REMEMBRANCE James C. Wofford

November 3, 1944 – February 2, 2023

Some people achieve success in the horse world thanks to family lineage. Others do so through hard work, diligence, and the ability to distill the essence of complex details down to basic applications. For Jimmy Wofford it was both. And most likely more the latter than the former.

The youngest of four children, Jim was born close to Fort Riley, Kansas, which was then the home of the U.S. Cavalry School. His father, Col. John Wofford, competed as a show jumper in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In the early ’50s, Col. Wofford played a critical role in transitioning what was then known as “The Military” into today’s civilian three-day eventing. Later that decade, Jim’s mother, Dorothea “Dot” Wofford, played a role in the creation of the U.S. Combined Training Association, now the U.S. Eventing Association.

What seemed like the ideal track for guaranteed success in equestrian sports was derailed by the death of John Wofford when Jimmy was ten years old. Her husband’s death sent Dot into a state of despair. With his older siblings grown and gone, Jimmy was left to find his own way. Books, mostly about horses and equestrian sport, proved to be his salvation. The foundational knowledge born in those days continued to grow throughout his life, equipping him with an unparallel combination of intellectual understanding and physical abilities that would take him to the heights of success in the horse world.

Those heights included two Olympic silver medals (1968, 1972), one Pan American Games gold medal (1967), and two World Championships bronze medals (1970, 1978). His many other achievements included a fifth-place finish at Badminton in 1979, a silver medal at the 1980 “alternate Games” (a substitute event prompted by the boycott of the Moscow Games that year), and a win at the 1981 Kentucky Three-Day.

At that point, Jim decided to step away from equestrian sports. He took a job selling insurance, which allowed him more time to focus on his family: wife Gail and daughters Hillary and Jennifer.

But the horse world wasn’t ready to let Jimmy go. In 1985 Diana and Bert Firestone needed someone to ride Karen O’Connor’s horse The Optimist in the 1986 Kentucky Three-Day while she was in Australia competing in that year’s World Championships. Who better than Jimmy Wofford? He accepted. He won. And he was back in the game.

Only now his focus turned more toward coaching and administrative roles. He’d been involved in the USCTA and American Horse Shows Association since 1971, rising to AHSA vice president by 1981. In that role he was instrumental in changing the association to an individual membership organization. His role expanded to serving as the president from 1988 to 1991.

Jim had been working with students since he and Gail created their Fox Covert Farm, Upperville, Virginia, in 1971. From that home base Gail hunted with Piedmont Fox Hounds and served as Master and Honorary Secretary for many years. One of Jim’s early students was a young Tad Zimmerman, who, under Jim’s tutelage, was chosen as reserve for the 1976 Olympic team. Tad has been serving as joint-master of Piedmont since 2002.

Everyone who benefitted from Jimmy’s coaching sings the praises of the disciplined, intellectual, and supportive approach he brought to the process. And although Jimmy is now gone, his knowledge has been saved in his writings. He was a prolific contributor to different publications and composed two must-read manuals: Training the Three-Day Event Horse and Rider (1995) and Modern Gymnastics: Systematic Training for Jumping Horses (2013). His other works include 101 Eventing Tips (2006), Cross Country with Jim Wofford (2011), and Still Horse Crazy After All These Years (2021).

Known as much for his quick wit and playful nature as he was for his stellar horsemanship, it was only natural for him to craft a memoir of lighthearted tales and exploits. The title, Take A Good Look Around (2006) captures the essence of Jimmy’s unique blend of focused dedication and whimsical outlook. He explains the title in the book’s foreword: “The title of this book is derived from an expression in use around my neighborhood here in Upperville. When one of my rowdy friends gets over-cocktailed, his wife will typically drag him out of the party by his ear, telling him, ‘Take a good look around, big boy!’ Meaning that he most likely won’t be invited back, so he should remember it as it was at the time. I have always been aware that we might not see something, or experience something for a second time, hence the title.”

Jimmy Wofford saw and experienced much over his life. And countless students, friends, and fans are grateful that he took the time to pass along the insights he gained on that journey. There was never any question that he, if not some of his rowdy friends, would always be invited back.