EUGENE Robert MISCHE, Palmetto, Florida

President of Stadium Jumping, Inc.
President of Imperial Farms, Inc.
President of National Horse Show Association, Ltd.
Chairman of the American Grandprix Association
Chairman of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame
Board of Directors – Equestrian Aid Foundation
Past President of the Central Florida Hunter Jumper Association
Past President of Grand Prix Sales International
Founding President of the Wellington Equestrian Alliance
Held Licenses as a USEF Hunter & Jumper Judge
Past Chairman – USET Festival of Champions
Past Board of Director – Washington International Horse Show
Past Board of Director – United States Equestrian Team
Past Board of Director – United States Equestrian Federation
Member USEF Ad Hoc Representative Committee
Member USEF FEI Organizers Committee
Member USHJA Managers Committee
Past Chairman of the USEF Hunter Committee
Past Member of the USEF Jumper Committee
Past Member of the USEF Management Committee

History

1940’s-50’s Worked under Scotty Donaldson at the Southern Cavalry Armory Riding Academy in Ohio. Rider and teacher.

Graduated 1952 John Carroll University, BA in Business, attended Case Western as a law student. Worked for one year as an accountant.

Trainer & farm manager for Charlie Rohr in Ohio.

Late 50’s Started his own business; left Cleveland for West Palm Beach, FL with $26 & two horses.

1960 Trainer for CF Johnson’s Fairfield Farm in Fletcher, NC, South Florida and moved to a 2500 acre farm in Lake City, Florida. Mr. Johnson retired and the farm became a cattle ranch.

1964-65 Started managing shows in Lake City, Florida. As President of Central Florida Hunter Jumper Association began planning of the first winter show circuit. (Country Club Stables, South Miami, Winter Haven, Tampa Yacht Club and Lake City comprised the circuit in 1963 & 1964)

1965 With D. Jerry Baker conceptualized and promoted the first US Grand Prix titled the Cleveland Grand Prix held in Chargin Falls, OH which was won by Mary Mairs-Chapot.

1965-67 Moved to Parrish, FL and later built Imperial Farms in Palmetto, FL which was incorporated in 1969.

Gene owned and trained many world-famous mounts ridden by Steve Stephens, Rodney Jenkins, Jimmy Day and many others. Also stood Leading Sire: Setubal and Swap the Tune.

Hunters – Ninth Wave, Puddle Jumper, Let’s Dance (Horse of the Year 1st Year Green and Regular Working Hunter same year), Bow Mack (Horse of the Year Regular Working Hunter), Model Cadet, Nanicote, Touch the Sun (Green Working & Regular Working VA Hall of Fame), Hot Soup (Horse of the Year) sold to Francie Steinwedell and trained by Jimmy Williams.

Jumpers – Toy Soldier, Mighty Ruler who was sold to Jerry Baker and later ridden by Michael Matz, Houdini (won the 1971 American Gold Cup with Steve Stephens), Grande, and Sloopy ridden by Steve Stephens and Rodney Jenkins (won a Bronze Medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics with Neal Shapiro).

Owners included Patrick Butler, Eddie Bourbeau, Harry R. Gill, Mrs. R.J. Reynolds. Students included Michel Vallaincourt, Steve Stephens, Ronnie Beard, Lynn Little nee Cox.

1970 Organized with D Jerry Baker the American Gold Cup Grand Prix at the Metropolitan Park Polo Field, Chagrin Falls, OH

Steve Stephens takes over Imperial Farms as Gene begins to manage shows full time.

1971 SHOW MANAGER – Gene Mische began managing the Lake Placid Horse Show in New York for Mrs. Newberry

1971 - 72 Organized the American Gold Cup in Houlihan’s Stadium, Tampa, Florida. The first Grand Prix to be held in a major outdoor stadium in the US. In 1973 the American Gold Cup moved to Devon, PA.

1973 STADIUM JUMPING, INC. – Stadium Jumping, Inc. was formed in order to produce the American Invitational at Houlihan’s Stadium, Tampa, Florida.

1974 WINTER EQUESTRIAN FESTIVAL - Stadium Jumping, Inc. produced Florida horse shows in Ocala, Jacksonville, Palmetto, Tampa, and Winter Haven, originally termed the Florida's Sunshine Circuit renamed in 1974 to The Winter Equestrian Festival. Gene was the first organizer to run back to back horse shows held at the same venue. This innovative idea began the seasonal migration to Florida for horseman.

During this time Gene was interested in building a show grounds next to his farm in Palmetto, Florida. However the Board of Directors for Stadium Jumping, Inc. noted that it would be of a greater benefit in Tampa, Florida. Bob Thomas was able to persuade the Florida State Fair Authority to donate the land next to the Florida State Fair and by securing private funding built a state of the art equestrian center now known as the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center.

SHOWS OUTSIDE FLORIDA – Stadium Jumping, Inc. managed horse shows at Lake Placid Horse, NY, and CW Post College, Long Island, NY; and launched the South Hampton Horse Show, which later became The Hampton Classic.

1978 AMERICAN GRAND PRIX ASSOCIATION or AGA tour– Eugene Mische founded the AGA along with Frank Chapot, Leonard King, Larry Langer and Joshua Barney.
Gene related that after meeting with Gussie and August III Busch in St. Petersburg, FL about starting the American Invitational and a proposed Anheuser Busch sponsorship, August III made mention that while the American Invitational was a great idea he felt that Anheuser-Busch would be better represented on a national level. Gene then came up with the concept of a grand prix tour and presented it to the AHSA. The Association was very reluctant to endorse or even entertain the notion of a grand prix tour at first.

Stadium Jumping, Inc. then began publishing the magazine ‘Grand Prix’ which covered the majority of grand prix classes held in the United States at the time. The magazine included results and standings for riders and horses at each event with a year-end recap. Through this publication grew the AGA concept and the eventual publication of the AGA Media Guide by James Passant and Bud Stanner of IMG.

The AGA series was inspired by the rodeo circuit of the day and Gene met at the AHSA headquarters in New York with a representative of each Grand Prix, the AHSA and the USET; to form the AGA tour. Each event had a member representative, the AHSA had a member and the USET had a member on the Board.

Jay Hickey, now head of the American Horse Council in Washington DC, was responsible for the American Grand Prix Organizers Association which was formed at the same time to maintain the integrity of the grand prix events which would make up the American GrandPrix Association tour.

This very special tour included only the top 33 events in the US. Gene saw early the need for sponsors to heighten awareness of show jumping in the United States. He worked diligently to gain the corporate support of Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, Johnny Walker and Budweiser as sponsors for the AGA series

1979 PALM BEACH (WELLINGTON) - Stadium Jumping, Inc. held the first Grand Prix in WEST PALM BEACH (Wellington), FL, in front of the newly built Palm Beach Polo & Country Club polo stadium.

Anheuser-Busch became the first title sponsor of the American Invitational thanks to August Busch and Budweiser continues as a sponsor to this day thanks to the continued support by Elizabeth Busch Burke.

1970’s-80’s Effected changes to jumper classes by introducing the Open, Intermediate, Preliminary sections to replace the Green Jumper and Regular Open Jumper when the need arose when the leap from the green jumper class to the regular open jumper class became to great.

Introduced the first Hunter Classic in Lake Placid New York and also was the first organizer to use the Numerical Scoring System for that hunter classic.

Effected changes to what is now Adult and Children’s Hunter’s and Jumpers; was the first organizer to split sections and divisions by fence height. Introduced the Adult 3’3” hunter section and was first to split the Pre Green hunter by age.

1980 WORLD CUP FINAL – Gene, with Albert Hart, Frank Chapot, Jerry Baker, Leonard King, Bill Steinkraus, etc brought the first World Cup held in the United States to Baltimore, MD. (It was only the second World Cup ever held; the first one was in Goteborg, Sweden) Gene was able to convince the city of Baltimore to pay for it.

1980s EQUESTRIAN DISCIPLINE SUNSHINE STATE GAMES – Florida Sports Festival, Tampa, Florida.

Seeing the need for top-quality facilities, Gene worked to develop Tampa’s Bob Thomas Equestrian Center, and it was his vision and persistence that led to the creation of the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club.

1980s SHOWS OUTSIDE FLORIDA – Stadium Jumping, Inc. produced shows in Chagrin, OH (US first Grand Prix –1965), Lake Placid, NY, CW Post College, NY, Southampton, NY, Las Colinas Equestrian Center, Dallas, TX; Greater Southwest Equestrian Center, Houston, TX, Attitash, NH, Newport, RI, Ox Ridge, CT, Baltimore, MD, Charlotte, NC.

1984 Lake Placid Horse Show was the Final Olympic Observation Trial. Gene along with Bill Steinkraus and others made up the last Olympic Selection Committee of that type.

1985 Held the first AGA Team Jumping Championship at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall. This would become a year end championship for the AGA series and it was always started to prepare US riders for the 1989 World Cup Final that would also be held in the same venue.

1989 WORLD CUP FINAL– Stadium Jumping, Inc. produced the second Volvo World Cup Final ever held in the United States in Tampa, FL

1989 DRESSAGE - Stadium Jumping, Inc. produced the first dressage show in Wellington, FL.

1990 Began the AGA Year End Rider Bonus Pool. Payments made to riders for points earned during the annual AGA Tour.

1990 PALM BEACH POLO EQUESTRIAN CLUB – Stadium Jumping, Inc. opened the current show grounds in Wellington, FL.

1991 FESTIVAL OF CHAMPIONS – Gene Mische with the United States Equestrian Team in Gladstone, NJ, founded the Festival of Champions – the first multi-discipline event in the US. Gene was the first manager of the show and through it’s final year in 2003 its co-chairman.

1996 Stadium Jumping, Inc. managed the Olympic Selection Trials in Show Jumping and Dressage in Wellington, FL. Has held qualifying for Olympic, Pan American World Equestrian Games and the World Cup Final each year before and since 1984.

1998 Founded the Wellington Equestrian Alliance. The Alliance has been involved in a host of equestrian related issues that range from the creation of the Wellington Equestrian Preserve area to ensuring that the Village of Wellington codes and regulations help protect and enhance the equestrian community.

1999 As Chairman of the USEF Hunter Committee and at the urging of Geoff Teall and Louise Serio while looking for ways to highlight the hunter industry, Gene opted to devote an entire week of the Winter Equestrian Festival in support of hunters. This week became the WCHR Spectacular which featured the $50,000 AHJF Hunter Spectacular of Palm Beach.

2000 Inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame

2002 GRAND PRIX VILLAGE – Gene Mische as president of Stadium Jumping, purchased the exclusive barns-only community located next to the Winter Equestrian Festival show grounds in and has since sold two- and three-acre parcels on which new owners have built fabulous equestrian facilities.

2002 FEI Competitions – Stadium Jumping, Inc. produced the first outdoor Nations’ Cup in the United States. The US is allowed two Nations’ Cup per year, and the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club show grounds was selected to be the venue. Stadium Jumping, Inc. instilled in the US the first series of all FEI Grand Prix so that riders could maintain a more prominent place in the world ranking system which would lead to a resurgence of the United States in international competition. Gene also hosted the first FEI Children’s International Jumping Final held in the US. This was the year it was Gene’s goal to bring the ‘world’ to Wellington and he succeeded.

Gene also effected the change of classifying the Open, Intermediate & Preliminary jumper classes to 1.30m up to 1.50m in order to bring the US more in tune with the rest of the world.

2002 NATIONAL HORSE SHOW – Gene through his promotion of holding the AGA Championship at the National Horse Show since 1991 was asked to run the National in Madison Square Garden, NY before the Board decision was made to move it to Wellington, FL where it remained until 2008.

2003 COMMERCIAL SPACE – Stadium Jumping, Inc. purchased a 5-acre parcel on the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road in Wellington currently known as the Saddle Shops.

2005 American Hunter Jumper Foundation established the “Let’s Dance Trophy” to honor Gene for his support of the AHJF Hunter Classic Spectacular held during the Winter Equestrian Festival. The Spectacular is a major fundraising event for the Foundation.

2006 GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR – the Winter Equestrian Festival became the first leg of some of the world’s richest series of shows. Each leg of the tour is held in a different country and on a different continent.

Present Gene is very active in breeding hunters and jumpers at Imperial Farms in Palmetto, FL. His grand prix horses are ridden nationally and internationally by his grand nephew Michael R. Morrissey. In 2009 he received the USEF’s Jimmy Williams Lifetime Achievement Award.