If anyone could instinctively coax the best from a horse—any horse—it was Rodney Jenkins.

The legendary jumper rider-turned-racehorse trainer passed away December 5 in Woodbine, Maryland, at age 80. Media outlets have been flooded this week with fond tributes and remembrances from his family, friends, colleagues and countless fans.

The overall consensus is that Jenkins, nicknamed “The Red Rider” for his vibrant red hair, was one of the greatest horsemen American show jumping has ever seen.

Intuitive natural ability

Although he described himself as largely self-taught, Enis Rodney Jenkins was born into a Virginia family steeped in horses and hunting. Blessed with an intuitive riding ability, sensitive hands and a passion for jumping, he turned professional at age 17 and soon enjoyed success in the hunter ring.

A stint working for show-jumping visionary Gene Mische gave the young horseman some early mileage on the circuit, and there was no turning back.

For nearly three decades, Jenkins was the rider to beat in the American show ring, a testament to his unparalleled longevity in an exacting sport. And it was over the biggest fences that Jenkins made his greatest mark, riding on 10 winning Nations Cups teams and notching more than 70 grand prix victories on some of the best show jumpers of the era.

Two silver medals

As a professional, Jenkins was prevented from riding in the Pan American or Olympic Games until rule changes in the 1980s ended the amateur-only requirement. This enabled him to ride on the U.S. Equestrian Team at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, where he landed two silver medals (team and individual) aboard Czar. “All the money I’ve won with horses—these two pieces of silver mean as much as all the money,” Jenkins is famously quoted as saying.

That same year, Jenkins was recognized as the American Horse Shows Association’s Horseman of the Year and the American Grandprix Association’s Rider of the Year. He was a member of the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame and was inducted into the U.S. Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1999, 12 years after one of his most famous mounts, Harry Gill’s Idle Dice, received the same honor.

The freedom to jump

While Jenkins was known for his sharp eye for a distance, his impeccable sense of pace and his natural riding style, he also adapted that style to suit each individual horse, giving them the freedom to jump boldly and cleanly. It was this magical rapport with horses, together with his rugged good looks, that catapulted Jenkins to idol status.

Through it all, he remained kind and characteristically modest about his talents, almost always giving the credit to his horses.

After hanging up his tack as the winningest rider in U.S. show jumping, Jenkins turned his attention to the turf. Though he trained steeplechasers at first, he soon became a force in Maryland flat racing, making memorable visits to the winners’ circle with such standouts as Phlash Phelps, Shimmering Aspen and Cordmaker. All told, his trainees racked up 941 victories and more than $24 million in earnings. Jenkins was named outstanding trainer by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association in 2003.

Always appreciative of a good jumper, the iconic horseman also judged at the occasional horse show in his post-competition years.

Jenkins reportedly retired from training last year due to declining health. He is survived by his wife Unjin, herself a former top jumper rider, with whom he had two sons and two stepdaughters. Other survivors include three children from his first marriage (including son Patrick, who followed his father into the racing industry), as well as a brother, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

To read about an interactive project honoring Jenkins, click here.