Cross Country With Jim Wofford

Silverbacks Of The Sport

The great eventers of the past still speak to us.

 

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Chances are you would pay good money to be able to listen to the “matriarchs” and “silverbacks” of eventing when they get together. Naturally, adult beverages feature prominently in such gatherings and the conversations soon turn toward the “good old days when things were right.”

I remember sitting outside the circle as a young rider, listening to the verbal pyrotechnics and thinking, “Wow, these geezers can talk.” When they were in a gathering of their equals, they could talk and they had a lot to talk about. They talked about horses and their experiences and most especially about their mentors. All of them were proud of their experiences, of climbing their learning curve and fondly remembered their coaches’ role in their development from novice to expert.

One thing I noted was that the old timers bragged more about their failures and the lessons they learned from them than they did about their big wins. But don’t think there wasn’t a lot of pride on display. These were tough people to have done what they did. Although they may limp up to the bar, even now you catch a glint in their eyes and realize that if they could shed 30 years and 30 pounds, they could still beat you like a carpet. They don’t exactly brag, but there is a certain amount of humble-bragging going on when they speak—“Yeah, Lucinda was one of the best riders I have ever seen. I could just barely beat her.”