Kim Walnes first met The Gray Goose at a local riding stable in Ireland, when he was a three-year-old.
[1] They were separated for two years, during which time the horse was started under saddle, and fox hunted, where he fell and injured his knees.
In 1979, they finished Intermediate level cross-country at the Lexington course (slightly modified from the 1978 World Championships) as the only pair to make the time.
[3] The pair came second at the 1981 Advanced competition at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day as well, only .2 penalties higher than the 3-time Olympic medalist James Wofford.
[2] A fall and knee injury at the Badminton Horse Trials in 1983 made his 1984 Rolex comeback remarkable.