David O'Connor (equestrian)

About David O'Connor (equestrian)

David John O'Connor (born January 18, 1962) is a retired equestrian who represented the United States in the sport of three-day eventing. 

Equestrian Games:

David John O'Connor competed in two Olympic Games, winning a team silver at the 1996 Summer Olympics and an individual gold and team bronze at the 2000 Summer Olympics.At the 1999 Pan American Games, O'Connor took an individual silver and team gold and at the 2002 World Equestrian Games he assisted the US team to gold. 

Administrative career:

2002:In 2002, both Custom Made and Giltedge were retired from competition.

2004:In 2004, O'Connor retired from competition and quickly became involved in administrative aspects of the three-day eventing world.He served as the President of the United States Equestrian Federation from 2004 to 2012.

2006: In 2006, O'Connor was appointed the International Technical Advisor to the Canadian national eventing team.

2013: In January 2013, O'Connor left the Canadian team after being appointed chef d’équipe to the US national eventing team.

David O'Connor (equestrian) Achievements

Awards and honors:

1996 and 1997:

The USEA named O'Connor their Rider of the Year in 1996 and 1997,and in the same years named O'Connor's horse Lightfoot was the Horse of the Year.O'Connor was also named The Chronicle of the Horse's Eventing Horseman of the Year in 1996, in combination with his wife, Karen. In 1997, O'Connor was awarded the Whitney Stone Cup, an annual award by the United States Equestrian Federation which honors "an active competitor who displays consistent excellence in international competition and high standards of sportsmanlike conduct while serving as an ambassador for the United States and equestrian sport."

1998 and 1999:

In 1998, Lightfoot was named the USEA Horse of the Year, and in 1999, another O'Connor horse, Rattle & Hum, was awarded the honor. . Rattle & Hum also took home The Chronicle of the Horse's Eventing Horse of the Year in 1999.The following year, The Chronicle of the Horse named O'Connor both Overall Horseman and Eventing Horseman of the Year, and his horse, Custom Made, was named both Overall Horse and Eventing Horse of the Year. 

2000 and 2002:

in 2002, Giltedge, O'Connor's other main horse, was named both Overall Horse and Eventing Horse of the Year. The United States Equestrian Federation named O'Connor their Equestrian of the Year twice, in 2000 and 2002.Also in 2002, O'Connor was awarded the USA Equestrian Sportsmanship Award.

2009 and 2012:

In 2009, O'Connor and Custom Made were inducted into the USEA Hall of Fame, and in 2012 Giltedge was awarded the same honor.