Theodore O'Connor

Theodore O'Connor (May 8, 1995 – May 28, 2008), nicknamed "Teddy," was a 14.1 ³⁄₄ hands (57.75 inches, 147 cm) pony (though of horse phenotype) who competed internationally at the highest level of eventing. Ridden by Olympian Karen O'Connor, he performed exceedingly well at such events as the Rolex Kentucky Three Day and the Pan American Games. His success and small stature earned him the nickname "Super Pony."^[1][2]

Theodore O'Connor
Karen O'Connor and Theodore O'Connor at the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event
Breed	Shetland pony x Arabian x Thoroughbred
Sire	Witty Boy (Thoroughbred)
Grandsire	Anticipating (Thoroughbred)
Dam	Chelsea's Melody (Shetland Pony x Arabian x Thoroughbred)
Maternal grandsire	Honest Turn (Thoroughbred)
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	1995
Country	United States
Colour	Chestnut with a star
Breeder	P. Wynn Norman
Owner	The Theodore O'Connor Syndicate
Trainer	Nicole Villers (2002–2003), Christan Trainor (2004–2005), Karen O'Connor (2005–2008)

Medal record
Equestrian
Pan American Games
	2007 Rio de Janeiro	Team eventing
	2007 Rio de Janeiro	Individual eventing

Breeding

Theodore O'Connor (or "Teddy") was by the 16.2 hands (66 inches, 168 cm) Thoroughbred stallion Witty Boy, who finished his racing career with a record of (40-5-1-3) and earnings of $50,518. Witty Boy went on to sire more than 300 horses in the United States, including winners in-hand, hunters, eventers, endurance horses, jumpers and dressage horses. Notable progeny include the show hunter I Don't Know (2000 USAEq National Champion) and the Anglo-Arabian VSF Otis+/ (completing 100-mile endurance competition).

Theodore O'Connor was out of Chelsea's Melody, a 13 hands (52 inches, 132 cm) mare of 1/2 Thoroughbred, 1/4 Arabian, and 1/4 Shetland Pony breeding. The sire of Chelsea's Melody was a racing Thoroughbred by the name of Honest Turn, a great-grandson of Bold Ruler. Her dam, Esker Electra, was by the stallion JR Lyraff, who was strongly linebred to the extremely influential Arabian stallion Raffles, son of Skowronek.^[3]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Theodore O'Connor

Sire Witty Boy br. 1980 Thoroughbred	Anticipating b. 1971	Bold Ruler br. 16.0 1954	Nasrullah
			Miss Disco
		Marking Time ch. 1963	To Market
			Allemande
	Very Witty br. 1968	Better Bee dkb 1954	Triplicate
			S. Bee
		Miss Witty b. 1955	Lord Putnam
			Quick Retort
Dam Chelsea's Melody b. 1992	Honest Turn 15.3 hh 1981 Thoroughbred	Honest Pleasure dkb/br 1973	What A Pleasure
			Tularia
		Timeforaturn b 1975	Best Turn
			Pidi
	Esker Electra Shetland/Arabian 11.3 hh ch. 1980	JR Lyraff b 1975 Arabian	Winraff
			Asil Lyra
		Esker Eclipse Shetland Pony	Happy Hour Supreme
			Arbor Acres Eileen

Competitive career

Theodore O'Connor was started at the age of three years by his breeder and began his competitive career as a show hunter, later showing a bit as a jumper. He began eventing when he was six and continued up through Preliminary under rider Nicole Villers, before Christan Trainor rode him on through the Advanced level and finished in 8th place at his first CIC**. Olympian Karen O'Connor then rode him at the Advanced level, eventually taking him to his first CCI**** at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day where he finished 3rd with 4.4 time faults cross-country. He then qualified for the Pan American Games as part of the US Eventing Team, where he won the team gold and beat out several more experienced horses to also win the individual gold. He finished 6th at the 2008 Rolex CCI**** and was short-listed for the Olympic Team.

Achievements

2008

• 6th Rolex Kentucky Three Day

2007

• Individual and team gold medal at the Pan American Games
• 3rd individually at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day
• 1st The Fork CIC***

2006

• 7th at the Poplar Place CIC***
• 9th at the Jersey Fresh CIC***
• 7th at the Fork CIC***

Death

Theodore O’Connor was humanely euthanized on May 28, 2008 as a result of an injury sustained at Karen and David O’Connor’s barn in The Plains, VA. The attending veterinarian stated:

"He spooked at something while being ridden and bolted. The rider came off and the horse ran toward the barn. He got into a freak accident and slid into the side of the barn and lacerated his right hind leg about 4 inches above the fetlock on the back of the leg. It looked like a knife cut it; he severed the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons, ligaments, cut both branches of the arterial blood supply, and nerves. My experience with injuries like this are that the chances of reattaching the vascular supply and nerve supply and reattaching the tendons and ligaments is almost zero. Even if there has been a 10% chance of us being successful to recover him (from surgery) … but with the nature of the injury, that wasn't going to happen," said Allen sadly. "Karen would have done anything for that pony."^[4]

References

1. "Karen O'Connor and 'The Pony' Theodore O'Connor Wow The Crowd, Finishing Third" Accessed June 21, 2007 at http://www.horsesdaily.com/news/eventing/2007/07rolex/04-29-oconnor.html
2. "Little Teddy O’Connor Wows Them with His Jump" Web page accessed August 30, 2007 at http://www.horsesdaily.com/news/tour/2007/07panam/derosa/07-22-dd1.html
3. Pedigree of JR Lyraff
4. Brown, Kimberly S. "Vet Calls Theodore O'Connor Euthanasia 'The Right Thing to Do'". The Horse online edition, May 28, 2008

External links

• O'Connor Event Team