{{short description|American equestrian}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}} {{Infobox equestrian | name = Torrance Watkins | image = | alt = | caption = | other_names = Torrance Fleischmann<ref name="sports-ref" /> | nationality = [[United States|American]] | discipline = [[Eventing]] | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|July 30, 1949}}<ref name="sports-ref" /> | birth_place = | hometown = | homecountry = | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 4.5 | weight_lbs = 106 | horse = Poltroon, Finvarra | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport| [[Equestrianism|Equestrian]] }} {{MedalCountry| the {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition| [[Equestrian at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] }} {{MedalGold| [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Los Angeles]] | [[Equestrian at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Team eventing|Team eventing]] }} {{MedalCompetition|[[Eventing World Championships|World Championships]]}} {{MedalBronze|[[Eventing World Championship|1982 Luhmühlen]]|Team eventing}} }}
'''Torrance Watkins''' (born July 30, 1949)<ref name="sports-ref" /> is an American [[equestrianism|equestrian]] and Olympic champion. Formerly known as '''Torrance Fleischmann''', she won a team gold medal in [[eventing]] at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in [[Los Angeles]], and finished 4th in the individual contest.<ref name="sports-ref" />
==Early years== Watkins is the daughter of August and Torrance Watkins (Sr.); she has three brothers: Richardson, Thornton, and August Jr.<ref name="COTH 2005" /> Her family was full of horsemen, many of them [[foxhunting|foxhunters]], and she began riding to the hounds at the age of four. She then lived in [[Peru]] during her teenage years, and graduated from the [[University of Denver]].
==International accomplishments== Watkins made her international debut in the 1970s, and her career spanned into the 1990s. Her two most famous horses include the [[pinto horse|pinto]] [[mare]] Poltroon, and the ex-racehorse Finvarra. Her accomplishments include:
===1978=== * [[World Equestrian Games|World Championships]] team silver
===1979=== * [[United States Eventing Association|USCTA]] Leading Lady
===1980=== * USCTA Rider of the Year * USCTA Leading Lady * Qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but did not compete due to the U.S. Olympic Committee's [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics]] in Moscow, Russia. She was one of 461 athletes to receive a [[List of Congressional Gold Medal recipients|Congressional Gold Medal]] instead.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Caroccioli|first1=Tom|last2=Caroccioli|first2=Jerry|title=Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games|publisher=New Chapter Press|location=Highland Park, IL|isbn=978-0942257403|pages=243–253}}</ref> * [[Fontainebleau]] Olympic Games, individual bronze, making her the first woman to win a medal in the sport. She rode Poltroon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spickard |first=Sally |title=#InternationalWomensDay: Five Incredible Women of Eventing - Eventing Nation - Three-Day Eventing News, Results, Videos, and Commentary |url=https://eventingnation.com/internationalwomensday-five-incredible-women-of-eventing/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=eventingnation.com |language=en-US}}</ref> This was particularly notable due Poltroon's diminutive size for an event horse.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Torrance Watkins - The Chronicle of the Horse |url=https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/torrance-watkins/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |language=en-US}}</ref> Poltroon was a 15.1h Paint mare who went on to become a broodmare in her retirement. * Winner of the Modified Advanced division at the [[Rolex Kentucky Three Day]]
===1982=== * [[World Equestrian Games|World Championships]] team bronze
===1983=== * USCTA Leading Lady
===1984=== * USCTA Leading Lady * [[1984 Summer Olympics|Los Angeles Olympic Games]], team gold, fourth place individually, only US rider to have a double-clear cross-country and stadium round
===1985=== * USCTA Leading Lady
===1986=== * Part of the [[USET]] [[World Equestrian Games|World Championships]] team
===2003=== * First woman to be inducted into the US Eventing Hall of Fame
==Other notable accomplishments== Watkins finished second at the [[Burghley Horse Trials]] and fourth at the [[Badminton Horse Trials]]. She is a licensed course designer, having designed such courses as the CDCTA 3-Day and Intermediate Horse Trials, and the GMHA Preliminary and Intermediate Horse Trial courses. She also organized the Over the Walls Horse Trials for five years at Great Meadowbrook Farm, which was a CIC*** World Cup qualifier in 2004 and was used as a selection trial for Canadian and U.S. Equestrian Teams for the Olympic and World Equestrian Games.
==Personal life== Watkins married Charles Fleischmann in February 1981;<ref name="NYT 1981" /> she competed under his last name in the 1984 Olympics.<ref name="sports-ref" /> In 1988 Watkins lost four of her champion horses, including Curragh and Poltroon in a horrific barn fire. She lost most of her competition ribbons, cups and trophies as well as her 1984 Olympic 3-day event medal. In June 1995, Watkins and her partner Erik Fleming purchased a {{convert|105|acre|adj=on}} property in [[Hardwick, Massachusetts]], which they named Morningfield Farm. The couple later acquired three adjacent parcels of land. In 1998, they bought a {{convert|365|acre|adj=on}} farm which they called Great Meadowbrook.<ref name="WTG 2011" />
==Sources== * [http://useventing.com/hof/index.php?id=10 US Eventing Hall of Fame Inductees]
==References== <references> <ref name="sports-ref">{{cite sports-reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/torrance-watkins-fleischmann-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418045305/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/torrance-watkins-fleischmann-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |title=Torrance Watkins Fleischmann |accessdate=April 28, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="COTH 2005">{{cite news |url=http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/obituaries-092305 |title= Obituary: Torrance Watkins Sr. |work=[[The Chronicle of the Horse]] |date=September 23, 2005 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428173243/http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/obituaries-092305 |archivedate=April 28, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="NYT 1981">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/04/style/charles-fleischmann-to-wed-miss-watkins.html |title=Charles Fleischmann to Wed Miss Watkins |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 4, 1981 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428154253/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/04/style/charles-fleischmann-to-wed-miss-watkins.html |archivedate=April 28, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="WTG 2011">{{cite news |url=http://www.telegram.com/article/20110307/WORCESTERLIVING/103070476 |title=Beautiful mornings; Love of horses and the land bring couple to Hardwick |work=[[Telegram & Gazette]] |location=Worcester, MA |date=March 7, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428151837/http://www.telegram.com/article/20110307/WORCESTERLIVING/103070476 |archivedate=April 28, 2015}}</ref> </references>
<br/>{{Olympic champions – Equestrian team eventing}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Torrance}} [[Category:1949 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American event riders]] [[Category:Equestrians at the 1984 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:American female equestrians]] [[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in equestrian]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Congressional Gold Medal recipients]] [[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]