Olympian Tom Gayford remisc about equtrian sport and the liftyle durg the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, and ments on how ’s changed.
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THOMAS (TOM) GAYFORD
Team Canada - Canadian Tom Gayford is a three-time Olympian who his third Olympic appearance beme the Olympic team show jumpg gold medalist at the 1968 Olympic Gam Mexi Cy. It was Canada’s only gold medal of the Gam. * tommy gayford *
Tom Gayford ma his ternatnal but for Canada at Helski 1952, failg to fish the three-day eventg both the dividual and team petn. In orr to even get to Mexi Cy 1968, Gayford and his show jumpg teammat of Jim Day and Jim Elr had to raise funds to fly their mounts to the Gam. Gayford went first and brought back the news to his teammat about the dntg urse, cludg the three giant jumps a row.
PAST PERFECT WH TOM GAYFORD
In 1968, show jumpg tr Jam Day, Jim Elr, and Thomas Gayford surprised the world by puttg Canada on the podium when they won Canada’s only gold medal at the Summer Olympic Gam Mexi Cy. It was the first time Canada had ever entered a team the show jumpg and, gog , the Amerins, Germans, and Brish were the favoured medal ntenrs. * tommy gayford *
The son of Gordon Gayford, a member of the Canadian Army Equtrian Team, Gayford’s first major tle was at the 1959 Pan Amerin Gam, wng the three-day eventg wh teammat and brothers Jim and Norm Elr.
At the 1967 Pan Amerin Gam, Gayford, along wh Jim Elr and Day won the team show jumpg bronze medal. Individually, Gayford won several jumpg and high jumpg the Natnal Horse Shows.
Throughout the next three s Gayford’s passn for the sport ntued, stayg volved many aspects of horse sport cludg huntg, polo and thoroughbred trag. Wh an eye for talent, both eque and human, Gayford spotted a young Eric Lamaze (Beijg 2008 Olympic champn), givg him his very first grand prix mount, Big Deal.
TOM GAYFORD
* tommy gayford *
All five of Gayford’s dghters ro petively. Gayford was ducted to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 1968 and Canadian Olympic Halls of Fame 1971. The gold medal Canadian show jumpg team Mexi on their way to llect their medals: (l-r) Jim Elr and The Immigrant, Jim Day and Canadian Club, and Tom Gayford wh Big Dee.
Until that pot, Canada did not have a gold medal, but then show jumpg began and Canada won the Natn’s Cup ‒ Jimmy Elr, Jimmy Day, and Tommy Gayford wh 102 ¾ flts. Tommy Gayford was our chef d’équipe, and what a clever guy he was.
In 1968, show jumpg tr Jam Day, Jim Elr, and Thomas Gayford surprised the world by puttg Canada on the podium when they won Canada’s only gold medal at the Summer Olympic Gam Mexi Cy.
THOMAS GAYFORD
Thomas Gayford, equtrian (born 21 November 1928 Toronto, ON). An outstandg ternatnal petor, Tom Gayford was a member of the Canadian jumpg tea... * tommy gayford *
In 1959 at the Pan Amerin Gam, his three-day event team took the gold medal; on that team were his brother Norman, and Tom Gayford. At the 1967 Pan Amerin Gam, Elr wh teammat Gayford and Jim Day brought home the team bronze, qualifyg them for the 1968 Summer Olympics where, ridg The Immigrant, he and his teammat brought home the gold. Thomas Gayford was born Toronto November 1928.
Thomas Gayford at the Natnal Horse Show New York Cy 1964. Gayford first reprented Canada the three-day event at the 1952 Summer Olympics Helski, Fland. In 1959, Gayford was on the three-day-event team that won gold at the Pan Amerin Gam Chigo.
Then 1968, Gayford, ridg Big Dee, and his teammat Day and Elr shocked the world by wng show jumpg gold at the Olympic Gam Mexi Cy. In a 2016 Global News terview, Gayford scribed the feelg of petg before 100, 000 screamg fans for the team that was ed to petg at smaller horse shows. Gayford went on to pta the gold medal-wng 1971 Pan Amerin Gam team, was three tim dividual high jumpg champn at the New York Natnal Horse Show, and 1972 he claimed the Natnal Horse Show jumpg tle.
IS TOMMY FORD GAY?
Vis Thomas Frankl GAYFORD profile and read the full bgraphy, watch vios and read all the latt news. Click here for more. * tommy gayford *
In 1976, Gayford signed the show jumpg urse for the Montreal Summer Olympics, and om 1978 to 1996 he served as chef d’équipe of Canada’s show jumpg team. Ma Photo: The Canadian Show Jumpg Team: Jim Day on Canadian Club, Jam Elr on The Immigrant, and Tom Gayford on Big Dee, at the 1968 Olympics Mexi Cy.
We recently ught up wh Tom Gayford, part of Canada’s team gold medal show jumpg effort 1968, who had mented back 1993 that horse shows had bee too ser, expensive, and tough for amatrs who had to work all week. “It’s a rat race now, a naway tra, ” Gayford said.