Bold Minstrel ridden by owner William Haggard at Devon in the hunter classes.
When I was growing up in Lake Oswego, Oregon, I purchased a dapple gray 3/4 Arabian with my own money. Because Tai was such a wonderful horse, dapple-gray became my favorite color! As a result of my love of dapple-gray horses, I want to share some information with you about a fabulous, famous horse named Bold Minstrel.
Bold Minstrel is the only horse in history to medal in three Pan American Games and one Olympic Games in two different disciplines: Eventing and show jumping. This amazingly talented thoroughbred was born in 1952 (or 1951 depending on the source,) in Camargo, Ohio. He was purchased by William Haggard as a five-year-old. Haggard loved riding him in hunter classes and eventing. (Dressage, cross-country jumping, and stadium jumping.) Because he was such a big, stocky horse, Billy nicknamed him "Fatty." By jumper standards, he was quite fat.
Haggard began showing Fatty in hunter classes, his flashy looks and beautiful form winning him numerous championships. Then Haggard switched to eventing, earning a spot on the U.S. Team in the Pan Am Games in 1959 where the team came home with the silver medal. Four years later, the team came home with the gold in San Paulo, Brazil. Between the two games, Haggard and Bold Minstrel still had fun winning in the hunter ring. 
Surprisingly, the team was not selected for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. However, when J. Michael Plumb's horse, Markham, had to be euthanized on the flight over, Haggard loaned Bold Minstrel to the veteran rider. Bold Minstrel was flown over to Japan just two weeks before the competition. You and I might be awfully nervous about riding a new, strange horse in the OLYMPICS after only two weeks of training. The talented horse caught the eye of the famous Olympic Equestrian, William Steinkraus. For several years, Steinkraus tried to convince Haggard to compete with the horse in Jumpers, or let him do it. So, when the horse was twelve years old, Haggard loaned him to Steinkraus.
Bold Minstral being shown by Bill Steinkraus
Steinkraus remarked that the horse was not only brave and talented, but had a mind of his own when it came to completing a jump course of enormous jumps.Nothing made owner William Haggard more proud than when Fatty broke the world record in the old Madison Square Garden, winning the International Puissance by clearing the 7'3" wall!
Fatty was retired from competition at the age of 18. After that, he returned to the Haggard farm where he enjoyed a life of Fox Hunting. Bold Minstrel has been inducted into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.
Learn about another famous horse: "PINTO" the holder of the record for the longest horseback ride in history!
Click here to get the book about him from Amazon:
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