John Russell obit

Legendary equestrian rider Russell passes away at 100

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John Russell served in World War II, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for wounds he received at Cassino. After the war, Russell, who retired as a Lieutenant-Colonel and was always called “The Colonel,” continued to compete in horse competitions, especially in Europe, including the 1948 and 1952 Olympics. He won the Aga Khan Trophy in Dublin, the Prix de Nations in Milano, and the Hamburg Trophy before settling in San Antonio in 1956, where he became Officer in Charge of the US Modern Pentathlon Team. He coached at six Olympics and 22 World Championships with the modern pentathletes, at the Russell Equestrian Center in San Antonio. Russell was inducted into the International Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 2001 and in 2010, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the FEI.

In 1948 Russell was posted to Fort Riley in Kansas to serve as a riding instructor[1] and became a member of the United States national equestrian team. While rewriting the army's Manual of Horsemanship, he found time to compete in that year's Olympic trials, where he placed second, thereby becoming a member of the last American Olympic equestrian delegation to be chosen from the United States Army. At the 1948 Summer Olympics he finished 21st in a field of 44 competitors in the individual jumping event and also helped represent his country in the team tournament, riding his horse Air Mail in both competitions. Although his military squad disbanded as a competitive force following the games, Russell continued to win international championships over the next several years in the lead up to the 1952 Summer Olympics, which was the first United States Olympic equestrian delegation to accept civilians.

Encouraged by John Wofford, the first president of the United States Equestrian Team and a participant in the 1932 Summer Olympics, Russell participated in the trials to make the 1952 Olympic squad and finished first riding a horse by the name of Democrat. It was with Democrat that Russell, alongside William Steinkraus and Arthur McCashin, captured the bronze medal in the team jumping tournament. He also finished 24th in a field of 51 competitors in the individual jumping event. From 1953 through 1955 he was stationed in Germany, from where he continued to compete internationally, most notably at the 1955 Show Jumping World Championships. He trained to compete at the 1956 Summer Olympics, but military duties and a broken hoof bone in his horse prevented him from attending. He retired from active competition soon thereafter.

In 1956 Russell returned to the United States where he was assigned to run the United States Modern Pentathlon Training Center at Fort Sam Houston. Over the next several decades, he coached six United States Olympic modern pentathlon delegations, twenty-two World Championship teams, and helped organize the 1959 and 1977 World Modern Pentathlon Championships. In retirement he has operated the Russell Equestrian Center and worked as a judge at national horse shows. In 2000 he was awarded the Pegasus Medal of Honor from the American Horse Shows Association (now part of the United States Equestrian Federation), which was followed up in 2001 by his induction into the United States Show Jumping Hall of Fame. He received the Gold Medal of Honor from the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne and, in February 2012, he was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame.

Biographical information

Roles   Competed in Olympic Games

Sex      Male

Full name        John William•Russell

Used name      John•Russell

Nick/petnames             The Colonel

Born    2 February 1920 in Dauphin, Pennsylvania (USA)

Died    30 September 2020 (aged 100 years 7 months 28 days) in San Antonio, Texas (USA)

Affiliations      US Army, (USA)

NOC   United States