I got to audit when he came to Poplar Place in GA. Such a wealth of knowledge and stories. He will be missed.
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Legend
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Oh I am so sad to read this! I had no idea he was sick. I loved auditing his clinics, what a wealth of knowledge, no-nonsense teacher he was. And funny!
I am glad I asked him to sign my copy of his book Training the 3-day Event Horse and Rider.
He will be missed. 
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Jimmy - such an interesting and interested gracious man with incredible teaching talent…and let’s not forget his sense of humor and storytelling ability. One of my all time favorites to ride with and to host clinics with. A few years back, I texted him about where to send my husband for fly fishing. He responded lightening fast with all sorts of suggestions and ideas. He was generous to a fault with his time, his knowledge and presence. RIP Jimmy.
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I’ve never competed in eventing. In the past I had the luck to live close by a privately owned cross country course . The owners were generous and allowed us to use it. It was a blast.
I never had a chance to meet Jimmy Wofford, but his books had a definite and positive affect on my riding and horsemanship. He was a great influence to so many people, even those of us that did not compete in Eventing.
His knowledge reached far beyond the Eventing world. A truly great legacy.
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I never knew him and never got to do the bucket-list clinic with him. But this news feels as if a huge eventing voice has evolved to another place – and we have to continue to listen to hold on to what he represented in eventing.
During the era of maybe 2005-2010 he was actively taking a platform in eventing publications to try to keep eventing riding forward, safe and sane. Eventing had a few crisis moments during that time. And there was a lot of contradictory guidance re cross-country riding floating around at the time and he was clearly aware of this and was concerned to balance the information.
During that time when I was new to eventing and emailed a question to him that would help clarify if this was the horse sport I could get behind or not. On his side, this email was coming in from a random stranger, one of thousands of people who read his articles. I really didn’t expect an answer, as I’m sure he gets 100’s of emails, and probably a great many from people who are part of his activities.
He answered. Promptly. His answer was clear and it resolved my concerns. And his last sentence was “does this answer your question?”, which was an invitation to a follow-up if it didn’t. I answered that it did, with thanks.
There was only one Jimmy Wofford. In a sport noted for big personalities, he was among the biggest. Jimmy Wofford helped shaped what eventing has been for the last couple of decades (maybe longer), and what many eventers would like to preserve into the future.
Godspeed Jimmy Wofford.
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RIP Jimmy Wofford. Another legend gone.
Here is a favorite interview with him:
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Gone too soon. I remember attending a clinic he was doing locally. The first part was a “lecture.” I arrived a few minutes late and sat down in the last available chair which promptly disintegrated, leaving me on the floor. Mr Wofford was too much of a gentleman to laugh.
He will be missed.
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Wofford’s column was the main reason I kept a Practical Horseman subscription even though it’s been probably coming up on 7 years now since I last rode a horse and I never had the chance to do eventing (wanted to do eventing since switching to english riding in my late teens). It was always the column I’d look for in the latest issue.
I read his autobiography a couple years ago and loved it. Even on the few times I didn’t maybe agree with his columns (though most of the ones I can think of, I felt he was spot on with his opinions.) I still admired his writing and perspective.
Perhaps a bit selfishly my first thought, when my mom saw this on social media and said to me that Jim Wofford had died (she somehow saw it before I did) was “wait what am I gonna read in Practical Horseman now?”
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He was a very kind man as evidenced by his email response to me 22 years ago. I had decided I wanted to change trainers and figured his Fox Covert Farm was fairly close to my home so why not ask the great Jim Wofford? I emailed him that I was currently competing BN with my 6yo Welsh Cob/TB and would he consider accepting me as a student? He gently explained that he works with riders currently in training for 3-Day Events so I was a couple of seasons away from being comfortable in the program. He then went on to give suggestions of three local trainers, one of whom eventually got me to the 3 Day Event level. It took more than a couple seasons though. 
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Would those of you who knew him please be sure to thank the rest of the Wofford family for sharing him with us? I imagine that must have been tough at times.
Thank you for everything, Jimmy. I know Kilkenny and Carawich will meet you at the gate. Have a great ride.
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I’m so incredibly sorry to have learned of his passing, and also even sorrier that his passing wasn’t more peaceful (cancer). But a live truly well-lived.
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A great person and horseman. A huge loss to us all. Gutted to hear of his passing, though I did not know him personally.
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I didn’t realize he was unwell! I just finished his Training the 3 Day Event Horse and Rider book a few days ago. A true legend! Very sorry to hear of his loss and condolences to his friends/family.
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One of Wofford’s unforgotten columns:
"I made out a checklist of a few of the incredible number of things you can do with horses. I put most of them on the list based on personal experience, but a few of them are still out there in my future. I made a list like this a long time ago; I hope since then some of my repeat readers have checked a few more of them off their own personal list. I have checked a few more off my own list—guess which ones I have done and which I have yet to do.
Have You Ever … ?
• Led your horse down to the paddock at daybreak, stopped to watch the sunrise and said a prayer of thanks?
• Ridden your horse bareback with a halter?
• Gone swimming with your horse?
• Gotten back on a horse who has just bucked you off, even though you were scared?
• Jumped through a flaming hoop of fire?
• Slept with your horse in his stall … sober?
• Been run away with, put your hands down on his neck and felt him slow down?
• Escaped a forest fire by riding down out of the Rockies in a world lit only by starlight?
• Been the first person to ride a young horse?
• Held the pommel while your horse cut a cow out of the herd?
• Thrown a diamond hitch on a pack horse?
• Held the reins of a four-in-hand?
• Been hurt by a horse who meant to hurt you?
• Sat against a tree and read a paperback book while your horse grazed next to you?
• Taught a horse to jump?
• Delivered a foal?
• Sat up all night with a colic case?
• Picked out a stall in muck boots while wearing a formal or tuxedo?
• Galloped a race horse?
• Thought to yourself, This is really going to hurt , on your way down?
• Made a nervous horse calm?
• Jumped your own height on horseback?
• Ridden in a steeplechase race?
• Had a bad day at the office, said “the heck with it,” and gone for a hack instead of training your horse?
• Been the only human there when the foxhounds caught up with their fox?
• Ridden a horse above the timberline?
• Held the lead shank while the vet put your horse to sleep?
• Stopped for a moment to think about how lucky you are to be in a world that has horses in it?
Of these 28 experiences, a few are still in my future—at least, I hope so. Can you guess which they are?
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2020 issue."
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Held the shank when your vet…
That brings it all home. RIP Jimmy.
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This photo / article made me laugh because my little Ottb mare and I crossed that very river during the Myopia Hunter pace. When we were in the middle of the river on a narrow underwater raised path with water up to her knees, she decided the people on the other side were scary and she’d rather turn around and go back (that horse could turn on a dime) and we almost fell off the path into deep water. She quickly realized her mistake and figured it was easier to just go on toward the other bank.
But man, crossing that deep a river during an event, ha! Those were the times…lol
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Late but my condolences to all friends and family and riders who have interacted him like myself. Big hugs.
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Yeah I know exactly where that is. Took my mare (15 hands) through there many times when she was boarded nearby, but never when it was deep enough that she had to swim.
The hunter pace no longer uses the river crossing, which is kind of sad. Instead it uses the bridge on Mill Road, which IME is pretty scary as you’re way above the river. The few times I did it, I hopped off and led the mare across. She could be iffy about bridges but would follow me for a cookie.
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My mare hated that bridge! I always had to let my riding buddy go first. She loved water though, so water crossings were never an issue with her (well, the issue was to prevent her from rolling in it! haha)
Yes, it is sad that we don’t use the river crossing anymore.
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