Thomas Franklin "Tom" Gayford (born November 21, 1928) is a retired

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

equestrian. He was educated at the University of Toronto Schools. He competed at the 1952 and 1960 Olympics in the individual and team three-day events, but failed to finish. At the 1968 Olympics he won a gold medal in

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrianism, equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, Show hunter, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including th ...

with the Canadian team. Gayford is the son of Gordon Gayford, who competed internationally in horse riding. He was a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team for

from the late 1940s through the early 1970s, winning team gold medals at the 1968 Olympics, 1970 World Championships and 1971 Pan American Games, and placing third at the 1967 Pan American Games. He also won a team gold medal in the three-day event at the 1959 Pan American Games. Individually he won the New York International Horse Show three times. Gayford retired before the 1972 Olympics to become an equestrian coach, judge, and course designer. He designed the jumping course at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

in Montreal, and headed the Canadian national jumping team from 1978 through 1996. He was inducted into the

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...

in 1968 and to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1971.Tom Gayford
sports-reference.com

References

External links

Portrait of Thomas Gayford in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame archivePhoto of Gayford riding in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gayford, Haley Living people Canadian male equestrians 1928 births Sportspeople from Toronto Olympic equestrians for Canada Equestrians at the 1952 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1960 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1968 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Canada Olympic medalists in equestrian Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics Pan American Games medalists in equestrian Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada Competitors at the 1959 Pan American Games Equestrians at the 1967 Pan American Games Equestrians at the 1971 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1967 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1971 Pan American Games 20th-century Canadian people 21st-century Canadian people