Diana and Cealy from Rio

Little Teddy O’Connor Wows Them with His Jump

From Changing Leads to Leading the Way

One would never think that a 14.2 hand pony could compete against the big guys at an Olympic Games. Yet, that’s what Karen O’Connor is gearing up for with her Teddy O’Connor and her double Gold Medals at the 2007 Pan American Games are just a stepping stone. This 12-year-old Thoroughbred/Shetland/ Arabian cross gelding by Theodore out of Chelsea’s Melody may be small but he packs a big jump.

When Karen, the reigning Individual Silver medalist from the 2003 Pan American Games, first saw him it was to give a lesson on the flat. At the time he was owned by someone who wanted to improve his flying changes. So, when Karen saw the pony who needed help with his canter she never knew that underneath that inability to change leads was a powerhouse jumper.

“The girl that rode him before rang me up and asked for lessons. She needed a little help with the flying changes,” explained the many time Olympic veteran. However, when Karen saw the pony go she realized it wasn’t just the flying changes but the fact that “he couldn’t canter properly. So, the counter canter, flying changes and all of that was going to be really difficult.”

In time, Karen also gave the girl some jumping lessons and for her that was the “wow” day. “When I watched him jump I couldn’t believe it … obviously the first time anyone sees him jump they say wow. But he was a little bit frantic, lacking in education still. “

As time passed the former rider decided she wanted to go on to law school and so Teddy went back to his former owner and breeder. “It was around the 1st of August when she called me up and asked if I would like to ride him,” explained Karen, who without hesitation said, “I would be delighted to ride him.

“I had seen his jump and seen his kind eye. It didn’t bother me that I was small because I am small enough to deal with that,” she continued. “But at that time he was really just an Intermediate horse. So, I took him to Radnor that fall and he did well and it was short format. So we went to the Virginia Horse Center six weeks later to do another two-star and then I brought him to Jersey Fresh in the Spring and Fair Hill last fall and then on to Kentucky.”

At the four-star Kentucky event Teddy placed third. “He doesn’t know how small he is … to ride him he feels like a giant,” said Karen, after they negotiated this tough course with only a few time faults added to his dressage score. The same was the case at the Pan Am Games, but this time his dressage score started out even better (47.10) and to that he only added 1.60 time faults (48.70) and a rail in the show jumping cost him 4 faults but the dynamic duo still maintained their Gold Medal position.