Colin Thompson
Colin Thompson was one of our finest horsemen and showmen. He was self-taught mastering showjumping, campdrafting, jumping in pairs, trios and fours and judging. Some claimed his riding technique was faultless.
Colin Thompson was born at Killarney Queensland in 1906. From a young age he was an accomplished rider and at 12 won his first juvenile campdrafting event at Tenterfield. Through the 1920s and 1930s he was well known in novelty horse events. He competed at the Warwick Rodeo for the first time in 1930 and won two events and came second in two more. Colin Thompson’s success in hunting events - the forerunner of showjumping - was legendary. In the 1940s and early 50s Colin and his wife May, also a Hall of Fame inductee, were consistently successful winning the prestigious Interstate Challenge Cup at the Royal Sydney Show in 1949.
Colin declined an invitation to compete at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 because of commitments at home and turned his attention to campdrafting. He went on to win the coveted Warwick Gold Cup in 1953, 1955 and 1956. He also gave demonstrations of the sport to the Queen Mother in 1958 and Princess Alexandra in 1959.
At the 1953 Brisbane Royal Show Colin Thompson, his wife May and their three children all won Champion Rider awards.
Colin Thompson was an outstanding horseman and sportsman showing that dignity and modesty were compatible with competitiveness and success. Colin Thompson died in 1994.