Tim Grubb 1954-2010
RELEASE: May 13, 2010
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Leah Oliveto
On Tuesday, the international show jumping community lost an icon when legendary jumping rider Tim Grubb passed away. Grubb, who was 55, suffered from congestive heart failure and passed surrounded by his family in Illinois. It is a sad end to the life of a celebrated equestrian who represented both Great Britain and then the United States in multiple Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games and countless international grand prix.
Grubb, a native of Leicestershire, England, helped Britain win the team Silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games aboard famed mount Linky with teammates John and Michael Whitaker and Steven Smith. Grubb also represented Great Britain at the 1980 Rotterdam Alternate Olympics, where the team took home a Silver medal, and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
In 1978, Grubb married US show jumper Michele McEvoy, and began riding for the United States in 1994. Grubb won almost every major grand prix in the US including the American Invitational, the Devon and Hampton Grand Prix and the largest purse in the US at that time the $250,000 HITS Grand Prix of the Desert.
In 1993, after winning five major grand prix together Grubb and Hanoverian gelding Elan Denizen were named both AGA Rider of the Year and AGA Horse of the Year. Grubb was on the US team with Denizen at the 1994 World Equestrian Games in The Hague, The Netherlands. In addition, he rode on Nations Cup teams for the US in 1999 at CSIO Rotterdam, CSIO Dublin and the Samsung Nations Cup Final in Gijon, Spain.
Grubb made his home in California where he ran Tim Grubb Training and Sales, which focused primarily on retraining and developing horses. He is survived by his children Christopher and Dottie.
ENDS