Unrelenting: The Real Story: Horses, Bright Lights and My Pursuit of Excellence

by George H Morris, Karen Robertson Terry (With)

Overview

If there is one name in the American equestrian story that everyone knows, it is George Morris.

A horse lover, rider, carouser, competitor, taskmaster, dreamer, teacher, and visionary, George Morris has been ever-present on the rarified stage of the international riding elite for most of the 70 years he’s been in the saddle. He has represented our country as an athlete and a coach and, at one time or another, instructed many of our nation’s best horsemen and women. His carefully chosen, perfectly enunciated words are notoriously powerful. They can raise you up or cut you to the quick. His approval can be a rainmaker; his derision can end a career.

But as much as people know and respect (or, perhaps, fear) the public face of George Morris, he has lived, in other ways, a remarkably private life, keeping his own personal struggles with insecurity, with ambition, and with love behind closed doors. It is only now that he has chosen, in his own words, to share the totality of his life—the very public and the incredibly private—with the world. This engrossing autobiography, the real story of the godlike George Morris, beautifully demonstrates his ultimate humanity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570767104
Publisher:	Trafalgar Square
Publication date:	03/22/2016
Pages:	560
Sales rank:	1,126,382
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

George H. Morris is an American trainer and judge of horses and riders in the hunter/jumper disciplines, and is considered a “founding father” of Hunt Seat Equitation. Morris began riding as a child. In 1952, at the remarkably young age of 14, he won the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Finals and AHSA Hunt Seat Equitation Medal Final at Madison Square Garden, making him the youngest rider to do so. He went on to train numerous riders at his Hunterdon Stables (located in Flemington, NJ), who won consistently on the East Coast.

Morris has represented the United States in many international competitions as both a rider and coach. In 1959 his team won the gold medal in the Pan American Games and he won a team silver medal and placed fourth individually at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Morris rode on eight winning Nations Cup teams between 1958 and 1960. Morris’ students have medaled in the 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Games. Morris has acted as chef d’equipe for numerous winning teams, including the 2005 champions of the Samsung Super League, the gold medal team at the 2008 Hong Kong Olympic Games, and numerous team and individual medals in the World Equestrian Games and Pan American Games.

Morris' Hunter Seat Equitation, originally published in 1971 and now in its third edition, is often recognized as the definitive work on the subject, including George Morris Teaches Beginners to Ride, A Clinic for Instructors, Parents, and Students, The American Jumping Style, Because Every Round Counts, and Classical Riding with George H. Morris. Morris also writes a very popular column in the monthly equestrian magazine Practical Horseman, entitled “Jumping Clinic,” in which he critiques the jumping positions of photos which have been submitted by readers.

Mr. Morris resides in the heart of the USA show jumping scene in Wellington, Florida.

Karen Robertson Terry is a freelance writer and regulatory affairs manager in the pharmaceutical industry. After growing up riding and showing on the east coast and outside Chicago, Karen spent several years in New York City which, among other things, taught her how much she needed horses in her life. She now resides in Bend, Oregon and continues to ride and show in the jumpers, with the occasional trail ride in the Cascade Mountains.

Table of Contents

Foreword Chris Kappler xi

Preface xv

Chapter 1 The 1940s - My Good Fortune 1

I The Foundation 1

II Horses as Salvation 10

Chapter 2 The 1950s - Ascendancy 23

I Madison Square Garden 23

II Making History 34

III Road to the Jumpers 46

IV The 1956 Olympic Trials 52

V The University of Virginia 58

VI Wearing the Jacket 69

VII My First European Tour 76

Chapter 3 The 1960s - My Path of Discovery 95

I When in Rome 95

II The Other Fish 102

III Back to the Horses 112

IV Going It Alone 119

V A Professional Reputation 127

VI Prodigy 134

VII Moving on to Millbrook 140

VIII Burning the Candle at Both Ends 146

Chapter 4 The 1970s - The Golden Decade 165

I A Transition Year 165

II The Rise of Hunterdon 169

III Hitting the Sweet Spot 177

IV The Hunterdon Dream Team 196

V A Return to Europe 203

VI The Jones Boy 209

VII Back to the Jumpers 215

VIII Error in Judgment 222

IX The World Cup Finals Begin 232

Chapter 5 The 1980s - Jumper Renaissance 237

I A Renewed Focus 237

II Winning Ways 249

III Adventures in Horse Shopping 257

IV American Domination 264

V Thrills and Spills in Europe 270

VI Ups and Downs 280

VII The Hickstead Hedge 289

VIII The Seoul Olympics 299

Chapter 6 The 1990s - The Evolution of a Leader 307

I The First World Equestrian Games 307

II The Fine Line Between Careful and Chicken 315

III The World Catches Up to the Americans 328

IV Atlanta Olympic Games 337

Chapter 7 The 2000s - A New Millennium 347

I Down Under 347

II Horse of a Lifetime 351

III Star-Crossed Champion 359

IV For the Good of the Sport 366

V Hanky Panky 373

VI Hong Kong Hijinks 380

VII Political Thriller 387

VIII Uneasy Lies the Head That Wears the Crown 398

IX The Last Quadrennial 402

X Coming Full Circle 410

Appendices 419

I AHSA Medal & ASPCA Maclay Champions 1950-1980 419

II Olympic Games US. Show Jumping Medalists 1956-2012 420

III World Championships/World Equestrian Games U.S. Show Jumping Medalists 1956-2014 421

IV Pan American Games U.S. Show Jumping Medalists 1959-2015 422

V FEI World Cup Finals: Top Results for North American Show Jumping 1979-2015 423

Index 425

Editorial Reviews

Enlightening and inspiring. And insight into [Morris’s] human failings—his struggles and doubts and worries—made for a much more complete picture of him than has ever been painted. … An unprecedented look into the life of a legend.”—The Chronicle of the Horse

“Raw and real…well-written, thoughtful, and very thorough…So what are you waiting for?”—The Legal Equestrian

“Unrelenting lets you in on the beauty behind the beast.”—Equine Journal

“…there’s a description in the book that says ‘the god like George Morris,’ and in the horse world he is God like and it’s also a parody of himself but he’s also still doing it, it’s not like we’re talking about someone from twenty years ago, this is a guy who is still out there coaching…it’s amazing.”—Horse Radio Network

“There are myriad old timey pictures and reading this book is a history lesson on horse showing in the United States. You can’t go wrong with this book, and George’s exploits will hold your interest for 560 pages.”— Saddle Seeks Horse

“This book is a must read for any serious student of the horse…A dedicated horseman who continues to serve and influence at an age where many are happy to hang up their boots.”—St. Andrews Equestrian

“Morris’ surprising candor shows us, at long last, all that has gone into the making of the man who is the most recognizable figure in the equestrian world.”—Equisearch

“Over the course of a book which describes in detail 70+ years of an extremely full career, the reader is pushed and pulled by the stories we know, the George Morris stereotypes we’ve all come to expect, and the sometimes thrilling and unexpected revelations he makes about himself and others. … [Hunter Seat Equitation and Unrelenting] are the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of perfection in our sport, and this story of one man’s life will leave the reader deeply motivated to follow suit.”—Horse Nation

“This compelling portrait of one of America’s most renowned horsemen will appeal to anyone who is entranced with the horse-show circuit and high-society culture. Even readers who are less familiar with horses may enjoy the glimpse into life with the rich and famous.”—Library Journal

“Knowing George is watching gives me a little bit of an edge. It’s the immense respect I have for him.”—Georgina Bloomberg, Team Bronze Medal, 2015 Pan American Games

“A lot of people know George for his bark and they take him so seriously, but he has such a keen sense of humor and wit. Most people have never been around him like I have. I feel honored to have a friendship with him.”—Buck Brannaman, World-Renowned Horseman and Star of the Award-Winning Documentary BUCK

“George was a no-nonsense individual who shot from the hip and I liked that. What you saw was what you got.”—Tab Hunter, Film and Television Star

“One of the few remaining, working teachers with true, in-depth knowledge of the great figures of the past…as well as the rising stars of the equestrian world’s future.”—Chris Kappler, Individual Silver and Team Gold Medalist, 2004 Olympics

“George helps you figure out how to be your absolute best. For him, there is no other way to be in life.”—Anne Kursinski, Five-Time Olympian and Two-Time Silver Medalist

"George is such a competitor. When we’re with George on a team, we are there to win."—Kent Farrington, Team Gold Medal, 2011 Pan American Games

"No matter what your endeavor might be, George fuels you to commit and keep high standards and be a winner."—John Madden, Owner, John Madden Sales

"Truly, George has much wisdom to offer and one would be daft to not listen to what he has to say."—Mark Phillips, Team Gold Medal, 1972 Olympics, Former Chef d'Equipe US Eventing Team

“In Unrelenting, [George Morris] reveals both the vulnerability and the strength that made him into the icon he is today. It is perhaps his bravest move yet.”—Street to Stable

“In this excerpt from Unrelenting by George Morris, he shares his reasons for retiring as Chef d'Equipe of the US Show Jumping Team, and his feelings about the state of the sport.”—Jumper Nation

“For a man widely known for his curmudgeonly sounding quips, he's more approachable and generous with his time than most. And there's nothing off limits for discussion.” —HorseNetwork.com

From the Publisher

02/15/2016
Morris is a legend in the world of equestrian show jumping, having been involved with the sport for nearly 70 years as a competitor, then teacher, coach, mentor, and judge. He is the author of several books and two DVDs on equitation. Notorious for his wild ways during his youth and later for his insistence on perfection from his students, Morris is surprisingly humble here, well aware that his privileged childhood gave him the opportunity to pursue his love of horses and riding. This autobiography reveals a side of Morris that most have never seen and chronicles his journey to becoming an internationally respected leader and teacher. Naturally a private person, he here shares the struggles that have shaped his life. Upon completion of the book, readers will feel that they know him on an intimate level. VERDICT This compelling portrait of one of America's most renowned horsemen will appeal to anyone who is entranced with the horse-show circuit and high-society culture. Even readers who are less familiar with horses may enjoy the glimpse into life with the rich and famous.—Deborah Emerson, Central New York Lib. Resources Council, Syracuse

Library Journal