Jack le Goff
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| Born | April 8, 1931 Alençon, Orne, France |
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| Died | July 24, 2009 (aged 78) Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France |
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Louis Jean "Jack" Le Goff (April 8, 1931 in Alençon, Orne, France – July 24, 2009 in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France) was a French equestrian, best known as the coach of the American three-day eventing team from 1970 to 1984. He coached the team to multiple international championships, winning 18 international medals, including several in the Olympics. Le Goff is known for having a large impact on the American eventing world, and the era in which he coached has been called the golden era for American equestrianism.
Prior to becoming an American coach, Le Goff served in the French Army and competed in three-day eventing for France. He rode in the 1960 Summer Olympics, winning a team bronze medal, and the 1964 Summer Olympics, where he did not win a medal. He subsequently acted as the coach for the French national team, winning multiple regional and international medals. After retiring as the American coach, he acted as a consultant to the United States Equestrian Team (USET) for finding new riders, helped to coach the Canadian national team, and served as the director for the USET Training Center. He also served the Federation Equestre Internationale as an eventing judge, committee member and Olympic appeals judge.
Born in 1931, Le Goff's father was a French cavalry officer. Jack began riding early, and during his teenage years competed as a steeplechase jockey, as well as showing in dressage, showjumping, and eventing. At the age of seventeen, after the death of his father, Le Goff joined the French military and began riding for Cadre Noir, the national riding academy. After his training, he became a riding master at the school. He remained in this position for a decade. As a French soldier he fought in the Algerian War after his appearance in the 1960 Olympic Games. Le Goff competed in two Olympic Games, in 1960 and 1964. In 1960, at the Roma Games, he finished sixth individually and helped the French team to a bronze medal. At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he finished twenty-third individually, while the French team came in eighth. He was also the French national eventing champion in 1956 and 1964. In the US he had a long-time companion named Susan Smith, and at his death was survived by her, as well as five children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
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