Joe Fargis was inducted into The Show Jumping Hall of Fame at the Budweiser American Invitational in Tampa, Florida, April 4th.

Induction into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame is a great honor bestowed annually upon select individuals whose contribution to the sport has set them apart from others and whose influence has had a significant impact on the world of show jumping. The Election Committee is composed of some of the nation's top riders, trainers and officials.

Joe Fargis is best known for his double Gold Medal performance at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. There, riding 'Touch of Class,' he became only the second American show jumper to win an Olympic individual Gold Medal, while leading the U.S. to the team Gold as well. He rode 'Touch of Class' successfully over 90 of 91 obstacles, an Olympic record.

Four years later Fargis added a third Olympic medal when he rode 'Mill Pearl' and helped the U.S. win the team Silver at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, a Games at which he also placed seventh individually.

In all, Joe's incredible record of success both in the U.S. and abroad has spanned four full decades.

Joe Fargis first represented the U.S. in 1970 in Lucerne, Switzerland where he rode 'Bonte II' on the U.S.'s winning Nations' Cup team. Over the years, he rode on more than 30 Nations' Cup teams and was part of winning teams at many of the world's most significant horse shows including Aachen, Washington, New York, Calgary, Rome, and Cannes.

Fargis won the USA-East World Cup League twice and finished fourth in the 1989 World Cup Final in Tampa. He was the Leading International Rider at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden in 1987.

He was also a member of the Gold Medal team at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City and of the U.S.'s fourth place team at the 1990 World Championships held as part of the initial World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden.

Fargis's string of Grand Prix wins is equally impressive. He won such notable events as the American Gold Cup in Devon, PA; the Hickstead Grand Prix in England; the USET Wellington Cup; the Ox Ridge Grand Prix; the Grand Prix of Tampa; and the I Love New York Grand Prix in Lake Placid.

Continuing to compete well into his fifties, Fargis added more wins in the first decade of the new millennium including the I Love New York Grand Prix; the $175,000 Grand Prix of the United States at the Oaks Blenheim International CSI; and the $100,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix.

Respected and admired by the full spectrum of the show jumping world, Fargis continues to be a favorite at every event he attends.

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum at Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL was established in 1987 and formally opened in 1989. It was organized to promote the sport of show jumping and to immortalize the legends of the men, women and horses who have made great contributions to the sport.

Since 1987, the Show Jumping Hall of Fame has inducted William C. Steinkraus, Bertalan deNemethy, Idle Dice (1987); Patrick Butler, August A. Busch, Jr. (1988); David Kelly, Jimmy Williams, Ben O'Meara, Frances Row (1989); Arthur McCashin, Kathy Kusner, Brigadier General Harry D. Chamberlin, San Lucas (1990); Eleonora "Eleo" Sears, Mary Mairs Chapot, Barbara Worth Oakford, Snowman (1992); Dr. Robert C. Rost, Joe Green (1993); Frank Chapot, Gordon Wright (1994); Mickey Walsh, Trail Guide (1995); Pamela Carruthers, Jet Run, Richard "Dick" Donnelly, Heatherbloom (1996); Edward "Ned" King, Bobby Egan, Sun Beau (1997); Fred "Freddy" Wettach, Jr., Melanie Smith Taylor, Johnny Bell (1998); Rodney Jenkins, Sinjon, Franklin F. "Fuddy" Wing, Jr., Democrat (1999); George Morris, Carol Durand, Touch of Class (2000); Eugene R. Mische, Lt. Colonel John W. Russell, Bobby Burke, Untouchable (2001); Harry R. Gill, Clarence L. "Honey" Craven, Calypso, Gem Twist (2002); J. Russell Stewart, Sr., Main Spring (2003); Snowbound (2004); Michael Matz and For The Moment (2005); and Conrad Homfeld (2006).