Here’s Stephen Hadley on Milton at the Newbury Show in 1983. The later legendary Milton is here six years old. Stephen Hadley rode Milton for a while after Caroline Bradley’s death in 1983 and before John Whitaker took him over. Stephen Hadley is now an outstanding commentator of the show jumping on FEI TV.
Stephen Hadley on the 6-year old Milton in 1983
Michael Matz (USA) on Jet Run
Michael Matz (born January 23, 1951 in Collegeville, Pennsylvania) had a highly successful equestrian career as a show jumping rider. He was a six-time U.S. national champion, and won at least one major show jumping event in 20 consecutive years. Matz won team gold at the 1986 World Championships in Aachen riding Chef, to go with his individual and team bronze medals he won at the 1978 World Equestrian Championships while riding Jet Run. He also so won the 1981 Show Jumping World Cup on Jet Run. Matz has won a total of four gold medals and four bronze medals at the Pan American Games, and was a member of the U.S. Olympic equestrian teams in 1976, 1992, and 1996. In 1996, he won a team silver medal on Rhum IV, in the show jumping equestrian event, along with Peter Leone, Leslie Burr-Howard, and Anne Kursinski. Matz was also chosen to carry the United States flag into Centennial Olympic Stadium at the Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Games. He retired from show jumping as the leading money-winning rider in the sport’s American history, with over $1.7 million. On April 1, 2006, Matz was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame.
He began to train Thoroughbreds in 1998, making race horse training his full-time profession after he failed to make the 2000 Olympic team. He trains at the Fair Hill Training Center, in Maryland. In addition to Barbaro, he trained the 2005 Arlington Million winner Kicken Kris, and shortly after Barbaro’s injury, he returned to the scene of his greatest victory to score another major Churchill Downs win at the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Round Pond. In 2012 he trained Union Rags to become the winner of the 144th Belmont Stakes. (From Wikipedia)
Today we congratulate the great champion Piero d’Inzeo on his 90th birthday!
Piero d’Inzeo on The Avenger – Montreal 1976 Olympics
Happy Birthday to British show jumping legend David Broome – 73 years today!
David Broome on Mister Softee at Hickstead 1969
The fabulous Milton (1977 – 1999) was a grey gelding and stood 16.2 hands (168 cm) high. Milton was by Dutch warmblood Marius, out of Irish Draught Aston Answers (first called Epauletta). His grandsire was international jumper Any Questions and his granddam was Pennywort by the thoroughbred Top Walk xx. So Milton‘s lines included successful sportshorses in both paternal and maternal lines, his sire and grandsire being an international level and his dam a Grade A national level jumper.
Milton was bought as a foal by Caroline Bradley from the breeder John Harding-Rolls. She trained him until her death in 1983, after which many offers were made to her parents to buy the gelding, who had already proven his talent but they kept the horse. Stephen Hadley (now FEI TV commentator) rode Milton for a short time, before John Whitaker took over him. The couple entered international competition in 1985. The rest is history!
John Whitaker – Milton at Olympia in 1985. Photo © Kit Houghton.
Caroline Bradley – Marius (Milton’s sire). Photo © Bob Langrish.
Clare Jones – Epauletta (Milton’s dam). Photo © MVR.
Paula Graham – Any Questions (Milton’s grandsire). Photo © Monty.
Paula Graham – Pennywort (Milton’s granddam). Photo © Monty.
Hugo Simon on Juwel in Frankfurt ca 1968. Hugo was only about 25 years old here!
Hugo Simon on Juwel in Frankfurt
Alwin Schockemöhle on Warwick Rex at CHIO Rotterdam 1976.
Alwin Schockemöhle – Warwick Rex , CHIO Rotterdam 1976
The French team at the European Championships in Rotterdam 1979: Hubert Parot on Fukase Grimeau, Eric Leroyer on Flambeau C, Patrick Caron on Eole IV and Gilles Bertran de Balanda on Galoubet A.
Hubert Parot, Eric Leroyer, Patrick Caron and Gilles Bertran de Balanda
Fritz Thiedemann on Retina in Aachen 1959.
Fritz Thiedemann on Retina – CHIO Aachen 1959
The fighting spirit of Sönke Sönksen and Tamino in a picture from the late 1960′s.
Sönke Sönksen – Tamino
