Colonel John Russell has dedicated his life to horses and the sport of riding, and
to training young people to represent our country with honor at future national
and international competitions.
Colonel Russell's riding activities include coaching of the Equestrian Team in North
Italy in 1946 and 1947. He was the first American to win the Prize of Nations in
Milano, Italy, Prize of Bologna, Italy, and was the leading rider of north Italy
in 1947. In 1948, his assignment was to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he was an instructor
of Advanced Horsemanship, and a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team. At this time
his duty included the rewriting of the Manual of Horsemanship.
He placed second in the Olympic Trials for the 1948 Olympic Team. He won the individual
Prize of Nations in Lucerne, Switzerland. He rode his horse, Blue Devil, named after
the Division under which he served in Italy. He was jumper champion and leading
rider of the Aachen Horse Show in Germany. He won the Prize of the Nations and the
Puissance class in Dublin, Ireland. The same year he was the first American to win
the Aga Khan Trophy and again he was the leading rider of the show. In London, White
City, England, he won both the Edward, Prince of Wales, Moss Bros. Trophy and the
Prize of the Nations. Representing the United States, he rode in the 1948 Olympic
Games in London, England. In 1949, he won the Prize of Paris in Paris, France, the
Prize of the Nations in Paris, France, and the Puissance class in Vichy, France.
At the end of 1951 he rejoined the U.S. Equestrian Team, and in 1952 won the Olympic
Trials at Fort Riley, Kansas. From there he went to Monterrey, Mexico where he won
the Prize of the Nations. The same year he won the West Point Challenge Trophy at
Madison Square Garden, and he also participated at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with
the team. In 1952, he was assigned to Germany where he took part in horse shows
in Hanover, Germany, and won the Prize of the Nations. From there, he traveled to
Hamburg, Germany, and won the Hamburg Derby, where he was honored as the first foreigner
to ever receive an award and trophy for the best rider with best style and form
in the show.
Riding his famous jumper, Democrat, he competed in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki,
Finland, as a member of the first civilian U.S. Equestrian Team squad, and won the
Bronze Medal.
From 1953 to 1955, Colonel Russell was assigned as Headquarters Commandant of II
Corps in Germany and his riding was limited to Germany and Austria. He won the Prize
of the Nations in Vienna and Graz, Austria, and was the leading rider at Tübingen,
Bad Godesberg and Wiesbaden, Germany.
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