I’m not familiar with these people and haven’t looked around for other posts, but I also assumed that there must be some gossip if people were saying they weren’t surprised. I don’t think I have ever known anyone who, if they did this, I would not be surprised. Not that I haven’t known some real jerks…
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I’ve known jerks as well. Agree that I would still be surprised if any of them shot and killed a horse out from under their kid, whether their kid was an adult or a child.
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Is there a reason his name should sound familiar for people who are not local to that area? It sounds a little familiar, but I wonder if I’m thinking of a different person with that last name.
The Russell’s are a very well known family in the Tryon, NC area.
Excuse my ignorance, but what is that leather harness thing he is wearing? And for the love of all things holy, can he get off that horse’s back over the fence? I know the man is in his 70s, but jeez.
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It keeps his shoulder in whatever’s left of his socket, he’s been wearing that thing for 30? 40? years.
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Vick, Lincoln, Tommy John ring any bells?
If you go to any of the Elite Show Jumping shows in Georgia, that’s Vic Russell. I believe Vic and Vick are related, but I’m not sure of the exact connection.
There is also the Pauline Russell Memorial Grand Prix every year at (Fox Lea Farm in Venice, FL?). That’s the same Russells.
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That’s an unfortunate jumping photo in the article. He has worn that shoulder brace probably as long as I’ve been alive. He really can ride, and he was super friendly and a good sport whenever I competed against him. And yet I’m sad to say I’m not that surprised by this news either. Though I feel like the general community would never have heard of it had the horse not been killed.
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Hmm, thanks for all the information.
I think I’ve seen pictures or video of someone riding with a similar shoulder brace, so maybe that was him. I can’t imagine too many people use that particular piece of equipment.
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Thank you! I was thoroughly confused.
Unfortunate indeed. Good to know that’s not representative of his riding.
I must admit that I’m curious why so many people are saying they aren’t surprised by this turn of events…especially if he was super friendly and a good sport.
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Vick is a good ol’ guy who would give you the shirt off his back. He can ride the hair off a $50 animal and make it look like $50k.
The family dynamics are somewhat different, and this is the south. Tragic incident in many ways.
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Maybe it’s just me? but I think that photo’s kinda bad-ass. Looks like he got left behind (or maybe stayed a bit intentionally behind to make sure this one left the ground?) and while yes, he’s technically still in the saddle, that leg is stuck tight and he’s pretty much carrying his own weight and his hand is doing a damn fine job staying out of the way given all that. The leather shoulder hoist just adds to the bad-assery 
I know absolutely nothing about this crew so no character assessment here, but I’d be pretty thrilled if that’s how I looked after pop-chipping a 1.40m oxer lol
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Thanks, this makes sense to me. Thank you for spelling it out. And yes, tragic indeed. It seems especially so, to happen during the twilight of one’s life.
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The family dynamics are something akin to the Hatfields and McCoys - hot tempers, and so no one familiar with them around the south is surprised that a family dispute turned violent. They’ve always been a little rough-n-ready so to speak. Not that it would be ok for anyone to get shot, but it is just extra awful that an innocent horse got caught in the crossfire.
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That is for sure. I wonder who owned the horse.
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I heard it belonged to Jimmy Torano. More than 20 years ago we were in our rv at one of the non Florida winter circuits and the whole clan circled the wagons around us. By the third night of drunken fighting and screaming and feral children running like banshees for hours, I reported them to CPS. It was an anonymous call but I was very wary afterwards and we left early. I see them at Fox Lea now and they seem to have tamed down. I was actually pretty happy when one of the sons won the GP named in honor of the Mom
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This story and its characters are straight out of a damn Faulkner novel.
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Yup, Faulkner fodder for sure. Right out of Long Hot Summer with roles reversed as son tries to kill father by locking him in barn with horses and torching it.
There were Russells in So Cal. Father and son in the old AHSA Open Jumper and GP ranks. Round the 60s and 70s. That dad also had a souvenir of a past bad injury, head was tilted to one side due to a broken neck. Odd coincidence. Long time ago but seems to me there were some shadows on their reputation.
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