Helen Preece Chipchase Smith (1897 - 1990) was a British equestrian who also rode in America.[1] She was the only woman briefly entered in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
 Helen Preece circa 1913 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | November 11, 1895 |
| Died | July 2, 1990 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Equestrian |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals | 1912 (Rejected) |
Biography
editShe was the daughter of Ambrose Preese, of Fulham road, London.[2] Her mother was considered a "noted horsewoman" in England.[3] In June 1910, she did well in the Olympia Horse Show.[4] In the next Olympia Horse Show, in June 1911, she was considered a "favorite" and was personally congratulated by Queen Alexandra afterward.[5][6] In November 1911, she won the gold cup at the Madison Square National Horse Show in New York City.[7][8] At the show, she rode the horses, Sapelio, owned by George Chipchase and the winning Sceptre, owned by James Dunn.[8]
In 1912, while still in school, she attempted to enter the modern pentathlon in the 1912 Summer Olympic Games.[9] For a short time, she was the only woman slated to compete at the games.[10][11] She was ultimately not allowed to compete because she was a female.[9] The response from the Olympic committee to her request to enter was "hostile."[12]
In 1914, she placed second in Ladies' saddle horse riding and first in Park and road hacks, riding on Sceptre.[13]
On March 20, 1915, she married George H. Chipchase in New York.[14] A few months later, his former wife sued Preese in a Massachusetts court for using the Chipchase name and also claiming that there had been no divorce.[14]
In December 1934, she was married again in Boston to John Leslie Smith, a riding instructor.[15]
References
edit
- ^ "Girl to enter Olympic Games". Louisville Courier-Journal. 7 July 1912. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
- ^ "Fifteen year old prodigy at Olympiad". The Evening Independent. 9 July 1912. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
She is Helen Preece, a daughter of Mr. Ambrose Preese, of Fulham road, London.
- ^ "Newport Social Figure Wed to a Second Riding Master". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 18 December 1934. p. 2. Retrieved 10 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Women's Horses and Horsemanship at Olympia". The Times. 18 June 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Helen Preece to Ride Here". The New York Times. 5 November 1911. p. 33. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Helen Preece To Ride Here. 14-Year-Old Girl, Honored by Queen Alexandra, Coming to Horse Show". New York Times. 5 November 1911. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
Among the passengers in the Minnewaska, which sailed to-day, is Helen Preece, a 14 year-old girl who as an equestrienne has no equal in this country. ...
- ^ "Young Horsewoman After Great Honors". The Washington Herald. 7 July 1912. p. 13. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Throngs Thrilled at the Horse Show". The New York Times. 22 November 1911. p. 4. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Hynes, Tina (7 August 2008). "'An Olympiad with females would be impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic and improper.' - Baron Pierre de Coubertin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ "Only Female in Olympic". Daily Press. 20 June 1912. p. 6. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Girl of 15 is Only Woman Entrant in Olympic Games". Democrat and Chronicle. 7 July 1912. p. 28. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gori, Gigliola; Mangan, J. A. (23 March 2016). Sport and the Emancipation of European Women: The Struggle for Self-fulfilment. Routledge. ISBN 9781134932498.
- ^ "Take 4 Blue Ribbons". The Washington Post. 1 October 1914. p. 4. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Sues to Have Girl Cease Using Her Name". The Tampa Times. 13 July 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Newport Social Figure Wed to a Second Riding Master". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 18 December 1934. p. 2. Retrieved 10 November 2017 – via Newspapers.com.