Boyd Martin

Boyd Martin

Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Personal information
Born	(1979-08-20) August 20, 1979 (age 42)
Medal record Equestrian Representing the  United States Pan American Games 2015 Toronto Team eventing 2019 Lima Individual eventing 2019 Lima Team eventing

Boyd Martin (born August 20, 1979) is an American equestrian.^[1] Competing in eventing, he has participated at three Summer Olympics (in 2012, 2016, 2020).^[2]

Biography[]

Olympic three-day event rider Boyd Martin was born to Toy Dorgan, an American speedskater, and Ross Martin, an Australian cross-country skier. His parents met at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. Martin and his sister Brook were raised in Terrey Hills, New South Wales, on the outskirts of Sydney. Boyd started his riding career in Forrest Hills Pony Club, with a pony named Willy.^[3]

The day after he finished high school he moved into the bunkhouse at Heath and Rozzie Ryan's Newcastle Equestrian Centre,^[4] and stayed there for the next eight years, first as a working student and later running his own business. Heath Ryan imprinted hard work and horsemanship on Martin and was a huge influence on his early career. During this time Boyd represented Australia at the Young Rider level against New Zealand on a Trans-Tasman three-day event on Brady Bunch, and won the very last long-format four-star event at the 2003 Adelaide CCI4* riding True Blue Toozac. He was long listed for the Australian Eventing Team for the Summer Olympic in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

In 2006 Martin traveled to the US to compete at the Rolex Kentucky CCI4* riding Ying Yang Yo, and fell in love with eventing in the U.S. He then returned to Australia to liquidate most of his assets before he and his wife, Silva (née Stigler), moved to the U.S. in 2007 to pursue their dreams of competing internationally. They both walked away from a very successful business and lifestyle in Australia, starting over from the beginning to build a business in the United States.

For the first three years in the US, Martin worked as an assistant to Phillip Dutton,^[5][6] then in 2010 Silva and Boyd started their own business Windurra USA, LLC. They leased the upper barn from Dutton, running their business out the same farm. Dutton continued coaching and training Martin through this transition. Dutton became somewhat of a father figure to Martin in the United States and remains his coach and mentor.

Today the Martins own their own farm, Windurra USA in Cochranville, Pennsylvania. Located in Cheshire County and adjacent to the 3,000-acre Runnymede Sanctuary, the Windurra facilities include jumping and dressage arenas and a galloping track, all featuring all-weather footing, and a newly constructed indoor arena. The extensive cross-country schooling course designed and built by Eric Bull includes beginner novice through four-star elements. During the winter Boyd and Silva are based at Stable View Farm in Aiken, South Carolina and Silva also travels to Wellington, Florida to train and compete.

As the son of an American citizen, Martin has always enjoyed dual citizenship, and in 2009 he officially began representing the United States in international competition. He was the top-placed US rider (10th) at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky riding Neville Bardos; top US rider (7th place) at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France riding Shamwari; and was a member of the US Olympic Eventing Team in London in 2012 riding Otis Barbotiere. In 2015 he placed 4th individually and was a member of the gold medal winning US team at the Pan American Games in Toronto riding Pancho Villa. In the following year Boyd competed at his second Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil riding the off-the-track Thoroughbred gelding Blackfoot Mystery. He placed 16th individually and thus was the second best US-rider, behind Dutton who won a bronze medal.

As of 2021, he has competed in three Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016, London 2012), two World Equestrian Games (Tryon 2018, Normandy 2014), two Pan American Games (Lima 2019, Toronto 2015), and has made appearances on numerous Nations Cup teams for the US. Throughout his CCI5* career, Boyd is one of the only riders to have competed at every CCI5* competition in the world. He most recently finished 4th aboard On Cue at the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Eventing CCI5*-L presented by MARS Equestrian before finishing inside the top twenty aboard Tsetserleg at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Martin is the reigning CCI4*-L National Champion after taking top honors with Tsetserleg in 2020. Most recently, Martin etched his name into history at the Maryland 5 Star CCI5*-L, taking the first-ever win at the event with On Cue.

German-born dressage rider Silva Martin obtained US citizenship in 2010 and competed on her first US Team at the Nations Cup in Wellington, Florida in February, 2014 riding Rosa Cha W, helping to bring home a team gold medal. She also operates a separate business under the same banner at Windurra USA. She specializes in training dressage horses and coaches a number of high level eventing and dressage riders.

Martin purchased his best-known horse, Neville Bardos, for $850; Neville had been rescued from the racetrack by another trainer and declared 'no good' as a jumper.^[7] After overcoming great adversity including a devastating barn fire at True Prospect Farm in 2011, and the deaths of his father and father-in-law shortly after the fire, Martin and Neville made an amazing comeback to finish 7th at the Burghley CCI4* (England), one of the toughest three-events in the world. Martin finished 2011 ranked 8th on the HSBC World Rankings, Neville Bardos was named the 2011 International Horse of the Year by the USEF, and The Chronicle of the Horse named Martin its 2011 Overall Rider of the Year. They were featured on Rock Center with Brian Williams on NBC Television, the cover page of the New York Times,^[8] and were the subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning feature in Sports Illustrated magazine.

Martin has enjoyed much international competitive success, finishing in the top ten at every CCI5* in the world except Badminton (England): Rolex Kentucky CCI5* (USA); Pau CCI5* (France); Luhmuhlen CCI5* (Germany); and Burghley CCI5* (England). He has trained and competed a long list of CCI5* horses including Flying Doctor, Brady Bunch, X-Treme, Starkey, Orchard End Winston, True Blue Toozac, Ying Yang Yo, Neville Bardos, Rock on Rose, Remington XXV, Otis Barbotiere, Trading Aces, Shamwari IV, Crackerjack, Master Frisky, Steady Eddie, Welcome Shadow, Blackfoot Mystery, On Cue, and Tsetserleg.

Martin competes nearly every weekend and coaches a long list of successful riders. He is a sought-after clinician and in the off-season can be found teaching around the United States.

Working hard behind the scenes is a dedicated support team: farriers Doug Neilson and Steve Teichman, and veterinarian Dr. Kevin Keane, DVM, assistant rider Mike Pendleton, and barn manager and head groom Steph Simpson. Martin usually employs 5-8 people to work with the horses, often younger working students who are eager to develop their skills for the higher levels. He has successfully syndicated multiple upper level event horses and has a devoted group of horse owners involved in his horses' careers.

In addition to training with Phillip Dutton, Martin receives coaching in dressage with his wife Silva as well as dressage trainer Scott Hassler, show jumper Peter Wylde, Richard Picken, and regularly works with US Eventing Team Coach Erik Duvander.

His current sponsors include Ariat, Attwood Equestrian Surfaces , Charles Owen, Majyk Equipe Boots, Purina, Smartpak Equine,Lubrisyn HA,Bemer, and Stübben Custom Saddlery. Boyd is an ambassador to the equine welfare charity BrookeUSA.

In 2015 Martin was ranked 3rd in the FEI World Eventing Athlete Rankings and is currently ranked 9th. In order to view Boyd's most up to date results, please link to US Eventing.

Outside of equestrianism, Boyd is a fan of boxing.^[9]

CCI5* results[]

Results
Event	Kentucky		Badminton	Luhmühlen	Burghley	Pau	Adelaide
2000							5th (Flying Doctor)
2001							17th (Flying Doctor) 18th (Starkey)
2002							5th (X-Treme)
2003							(True Blue Toozac) 18th (Brady Bunch)
2004	Did not participate
2005							8th (Orchard End Winston)
2006	11th (Ying-Yang-Yo)
2007	Did not participate
2008	9th (Neville Bardos) RET (Ying-Yang-Yo)
2009	Did not participate
2010	4th (Neville Bardos) 11th (Rock On Rose) 12th (Remington XXV)				7th (Remington XXV)
2011	9th (Remington XXV)			7th (Neville Bardos)
2012	(Otis Barbotiere) 8th (Remington XXV)		RET (Ying-Yang-Yo)
2013	RET (Trading Aces)
2014			(Shamwari) 15th (Otis Barbotiere)
2015	7th (Master Frisky) 25th (Cracker Jack)
2016	6th (Blackfoot Mystery) 12th (Shamwari) 42nd (Steady Eddie) EL (Cracker Jack)		10th (Cracker Jack)		13th (Welcome Shadow) EL (Cracker Jack)
2017	7th (Cracker Jack) EL (Steady Eddie)			10th (Steady Eddie) RET (Cracker Jack)
2018	11th (Tsetserleg) RET (Steady Eddie)		WD (Shamwari)
2019	(Tsetserleg)
2021	4th (On Cue)	(On Cue)
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

International Championship Results[]

Results
Year	Event	Horse	Placing	Notes
2010	World Equestrian Games	Neville Bardos	4th	Team
			10th	Individual
2012	Olympic Games	Otis Barbotiere	7th	Team
			RET	Individual
2014	World Equestrian Games	Shamwari 4	10th	Team
			7th	Individual
2015	Pan American Games	Pancho Villa		Team
			4th	Individual
2016	Olympic Games	Blackfoot Mystery	6th	Team
			16th	Individual
2018	World Equestrian Games	Tsetserleg	8th	Team
			56th	Individual
2019	Pan American Games	Tsetserleg		Team
				Individual
2021	Olympic Games	Tsetserleg	6th	Team
			20th	Individual		EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

References[]

External links[]

• Boyd Martin (and here) at FEI