Members of the horse industry in Manitoba have launched an effort to get Branch County, the horse ridden to a silver medal in a jump-off at the 1976 Olympics by Michel Vaillancourt, into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. The athletic chestnut OTTB gelding was the youngest horse ever to represent Canada in the Olympics and the only horse from Manitoba, where he raced. At 22, Vaillancourt was the youngest rider ever to represent Canada in show jumping. Together they won the first individual medal Canada had ever won in an equestrian event at the Olympics.
Branch County had interesting origins: a Minnesota-bred originally named Traffic Sub, he raced unsuccessfully at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg before being sold, unsound, for $400 as part of a two-horse ‘package deal’ to William “Bill” Teske, a former jockey who trained a small stable of thoroughbreds and was later a racing official at the Downs. According to an article by Bob Gates, Teske liked the horse because he was big, strong and looked like he could be a jumper.
Renamed “Branch County,” the horse seemed to love his new career and as early as 1974 was making his presence known in the jumping arena, where he captured three of four Rothmans Grand Prix competitions held in western Canada. In the winter of ’75/76 he was partnered with Vaillancourt and the rest, as they say, is history.
Geraldine Sweet, past president of the Manitoba Horse Council, remarked that the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame is reticent to induct an equine because, according to them, “The horse is not the athlete and doesn’t have the same standing as a human athlete.”
In 1978 Branch County was named Horse of the Year by the Manitoba Horse Council; Michel Vaillancourt was inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame in 2009. The timing would be especially appropriate seeing as 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the Manitoba Hunter Jumper Association.
“Over the comings months, we’re going to be looking for ways to honour this horse in Manitoba,” stated Kiirsten May, chair of Marketing & Communications for MHC.
Sweet has suggested, “I think MHC could do something to honour this athlete and as MHC is naming parts of the facility at Bird’s Hill Park, I suggest the Grand Prix Ring be named with a sign and hopefully a picture of Branch County.”
Members of the equestrian community who would like to join the effort to nominate Branch County to the Manitoba HOF can complete this form and submit it to halloffame@sportmanitoba.ca.
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