Have was published in 2021. He was inducted into the USEA’s eventing hall of fame in 2003 and in 2012 he received the US Equestrian lifetime achievement award. Mr Wofford is survived by his wife Gail, and their daughters.