Popular eventing course designer and official Roger Haller died March 30 from cancer. He was 70.
A lifelong horseman, Haller grew up in New Jersey and was riding at the U.S. Equestrian Team’s headquarters in Gladstone, N.J., by the time he was 17. By his early 20s he was serving the sport in several capacities, including as the U.S. Combined Training Association’s Area II chairman and on the boards of the USCTA, the U.S. Pony Clubs and the American Horse Shows Association’s events committee.
Haller was an accomplished rider to the advanced level, and he was shortlisted for the 1974 World Eventing Championships (Great Britain) with Golden Griffin, who was later sold to Bruce Davidson.
Haller made his mark as a course designer and official after his riding career was over. He earned his judging and technical delegate licenses in 1968, encouraged by his mentor, Col. Donald Thackeray.
Haller also designed and ran events at his family’s Hoopstick Farm in Bedminster, N.J., which became the site of the Essex Horse Trials in 1968.
He designed at the 1978 World Championships in Lexington, Ky., and helped shape the Kentucky Horse Park into what it is today. He designed the cross-country course at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and officiated in 46 states and 14 countries, including four of the world’s six four-stars.
Inspired by another mentor, Jack Fritz, Haller became involved with the USCTA, now the U.S. Eventing Association, in several capacities, including as vice president, as a member of the Rules Committee, and editor of the USCTA News.
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He’s also served on what is now known as the USEF Eventing High Performance Committee and the USEF Technical Committee. He judged at most of the major events in the United States, including the Rolex Kentucky CCI****.
In 1990, alongside Hugh Thomas, Haller revised the rules for eventing as a member of the Fédération Equestre Internationale’s Eventing Committee, which included introducing the star system that we know today.
Haller was the TD at the first Galway Downs CCI in 1999 in California, and organizer Robert Kellerhouse fondly remembered his influence on the event and his own career.
“He said, ‘Robert, this show is like a duck pond. All the ducks are floating around, real smooth on the surface, but everything’s paddling like heck underneath to stay afloat.’ That was a very accurate description of our first international event!” said Kellerhouse.
In 2012, Haller was inducted into the USEA Hall of Fame.
“He was very in tune with the sport,” said Kellerhouse. “He gave his life to the sport and was dedicated to helping eventing in the United States and around the world. On that level, he’ll be missed greatly by a lot of people, whether they know it or not. On a personal level, he was a great friend, and I’ll miss him a lot.”
He is survived by his wife, Ann, his sister Barbara Pace and step-siblings Sidney Funston and Richard Reid.
