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 about a Show Jumping Hall of Famer. This week’s featured inductee is I Love You, Class of 2014.

I Love You, the striking bay Selle Francais stallion, represented the United States in international show jumping competition throughout the 1980s, achieving outstanding success with rider Norman Dello Joio.

I Love You carried Dello Joio to impressive wins both in the U.S. and internationally. The highlight of his career came in 1983 when he carried Dello Joio to the championship in the FEI World Cup Final in Vienna, Austria. The following year, the duo narrowly missed becoming the first World Cup champions to successfully defend their title when they finished second by just one fault at the 1984 Final in Gothenburg, Sweden.

I Love You’s successful career included winning several other major events including the du Maurier International at the Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary (1983), the President’s Cup at the Washington International Horse Show (1983), the Grand Prix De Penn National at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg (1984), and the Dunhill World Cup Grand Prix at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto (1984) where he also carried Dello Joio to the horse show’s Leading Rider Award.

I Love You and Dello Joio were part of winning Nations’ Cup teams at Washington (1982 and 1983), New York (1983), Toronto (1983 and 1984) and Calgary (1983). In 1984, I Love You and Dello Joio turned in consistently strong performances in the USET Olympic trials and were named as alternates to the talented team that went on to win the Gold Medal.

Following his retirement as an active competitor, I Love You became a distinguished breeding stallion in France where he lived out the remainder of his days.

All photos courtesy of Show Jumping Hall of Fame.

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