The Year in Horses: 1983

1983

• In 1983, Horse Illustrated was acquired by Fancy
  Publications, later known as BowTie, Inc. Several changes were made to the
  magazine’s format, including moving from partial newsprint to all glossy pages.
  Other popular features remained in place, like the centerfold posters that our
  readers still love today. Also in 1983, Horse Illustrated increased production
  frequency from bi-monthly to monthly.

In the Pages of Horse Illustrated
In the March/April issue, we profiled an up-and-coming rider named Peter Wylde, who had just won the 1982 Maclay final at age 17. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because 21 years later he was at the top of the show jumping world as part of the 2004 gold medal winning team from the United States at the Athens Olympics. And we get to say we knew him way back when.

Helmets were a hot topic back in ’83 (sound familiar?) In September, we told readers about new proposals made at an American Horse Shows Association (AHSA, precursor to the United States Equestrian Federation) rules forum that would require junior riders to wear protective helmets with a chin strap while riding at hunter/jumper shows. Back then, there weren’t limitless styles of approved helmets to choose from. In fact, the ASTM/SEI certification that riders seek out today didn’t exist for equestrian helmets in 1983. The United States Pony Club had come up with a stamp of approval for helmets based on its own criteria, and the AHSA opted to use that as a starting point.

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