Lee McKeever, longtime groom for Olympian McLain Ward, and the Olympic gold medal horse Albany were inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame on March 1, 2026, in Wellington, Florida. The ceremony also honored Irish rider Kevin Babington with the International Award and paid tribute to pioneer Mary Mairs Chapot. The event drew numerous equestrian luminaries and celebrated contributions to the sport.
The Show Jumping Hall of Fame held its sold-out Induction Gala at the Wellington National Golf Club in Wellington, Florida, on March 1, 2026. Lee McKeever and Albany, the horse ridden to Olympic gold by Leslie Burr Howard, were selected as the class of 2025 by the Hall's Election Committee, recognizing their significant impact on show jumping.
McKeever, originally from Dublin, Ireland, has served as sport horse manager for six-time Olympian McLain Ward for 38 years. He oversees care for over 30 horses and has contributed to Ward's 13 medals at major championships, including the 2017 FEI World Cup Finals. In 2018, the FEI awarded him Best Groom. Ward praised him, saying, “He knows the horses better than anybody,” and noted his expertise in conditioning, health, and injury management. McKeever, who views his work as “a way of life,” works alongside his wife Erica at Castle Hill Farm; their daughter Baylee competes at the five-star level.
Albany, a 1975 Thoroughbred foaled for racing but excelling over fences, began with Joanne Kovacs and Jimmy Kohn before Debbie Dolan Sweeney purchased him in 1983. Under Burr, he earned American Grand Prix Association Horse of the Year titles in 1983 and 1984, won the $100,000 American Invitational, and helped secure the U.S. team's first Olympic show jumping gold in Los Angeles in 1984 alongside Joe Fargis on Touch of Class, Conrad Homfeld on Abdullah, and Melanie Smith Taylor on Calypso. With Dolan, Albany claimed the Cleveland Grand Prix in 1986, the Winter Equestrian Festival Challenge in 1988, and international wins including Nations Cups in Toronto and Guadalajara, plus the 1989 Ladies Show Jumping Championship in Windsor, England. His earnings ranked third in AGA history.
The gala presented its International Award to Kevin Babington, an Irish Olympian who won team gold at the 2001 European Championships, placed eighth individually at the 2002 World Equestrian Games, and fourth at the 2004 Olympics. He secured multiple U.S. Grand Prix victories, including three Silver Oak Grand Prix wins and four Lake Placid titles.
A tribute honored Mary Mairs Chapot, a 1992 inductee and pioneer: the first West Coast ASPCA Maclay winner, a Pan American gold medalist, and one of the first U.S. women in Olympic equestrian in 1964. With husband Frank Chapot, she competed as the first married couple at the 1968 Olympics. Fourteen prior inductees attended, including Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut, along with Olympic veterans from six countries. The event also recognized 2025 Jumper Classic Series winners: JJ Torano as Rider of the Year, Good Mood Semilly as Horse of the Year, and Mary Rose Canterbury for the 1.45m Final.
