David O'Connor (equestrian)

David O'Connor ( born January 18, 1962 in Gaithersburg, Maryland ) is a former American professional eventer. The husband of the equally successful rider Karen O'Connor was once each Olympic champion and world champion. He has been active since 2004, President of the American Horse Association and as coach of the Canadian national team.

Career

The son of a renowned rating judge for Dressage O'Connor came early with the riding in touch. When he was eleven years old, he crossed with his mother and his brother across North America on horseback, from Maryland to Oregon. From 1984 he participated in international competitions and was at the 1988 Olympics replacement rider, but did not reach for use.

His breakthrough came in 1990 with the victory at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day, a competition of the highest category CCI ****; this success was repeated O'Connor 1995 and 2001. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta O'Connor won the silver medal in the team standings. 1997 O'Connor was the Badminton Horse Trials win at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, the gold medal in the team and the silver medal in the individual competition.

O'Connor's career highlight was the Olympic Games 2000: In Sydney he became Olympic champion in the individual competition and others with the team. At the World Equestrian Games in 2002 in Jerez de la Frontera, he won the world title in the team standings.

2004 saw O'Connor back from the top sports and assumed the office of President of the American Horse Association (United States Equestrian Federation). He has been married since 1993 and lives with his wife Karen in The Plains, Virginia. In addition to his association activity he is especially devoted to the planning of facilities for cross-country riding. He is also the coach of the Canadian national team, which he led to the team silver medal at the Pan American Games in 2007. In 2013, he will succeed Mark Phillips as U.S. national coach of Eventing.

Achievements

  • Olympic games 1996: Silver team (on Gilt Edge )
  • 2000: Bronze team (on Gilt Edge ), gold single (on Custom Made )
  • World Equestrian Games 2002: Gold Team (on Gilt Edge )
  • Pan American Games 1999 Winnipeg: Gold Team, Silver Item (on Gilt Edge )
  • Other major tournaments Winner Rolex Kentucky Three Day: 1990 (on Wilton Fair ), 1995 (on Gilt Edge ) and 2001 (on Custom Made )
  • Winner Badminton Horse Trials: 1997 (on Custom Made )
1988 Summer Olympics List of Olympic medalists in equestrian Adolph van der Voort van Zijp Charles Pahud de Mortanges Ludwig Stubbendorf Hans von Blixen-Finecke, Jr. Edmund Coffin Mark Todd (equestrian) Matthew Ryan (equestrian) Blyth Tait Leslie Law Michael Jung (equestrian)
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