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 article written by a Show Jumping Hall of Famer. This week, we recognize Balbuco, Show Jumping Hall of Fame class of 2009.

Three-time American Grandprix Association Horse of the Year Balbuco was one of show jumping’s most successful horses.

He was an Argentine Thoroughbred with a difficult temperament and an extraordinary jumping ability. The 17-hand brown gelding, first owned by William D. Haggard III and then by Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Butler, was ridden to many Grand Prix victories by Hall of Fame riders Rodney Jenkins and Conrad Homfeld.

Balbuco first gained the attention of the show jumping world when he was partnered with Rodney Jenkins in 1972 and 1973. Among their many wins was the 1972 American Gold Cup.

In 1974, future Olympic Gold Medalist Conrad Homfeld began a partnership with Balbuco that would span nearly a decade and would include victories at some of the world’s most prestigious show jumping events.

Balbuco was named Grand Prix Horse of the Year in 1976, a year that included wins in the Cleveland and Ocala Grand Prix. The pair also finished in the top three that year in the American Gold Cup, Grand Prix of Florida and Adirondack Grand Prix in Lake Placid.

Homefeld rode Balbuco on winning Nations’ Cup teams in Washington and New York in 1977 and at Rotterdam in 1978. During these three Nations’ Cup competitions, Balbuco and Homfeld were part of a true “Hall of Fame” team riding alongside Hall of Fame inductees Joe Fargis, Rodney Jenkins, Michael Matz, Idle Dice, and Jet Run. Also, in 1978, the pair was part of the Bronze Medal Team at the world Championships in Aachen, Germany.

Balbuco was name the American Grandprix Association (AGA) Horse of the Year those two years as well. Their biggest success came in 1980 when they won the World Cup Final in Baltimore making them the first U.S. pair to become World Cup Champion. In the two weeks following the Final, they scored back-to-back wins in the Valley Forge and Charlotte Grand Prix. This record earned them a place on the team selected to represent the U.S. at the 1980 Moscow Olympics although the U.S. boycott denied hem the chance to compete.

Balbuco was also the third leading money winning horse on the AGA tour between 1978 and 1982, trailing only Hall of Fame horses Jet Run and Calypso. His career continued at top-level competitions until the time of his death in 1984 after Colic Surgery.

All images courtesy of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame

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