Jim Rice: The Measure of a Man
Originally published in Horse Directory July,
2013
By Tom Gumbrecht
Jimmy Rice was my onetime trainer, and
my friend. His bio states that he was the first junior rider in history to win
twenty USET medals. He trained with the legendary Jack LeGoff and the USET in
Gladstone, riding in such acclaimed venues as Madison
Square Garden,
Philadelphia Spectrum, and Harrisburg, in a successful hunter/ jumper show
career.
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| Jim Rice in the prime of his show career. |
His training career was an illustrious
one as well. Jim trained many winning horses and riders to the highest levels
of competition, as well as being a respected horse show judge and the manager
of the Hunters Isle and Winner’s Circle USEF- licensed horse show series.
Jim Rice was one who gave back to his
sport, volunteering his time in local as well as national equestrian
organizations. He received many honors, which included the 2011 Hampton Classic
Horseman of the Year and the USHJA President’s Distinguished Service Award the
same year. He was an accomplished professional.
But that’s not the man I knew.
In 1999 I was a fledgling adult
student who had been forced to leave his comfort zone. I had begun riding at my
first barn (a stable around the corner from Red Barn) a year earlier, and had
become acclimated to the trainer, the horses and the other riders there. After
my first year, the farm was sold; trainer, riders and horses all went their
separate ways and I thought my “equestrian” life was over. Then I met Jim Rice.
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| A tough man who lived by a code of kindness |
The first thing I noticed about Jim
was that I was getting something I wasn’t used to, as a rank beginner, getting
from trainers: respect. Jim didn’t feel the need to focus on or point out my
myriad shortcomings as a rider. Instead, he searched for the positive and used
that as a base from which to proceed. I was not at all accomplished, and
frequently not even coordinated. I had, though, developed a secure enough seat
that I could stay with a fresh horse, and I had found within myself a love of
horses that carried me through many of the frustrations that an older rider
faces. Lastly, I was dedicated. I always suited up, and I always showed up, no
matter what. That was the sum total of my qualities as a horseman.
For Jim, that was enough. Wherever I
was in my training level was fine; we worked from there, upward. Jim inherently
realized that an adult rider faces different challenges, one of which is ego.
Many adult riding students have positions with a high level of expertise
outside the riding arena. In learning horsemanship, we have to begin by being
bad at what we do, and that can be tough on the ego. Jim knew that, and his own
ego was small enough that he never felt the need to make himself appear better
by demeaning his student. I was an
inexperienced, overweight, sometimes fearful rider with two left feet. All I wanted to do was ride horses, and
perhaps one day jump one over a crossrail. That was my goal.
Jimmy combated my frustration with his
kindness. He gave me respect I hadn’t earned, and instilled in me a confidence
I didn’t deserve. He got me over that crossrail, and then a vertical, and
eventually a whole jumper course. More
importantly, he set the standard by which I would judge all future trainers.
Some years later, when I had my own
barn and had done a long stint as a horse show
dad, I started training again
with young trainer Laura Ruben who had adopted, perhaps unconsciously, many of
Jim’s training methods and way of being. One of my most treasured moments as a
horseman was when we competed at Hunter’s Isle one Sunday, and we managed to
get around just a little quicker than the others in the jumper ring. We were
handed a ribbon and it was blue. Jimmy happened to be at his frequent post
outside the show secretary’s office, and caught a glimpse. He stopped his busy
horse show manager’s activity for just a moment and looked right at me. His
eyes lit up and a smile cracked; he said nothing because he didn’t have to. His
eyes said it all.
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| Laura Ruben guides CarynEve Murray down the road Jim Rice paved with the perfect balance of toughness and kindness. |
Laura’s reflections on Jim’s passing:
“As I was on my way to mourn the loss of one of the best
people I ever had the privilege of knowing, I kept replaying how we met in my
head. We had just moved to Red Barn and I was extremely intimidated by the big,
quiet man that sat on the same spot on the fence and drank Diet Coke no matter
of the time, with his adorable dog beside him. It took a week or so and I
finally decided he wasn't so intimidating after all and shortly after I
realized that this man was someone who would impact me for life. From Roxy
sitting to job references, JR (as I always called him) taught me what it really
meant to be kind for no reason other than to be kind, respect, to work for what
you want, and how to handle those who cannot communicate with words. He always
told me "to toughen up" and he lived out those very words until the
end. JR you will continue to shine through all the lives that you have truly
touched and we are all incredibly blessed to have had you as a part of our
lives.”
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| A proud moment for the author: Winning our first blue at Hunters Isle with Jim Rice smiling his approval. |
On
the afternoon of the day that Jimmy Rice was laid to rest, a friend and fellow
adult student was taking a guest lesson at our barn with Laura. The lesson
proved to be a challenging one, taking her just outside of her comfort zone.
With just the perfect blend of toughness and kindness, horse and rider were
coached into sailing over the barriers, both the physical ones as well as the
sometimes tougher mental ones. It was a “light bulb” experience for the rider,
and that was all the evidence I needed to be aware that Jimmy Rice lives on
through his influence on the lives he had touched.
JR, your kindness is truly immortal.
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