TUCSON, Ariz.--Major General Jonathan (Jack) Burton, 99, died May 29 in Tucson.
Maj. Gen Jonathan (Jack) BurtonAfter graduating from Michigan State University, where he had enrolled in the Reserve Officer's Training Corps, Horse Cavalry Division, Burton went to Fort Riley, Kansas, headquarters of the U.S. Cavalry School.
Burton helped to organize the first continuous horse trials in the United States, which was in Tennessee, and throughout his career, wherever he was stationed, he started a horse trials.
In 1948, Burton was named to both the military eventing and show jumping teams, and he competed throughout Europe to prepare for the 1948 London Games.
He went to the 1956 Stockholm Games on the civilian eventing team.
In World War II, Burton was sent to Australia with his regiment to prepare to fight as infantry under Gen. MacArthur, and when the war was over he returned to Fort Riley to teach advanced horsemanship.
HE WAS CALLED back to active service for the Vietnam War and spent two and a half years in Vietnam with the First Cavalry as a brigade commander and as brigade commander.
His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Ribbon.
Burton retired in 1975 after 33 years, and he served as executive vice president for the U.S. Equestrian Team for 10 years.
He was president of the U.S. Combined Training Association for three years and was inducted into the USEA Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Dressage Hall of Fame in 2007.
He was manager of the U.. Olympic Team in 1976 and chef d'equipe of the dressage team at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
H was an FEI dressage and eventing judge and technical delegate as well as chief steward.
He had national judge's cards in show jumping, eventing, dressage, driving and hunters and continued to judge until he was 92.
He is survived by his son Jonathan (Jock) Rowell Burton Jr. of Chesterfield, Va., and his daughter Judith Lewis of Tucson, Ariz.
