EquiSearch Olympic Hall of Fame – Thackeray

Colonel Donald W. Thackeray |

Colonel Donald W. Thackeray

Stats: Born 1915, died 1995

Major Accomplishments:

  • 2002 added to USA Equestrian’s Honor Roll of Distinguished Officials
  • 1994 Horseman of the Year, Maryland Horse Council
  • 1989-1993 USET Dressage and Driving Committees, VP of Driving
  • 1971-1993 USET Executive Committee
  • 1970 Director, United States Equestrian Team (USET)

Five-term member of the AHSA Board of Directors

Member of the Bureau of the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) for 17 years, and was elected VP and served as Chairman of the FEI Driving Committee.

Only person to have FEI judge status in dressage, driving, show jumping and three-day eventing

Dressage judge at six Olympic Games and two Pan-American Games

Official at several driving and dressage World Championships

Official at the National Horse Show for more than 20 years

Major General Jonathan R. “Jack” Burton on Thackeray: “Everyone trusted Thack, and whenever a crisis developed, he could calmly straighten it out. One we were judging a fault-and-out class at Madison Square Garden. Frank Chapot knocked a lower rail off a fence, but the top rail was intact. The whistle blew, and Frank stopped after the next fence. Then the ground jury met and decided to let Chapot start over. He jumped clean, a round that would win him the class, and an uproar ensued. Riders from all the other countries protested that it was unfair to give Chapot another chance. Thack, who was on the ground jury, calmed everybody down and got the class moving again. The ground jury had been at fault in blowing the whistle, he explained, because Chapot’s horse had not lowered the height of the obstacle. Thack’s ability to mediate defused what would have been an international incident.”

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