January 27, 2022 
Each week on #HallOfFameThursday, Horse Network recognizes members of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame with an inductee’s plaque, historical photos and, on the first Thursday of every month, an historic article on a major win by a Show Jumping Hall of Famer. This week, we recognize Patrick Butler, Show Jumping Hall of Fame class of 1998.
For more than three decades Patrick Butler, with Mrs. Butler, was the owner of some of the sport’s greatest jumpers and a long-time USET supporter.
Probably the most famous Butler horse was Balbuco, who, with Conrad Homfeld in the irons, captured the leading grandprix horse title in 1976, American Grandprix Association Horse of the Year title in 1979 and 1980, and the 1980 World Cup.
Other top Butler-owned horses were Untouchable, who won numerous international victories with Kathy Kusner riding, including the 1987 Ladies European Championship, Old English, In My Cap, Caesar, Mystic, Fire One, Aberali, County Wicklow, and Sloopy, Neal Shapiro’s Individual Bronze Medal winning mount at the Munich Olympics.
A former AHSAjumper Committee Chairman, Butler was also a joint owner of Touch of Class, Joe Fargis’s double Gold Medal mount at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Butler was always an active owner, involved in his horses’ training.
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