Thoroughbreds and Olympian Anne Kursinski: A Match Made in Heaven

[Wandering Eyes]

If anyone understands the talent and versatility of the Thoroughbred it is Anne Kursinski. A five-time member of the U.S. Olympic team and two-time Olympic (team) silver medalist, Kursinski has amassed a resume that would make most equine professionals blush. In addition to her Olympic efforts, the California native was also a member of 47 Nations Cup teams, and three World Equestrian Games teams.

“I started on Thoroughbreds,” explained Kursinski of her longstanding relationship to the breed. “I am originally from Pasadena, California. Most of the horses when I was a little girl were Thoroughbreds. The Warmbloods hadn't really come over at that point. The horses came from Santa Anita, Del Mar, Hollywood Park or [Agua] Caliente in Mexico-so mostly Thoroughbreds. I grew up on them and just loved them. I really liked the sensitivity, intelligence and their bravery.”

Kursinski was carried to her second team silver by the Australian-bred ex-racehorse Eros in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She also won the team silver aboard Starman in Seoul in 1988.

“He's was just an amazing character,” she recalled of the fiery red chestnut. “He had that sensitivity I loved and could jump anything. He was like a bird or a gazelle. He had that lightness and fluidity that Thoroughbreds often have. He was powerful but with a lighter feeling.”

Winner of the 1994 American Gold Cup (Pennsylvania), Eros also annexed the 1998 $450,000 Pulsar Crown Grand Prix, the richest grand prix at the time, giving Kursinski the first victory for an American and a woman in the event. A member of the Nations Cup team for wins at Rome and St. Gallen in Switzerland, Eros won two legs of the Pulsar Triple Crown–the predecessor to the current Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping-before finishing second in the final leg in Aachen, Germany.

In 2007, the chestnut was retired to Kursinski's Market Street facility in Frenchtown, New Jersey, where he lived out the remainder of his life before passing at the age of 33.

While Kursinski admits the flashy gelding wasn't always the most straightforward horse to ride, the immense talent he possessed more than made up for any challenges.

“He had his quirks-his head was up, but he knew right where the jumps were and he knew where his legs were. Since I grew up riding Thoroughbreds, his quirkiness was no problem for me. I just let him do his thing.”

She continued, “He might not have suited just any rider because of his sensitive way of going, but it became a balancing act between asking him and letting him do what he wanted to do. It was about meeting him halfway.  But that's the essence of the Thoroughbred.”

In 1991, the U.S. Olympic Committee voted Kursinski Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year. She won individual and team gold medals in the Caracas, Venezuela Pan-American Games. In 1988 and 1992, she was named AHSA Horsewoman of the Year and in 1995 she was Equestrian of the Year. In 2017 she was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame.

A USHJA clinician, she is a member of the USHJA and USET Executive Committees and USEF Board of Directors. The horsewoman is also the Chef d'Equipe for the U.S. Show Jumping Development program and was a selector for the 2014 WEG bronze medal winning U.S. team in Normandy, France and the 2016 Rio Olympics' silver medal winning U.S. team.

Kursinski, who has since added the title of author to her long list of accomplishments with her book: 'Riding and Jumping Clinic: A Step-by-Step Course for Winning in the Hunter and Jumper Rings', spends much of her time now in the role of trainer and mentor to subsequent generations of riders. And according to Kursinski, it was through her students that she was introduced to the TAKE2 program, which supports and promotes Thoroughbreds in their second careers after racing.

“I had several students who came to me with their Thoroughbreds and told me about TAKE2 originally,” she explained.

So when the off-the-track Thoroughbred Acta Non Verba, a.k.a. 'Bobby Socks' came to her attention via grand prix rider Mary Chapot–wife of Olympic silver medalist Frank Chapot– Kursinski felt he would be a good fit for the program.

“I wish I could get more horses like Bobby Socks to develop,” she admitted. “He's really been fun to work with. He's intelligent and I think he has the potential to go far. There are Thoroughbreds like him out there to suit whatever it is you're looking for.”

The son of Honor Code made one career start at Delaware finishing eighth for trainer Richard Henricks. The $300,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase is the most expensive auction horse out of Oneofacat (Deputy Minister), a daughter of stakes-placed Beware of the Cat (Caveat), who is the dam of European champion juvenile Hold That Tiger and Belmont Stakes hero Editor's Note.

“I think the program is just great for the Thoroughbred,” she said of TAKE2. “It's really wonderful for them to get a chance at a second career. They are promoting them and showing people that they really are great athletes and giving them a platform to show people what they can do. I think it is also helping change that perception of Thoroughbreds.”

Despite all the inherent qualities that make the Thoroughbred an ideal candidate for retraining for a second career, Kursinski explains that the breed doesn't always get a fair shake.

“Thoroughbreds are not all hot and crazy-that's a misconception,” she affirmed.”Yes, they are a little more sensitive. But they also teach you to be a better rider because you have to have more feeling, as a rule, because of their sensitivity.”

She continued, “As a teacher, to have the sensitivity and to learn about that, I think a Thoroughbred teaches you that more than most Warmbloods, largely because of the instant feedback you get when working with them.”

Underscoring some of the prime qualities that make the Thoroughbred a natural athlete, no matter the discipline, she said, “Thoroughbreds will do whatever you ask and are typically confident whereas the Warmbloods can spook, for example, at the water jumps. But with Thoroughbreds, if you ask them to jump it, by God they are getting you to the other side. They have a big heart and are very eager to do their job.”

She added, “When I look for an athlete, I look for something that is confident and brave and not too hot. These qualities are bred into Thoroughbreds. But I also think it's a benefit to really understand what makes them tick. If you can invite them to relax and be themselves, you can get the most out of them.”

When asked why would one consider the Thoroughbred rather than just sticking with the other more conventionally-sought after sporting breeds, Kursinski didn't mince words.

“The athleticism and versatility of the Thoroughbred speaks to the fact that they can go on to a second career in jumping or other athletic endeavors. You don't really see that with the other breeds,” she said. “There is nothing like a Thoroughbred.”

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