PRESERVING THE PAST

Visit the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s WHEELER MUSEUM.

BY EMILY HOLOWCZAK

The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) headquarters is located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. A central beacon of horse culture, not only does the organization work toward creating the future of equestrian sport, but it also celebrates its past through the USHJA Wheeler Museum. From Ponies Through the Decades to its current exhibit, Through the Lens: The Art of Hunter/Jumper Photography, the museum seeks to chronicle equestrian history in order to inform and inspire.

The Wheeler Museum features photos, artifacts, literature, and videos encompassing a diverse array of horse-related topics. Visitors can learn about the origin of horse shows, history of different disciplines, and notable athletes and their equine partners. Established in 2009, the museum is named after Sallie and Kenny Wheeler of Keswick, Virginia. The Wheeler family is widely respected for their significant contributions to equestrian sport. They have led countless horses and riders to success, earning numerous grand championships spanning a six-decade career. The American Horse Shows Association awarded them with the lifetime achievement award in 1999. Now, the Wheelers lend their name to the USHJA museum.

The current exhibit showcases the art of capturing those special moments with our equine partners. From the bright lights of a grand prix jump-off to the sparkle in a lead-liner’s eyes at their first competition, horse show photographers are the visual historians of the equestrian world. The exhibit invites visitors to learn about the technique and strategy of equestrian photographers. It highlights the timeline of technological advancements in the field, and how it has changed.

The Wheeler Museum is also home to a permanent collection, the Show Jumping Hall of Fame. The display, which opened in 1989, pays homage to the greatest athletes of show jumping, both human and equine. These include the likes of athletes Frank Chapot, Anne Kursinski, and the famous grey jumper Snowman, featured in the popular documentary Harry and Snowman.

The museum is made possible by support from individual donors to the USHJA Foundation.