Jenny Camp, one of the greatest eventing horses of all time, was born in1926 as a result of the US Army's breeding program, the ‘Army Remount Service’. For the first time in the USA there was a scientific approach to horse breeding for the cavalry and some of the best horses from all over the USA were bought from private owners to develop the horses. Thoroughbreds, Morgans, Standardbreds, Quarter Horses, horses with a reputation for speed, strength and jumping prowess were purchased by the Remount. Jenny Camp was foaled at the Fort Robinson Remount Station in Virginia in 1926 by the thoroughbred stallion Gordon Russell, who was himself one of the most valuable breeding stallions the U.S. Army, out of an unknown mare thought to be a throughbred /standardbred cross.
Jenny Camp grew to just under 15.3hh, quite small for an eventing horse but the bay mare was given to Col. Earl F. “Tommy” Thomson of Fort Riley's ‘Advanced Equitation School’ where the US Army 's most talented riders worked on their horse training and riding skills. Tommy Thompson and Jenny Camp went on to win individual silver and team gold at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
1936 just before the outbreak of World War II the Olympics were held in Berlin and Jenny Camp ridden by Tommy Thomson were again on the USA's eventing team. They were in second place after the dressage but the cross country course was proving devastating, one of their team members Slippery Slim had had to be destroyed after breaking a leg at the notorious Fence 4, The Pond.
The Pond actually appeared to be a straightforward 3 foot post and rail fence into water, cross the pond, and jump out again. But as the horses started going round the course taking the quickest, straightest route through the water they found that it was suddenly deeper than it had appeared on the course inspection, and the surface underneath was soft and boggy. Of the 48 starters only 15 successfully negoitated The Pond these included the whole German team who all took a wider, longer route to the left of the fence.
Jenny Camp was late in the starting order by which time rumors about Fence 4 had started to filter back to the waiting riders so Tommy took the longer left-hand route and they completed the course without penalties. A clear round in the show jumping gave them the individual silver medal making Jenny Camp one of only three horses to win individual eventing medals at consecutive Olympic Games, the others being Charisma with Mark Todd, 1984 and 1988, and Marcroix with Lt. Charles F. Pahud de Mortanges, 1928 and 1932.
The 1936 games would be the last Olympics until after World War II and Jenny Camp was retired as a broodmare in California, she died at the age of 32.
“She had tremendous heart and a willingness to do her job,” Maj. Gen. Jonathan R. Burton.
Video footage from the 1936 Olympic Games Equestrian Cross Country event can be seen here 1936 Olympic Cross Country - Part 1 and here More 1936 Olympic Cross Country Footage - includes the notorios Fence 4 - The Pond.
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