Judge’s Spotlight: John French

For over two decades, John has consistently proven to be one of the most accomplished Hunter riders in the sport, winning the WCHR Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 the title of World Champion Hunter Rider four times.

Beyond his esteemed career in the show ring, John French has truly proven himself to be an exceptional horseman and trainer. That said, every win recounted is quickly followed by the name horse who accompanied him in his numerous achievements.

We are delighted to welcome John French to the 50^th Annual Menlo Charity Horse Show to serve as one of our Hunter & Equitation Judges. We caught up with John just a few months out from the show to see what he’s looking forward to most.

A: “I know it’s Menlo’s 50^th year, and I think in the 32 years I lived in California, there was only one year that I missed Menlo when I was showing in Europe. I’m excited to see the people I haven’t seen in a long time, Betsy will be there, so seeing old friends will be really special. I’ve attended Menlo as an exhibitor, a trainer, a sponsor, a rider, an owner, and I even sang the National Anthem one year, so to come back this year as a judge, I will have done all the different things at the show. And even though I don’t live on the West Coast, it just means a lot to me to be a part of Menlo, to be a part of the history of the show, because it’s one of the places where I started my career on the West Coast.“

A: “My first year that I went to Menlo, I won a Hunter Classic on a horse named Chesapeake owned by Pat Warren. That was my first time attending the show, everyone told me about Menlo and how special it was, and what a lovely horse show it is, and it really was. Every win is a big deal and sponsors come from the East Coast to the West to enjoy the boutique-style atmosphere at Menlo. Not to mention I had never been to the West Coast before, so that was special.”

Q: Where will you be traveling from to attend Menlo?

A: “I moved to the East Coast, so home a good part of the year is in Wellington, and I think we will base out of New York in the summer. I will be traveling back to the West Coast, actually, for the first time in a couple years to judge at Menlo.”

A: “I would say winning the inaugural International Hunter Derby finals in Lexington, Kentucky with the horse Rumba.”

Q: Who is one person you’re looking forward to seeing at Menlo this year?

A: “Betsy Glikbarg”

Q: How do you think that being a horseman makes you a better person?

A: “It makes you realize that there is a good part in every horse. Maybe not every horse is a superstar, but there is a special thing about every horse. I think it’s the same thing with people. You have to find that special thing that every person has, because everyone truly is special in one way or another.”

A: “An equine athlete – a horse with scope, and quality.“

We are thrilled to welcome John French back to the Menlo Charity Horse Show to celebrate 50 years of philanthropy and prestigious horse showing. Thank you to all who will be joining us. To learn more about John, visit his website at https://www.johnfrenchkpf.com/.