J. Michael Plumb
Equestrian

J.

Michael Plumb

Seven-time Olympian (1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1992); six-time Olympic medalist (2 golds, 4 silvers) Rome 1960 Tokyo 1964, silver (mixed three-day, team) Mexico City 1968, silver (mixed three-day, team) Munich 1972, silver (mixed three-day, individual) Montreal 1976, gold (mixed three-day event, team), silver (mixed three-day, individual) Los Angeles 1984, gold (mixed three-day event, team) Barcelona 1992

  • 2

    GOLD

  • 4

    SILVER

  • 0

    BRONZE

Athlete Bio#

J. Michael Plumb

Age

84

Hometown

Syosset, NY

Education

The Millbrook School (Millbrook, N.Y.) University of Delaware

Quick Facts
  • Son of Meem and Charles Plumb
  • Grandfather and parents were all horsemen
  • Began riding at the Meadow Brooks Hounds Pony Club
  • Played quarterback for his prep school football team
  • Was voted U.S. Combined Training Association Rider of the Year 10 times
  • Taught horseback riding and trained horses
  • Was named one of the 50 most influential horsemen of the 20th century by “Chronicle of the Horse”
  • Father of three sons, Hugh, Matt and Charlie
  • Son Charlie is a horseman and his other two sons are racecar drivers.

John Michael Plumb is a seven-time Olympian and six-time medalist in the equestrian sport of three-day eventing. Born in Islip, New York, Plumb was raised by parents who were both Equestrians, and he fell in love with the sport at a young age. In 1959, Plumb began his international competitive three-day event career at the Pan American Games in Chicago. He would go on to win three Pan American Games gold medals throughout his career. Beginning with his first Olympic Games in 1960, Plumb was selected to the U.S. team in every Games through 1984, and then again in 1992, becoming the U.S. Olympic athlete with the greatest number of appearances in any sport at the Games. He won his first Olympic medal at the Olympic Games Tokyo 1964 in team eventing, winning silver on a horse he had never previously ridden in competition. Plumb would win five more Olympic medals throughout his career, two gold and three silver, in team eventing and individual evening. After retiring from competitive eventing, Plumb was inducted into the U.S. Eventing Association Hall of Fame. He was also the first Equestrian inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.


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