And American one dollar bill is exhibited today in the Olympic Museum of the International Equestrian Federationin Lausanne. It is not notable for its age or its state of conservation. Its interest lies in the journey it had for almost five decades: It was present in three Olympic Show Jumping finals and the three riders who carried it ended up winning the gold medal..
The first to wear it was William Steinkraus in Mexico 1968. He won individual gold and was the first American rider to achieve that title. The ticket was part of his competition habits. He kept it folded in his jacket pocket when he went out on the track. It was not a public gesture nor did it seek notoriety.
Twenty years later, the dollar reappeared in Seoul 1988. Steinkraus gave it to the Frenchman Pierre Durand before the decisive test. Durand, riding “Jappeloup”, had a perfect performance in the second heat and took the individual gold and the team bronze. The ticket then changed hands as a private gesture between two riders who shared an international circuit.
The third chapter arrived in Athens 2004. Durand remembered the ticket and decided to give it to the Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa before the individual final. Pierre Durand and the Pessoa family have always had a close friendship and the Frenchman supported the Brazilian by giving him his amulet. Pessoa completed the competition without knockdowns in the decisive events and also won gold.
Olympic Show Jumping has changed since the late sixties of the last century. Regulations, classification systems and the technical preparation of horses and riders have evolved. What remains is the demand for an individual final, where every step counts and a knockdown decides a medal. And in that context, many athletes maintain personal routines that help them concentrate.
After Athens, the protagonists accepted that the banknote became part of the historical heritage of the International Equestrian Federation. Since then it has been kept framed in the FEI Olympic Museum in Lausanne, accompanied by an explanation of his career. It shares space with trophies, photographs and equipment that summarize different stages of Olympic Show Jumping.
