44 SIDELINES AUGUST 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Continued on page 46
e
Sheer Will and Determination
The Story of Eventer KimWalnes and Her Extraordinary Horse
The Gray Goose
By Doris Degner-Foster
I
t seems like an impossible story: A young housewife in the
1970s with two small children had a dream of riding her horse
over the highest cross-country jumps as a member of the
U.S. team in the Eventing World Championships. However, her
riding instruction was extremely limited, she lived at least a four-
hour drive from any eventing competition and she had a horse that
regularly dumped her in the dirt. As if that weren’t enough, she
had a deep seated fear of jumping, and the cross-country jumps
were a maximum height of 3 feet 11 inches, ridden at top speed,
with a drop or landing point of up to 6 feet!
Kim Walnes turned the impossible into the possible and
did
ride
as a member of the team, winning third place — two bronze med-
als, individually and as a member of the U.S. Eventing Team in
the 1982 World Championships.
How did she do it?
“I had two mottos, Kim said:
‘Where there’s a will there’s a way!’
and
‘Why can’t you have your cake and eat it too?’”
It was her way
Kim and Gideon Goodheart, who is related to The Gray Goose.
Photo by Helene Gallagher
Kim and The Gray Goose at the Luhmuhlen World
Championships in 1982. They won individual and team
bronze medals. Gray was the only horse from the
United States to bring home an individual medal.
Photo by Mary Phelps
