James C. Wofford Obituary

James C. “Jimmy” Wofford, a resident of Upperville, was one of the most renowned riders, sportsmen, writers, and raconteurs in the world. He passed away on February 2 after a protracted fight with cancer. He was 78.

As a rider, trainer, mentor, and horseman, Wofford had an immense impact on the equestrian communities in Fauquier, Virginia, the United States, and around the world. He was a respected member of the northern Fauquier community as well as the fishing community.

James C. Wofford Obituary

In Junction City, Kansas, James C. Wofford was born into an equestrian family. Col. John W. Wofford, the father of James Wofford, competed in show jumping for the American team at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles before passing away when James was ten years old. Col.

Wofford later worked as a show jumping and eventing instructor during the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952. At the first Olympics in which eventing was allowed to participants from the civilian world, Jeb Wofford, a 19-year-old who is the brother of James Wofford and the son of Col. Wofford, won a bronze medal. Col. Wofford, who also served as the team’s first president, formed the United States Equestrian Team.

On his well-known horse Kilkenny, Wofford competed in the Olympic Games in 1968 and 1972, earning team silver each time. He was also chosen for the 1980 Summer Olympics, but he did not participate since the Olympic Committee abstained from the games. He was one of 461 athletes to get a Congressional Gold Medal many years later.

Additionally, he competed for the US Eventing Team at the 1970 and 1978 World Championships in Punchestown, Ireland, where he and Kilkenny both received a bronze medal for an individual and a team effort.