The Horse Stars Hall of Fame honors the contributions of amazing horses by sharing the stories of their athletic and humanitarian feats. It was established by the EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) in 2013 to celebrate the extraordinary talent of horses and their magical and powerful bond with people.
The USEF inducts the horses recognized annually as “Horses of Honor” for their stellar athletic performances. The EQUUS Foundation inducts horses who have had an inspirational impact on the public as companions, teachers and healers.
The 2021 Horse Stars Hall of Fame inductees are Dolton, FWF Undercover, Gazelle, Kiss Me Quick, Pritchard Hill, Sir Gus, Tango and Vivaldi De Besilu.
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EQUUS Foundation
2021 Inductees
FWF Undercover (aka Sherman the Police Horse) @Bridget Gandee Photography FWF Undercover, known fondly as Sherman, a Georgian Grande born in 1998 and passing in 2020, was a ‘once in a lifetime horse’ for Officer Taya Workum-Byers and the thousands upon thousands of people he impacted during his life of public service. When Officer Taya Workum-Byers purchased him as a mounted police prospect, she had no idea what she had really found. “Sherman had more adventures, touched more people, and brought more smiles and joy than I ever could have on my own,” said Workum-Byers. “He was willing to try everything I ever asked of him.” Sherman made people smile wherever he went. Workum-Byers was often told that Sherman was “larger than life”.
Kiss Me Quick, known as Gnomeo, is good at everything he does. A seasoned horse show veteran with literally a million miles under his girth, Gnomeo joined the therapy horse herd at Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, Inc., at 14 years young in 2011. Gnomeo’s quiet demeanor is the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of horses for even the most timid participant. Though he is the smallest member of the herd at 12.1 hands, his impact is arguably the largest given the wide variety of activities, services and therapies in which Gnomeo participates.
 When Gus arrived at Brook Hill farm he was skin and bones. He had been left on a farm to fend for himself and after being alerted by local law enforcement, Gus arrived at Brook Hill as a neglect case at the age of 17 in 2012. So began a long physical and mental rehabilitation. Dubbed Sir Gus, after regaining his strength, he began his new career in Brook Hill’s United Neigh at-risk youth program, which pairs horses in rehab with children who are at-risk, disabled, or socially disadvantaged to help teach the children important life skills. It’s a winning combination where together they can both began to heal their wounds and learn to trust again.
Jane Strong, Founder of The Equus Effect, met Tango for the first time in a pasture where he had been retired by his young owner. Tango had been at the top of his game as an eventing horse but his life, as he knew it, came to an abrupt halt in 2013 when he had a severe accident that injured his shoulder. That is when both of their fortunes changed. For Jane, she found the perfect horse to help provide men and women in uniform (veterans and first responders) with essential tools to meet life’s challenges and re-build healthy relationships. For Tango, he found a new career where he could use his very special talents in ways he had not used them before. “There is no measure for the value of compassion, non-judgment and self-awareness that a clear channel like Tango can bring to people who have lost hope,” said Jane. |
United States Equestrian Federation
2021 Inductees
 Dolton & Roxanne Trunnell @Lindsay Y. McCall The partnership between Dolton, a Hanoverian Gelding born in 2012, and Para Dressage Rider, Roxanne Trunnell, clicked from the start. Their bond and Dolton’s incredible temperament carried them to success at the 2018 FEI Longines World Equestrian Games, including becoming the first U.S. horse-and-athlete pair to medal at a para dressage world championship. They continued to add to their list of accolades, and in 2020 Dolton and Trunnell were ranked No. 1 in the world across all grades. “It takes a special horse to become an outstanding Para-Dressage horse and Dolton at only eight years old has proved to be a very special horse.”, said Trunnell.
Gazelle’s many triumphs come as a result of her incredible partnership with Kent Farrington Developing together over the years, they share a desire to win and a competitive spirit that instills confidence in everyone around them, including co-owner Robin Parsky. “She has proven to us time and time again that she wants to win it all,” said Parsky. “All my life I have dreamed about having a horse as amazing as her.” Since their debut, the pair has amassed an impressive record of wins and top finishes at all of the most prestigious competitions in the world, including winning 13 *5 Grand Prixs and amassing over $3,250,000.00 in prize money.
Known familiarly as “Quinn” around the barn, Pritchard Hill, a 2012 Oldenburg gelding, was named after Pritchard Hill — the best hill in the Napa Valley to grow wine grapes. Like many of the great ones, the incredibly talented gelding required some extra time to develop and truly shine. “He’s really intelligent, so you have to let him learn his lessons and leave him alone until he digests it, ” said Carleton Brooks, known throughout the hunter/jumper industry as CB. His athleticism, coupled with a quiet, intelligent and willing attitude, has not only earned him a following at the rail, but is also credited with beckoning CB off the retirement bench. In 2019, Pritchard Hill was champion more often than not at the various shows he competed in and continues to turn heads. READ MORE . . .
Vivaldi de Besilu (Bribon de San Isidro x La Ley de Cuatro G, Mandato de La Luisa) is regarded as one of the most exciting stallion prospects of the modern Paso Fino era. Born with a gait unique to the breed and considered among the smoothest riding horses in the world, the origin of “Los Caballos de Paso Fino” — the horses with the fine step – goes back to the Spanish conquistadors. Vivaldi de Besilu made Paso Fino history at the 2020 Paso Fino Horse Association’s Grand National Show when he was crowned Grand National Champion Fino Stallion for the fifth consecutive time, making him the winningest Grand Champion in the competition’s history. READ MORE . . . |
