Lloyd Landkamer (right) and Thomas Baur, managers of the Global Dressage Festival at the Palm Beach Internationa; Equestrian Ceter Stadium complex in Wellington, Florida. © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com
HAMEL, Minnesota, Sept. 26, 2015–Loyd Landkamer, regarded by many as the ultimate horse show manager and universally popular for a sense of humor and going the extra mile to help, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 60 years old.
Lloyd was show manager at numerous events around the United States, including the U.S. national championships, known as the Festival of Champions, the U.S. Young Horse Championships and the U.S. Dressage Finals where he volunteered his services.
Lloyd, who was also an International Equestrian Federation (FEI) steward, took over dressage competitions at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida a decade ago and then became show manager when the schedule was expanded into the Global Dressage Festival of 12 weeks of competitions, including seven international shows, the longest and probably richest dressage circuit in the world.
He also managed the dressage show office at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010.
In recent weeks, many friends of Lloyd from across the nation visited him at his Brandywine Farm in Hamel outside Minneapolis where he lived for many years with his partner, Bill Solyntjes.
There will be a moment of silence at the Central Park Horse Show in New York City Saturday night to honor Lloyd who would have managed the dressage except for his illness.
Tributes poured in mourning the loss of someone widely described as the most efficient of show organizers and a very special person.
“The equestrian world has lost an amazing person and talent,” said Mark Bellissimo the CEO of Wellington Equestrian Partners that operates both the Global and Winter Equestrian Festivals as well as the Central Park event.
“Lloyd was instrumental in many events across the country and was a critical member of our team at the Global Dressage Festival. We will all miss his energy and enthusiasm for the sport he loved so well.”
Michael Stone, president of the Wellington shows, described Lloyd as “a very special person who had unique characteristics of being a hugely efficient show manager and a person that everyone loved.
“He was a wonderful organizer and friend. Although we have known this day was coming it is a terrible shock.”
Monica Fitzgerald who had worked closely with Lloyd and visited him at Brandywine Farm a month ago, said: He was very important to a lot of us. He will be greatly missed.”
Thomas Baur, the GDF sports manager, said: “Today I am filled with deep sadness over the passing of my friend. Lloyd was not simply a colleague he was a very special friend and the heart of Global in Wellington. He was a huge prsence in the U.S. dressage community and instrumental in developing our sport. His spirit will remain with us and his legacy will live on.”
George Williams, president of the U.S. Dressage Federation, said: “The dressage community has lost a special friend, someone who put his heart and soul into our sport.
“Well known as a show manager of a number of top competitions in this country, Lloyd is perhaps not as well known for how generous he was behind the scenes. He was an enthusiastic volunteer on numerous committees for USEF, USDF and from the beginning Para-Equestrian Dressage, as well as serving on the USDF Executive Board and as Region 4 Director.
“Lloyd was a class act. He will be missed by all of us. I think one of the things that made Lloyd so special and says so much about him is how so many of us feel we have lost a personal friend.”
Details of funeral arrangements will be posted here as soon as they are available.
