Originally published in Douglas Elliman Equestrian Fall 2026.

In Tampa, circa March 1985, at a board meeting for the American Grand Prix Association (AGA), some of the most important names in show jumping agreed that the equestrian sport deserved its own Hall of Fame. Present at that early discussion were Gene Mische, Leonard King, Frank Chapot, Larry Langer, Dr. Robert Rost, Peter Doubleday and David Distler, as well as Jane Clark, the current chairman of the board of the Baseball Hall of Fame, which her family founded. Those at the gathering asked Clark if she could spearhead the movement on behalf of show jumping—and she accepted, drawing upon her resources to compose bylaws and policies.

By 1987, the Show Jumping Hall of Fame was a legal entity and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Later that year, the Hall of Fame hosted its inaugural election to establish the first class of inductees. The results: William Steinkraus, a highly awarded participant of five Olympic Games; Bertalan de Némethy, an influential show jumping coach for the United States Equestrian Team; and the legendary thoroughbred Idle Dice, who won over $400,000 (the equivalent of several million today).

It wasn’t until 1989 that the Show Jumping Hall of Fame found its first physical home. “There were several different places discussed—such as Gladstone, New Jersey, the home of the U.S. Equestrian team, and Middleburg, Virginia,” explains Marty Bauman, the Executive Director of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame since 1990. Bauman, who was in the AGA board meeting in 1985, has remained a steadfast champion of the organization since its earliest days.

“Elizabeth Busch Burke was on the board of the AGA, and she offered to give us a home in Busch Gardens in Tampa,” Bauman continues. “Our thinking was, it may not be a location known for horses, but it would offer us great exposure to many thousands of people each year.” Busch Burke, one of the country’s most generous equestrian supporters, also allowed them to open in the gardens for free.

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