George Horine’s (1890–1948) path to high jump greatness was not straightforward. Born in Escondido, California, he attended Santa Ana High School where he began competing in the high jump in 1906.
Initially, he found little success and “retired.” Two years later, he found his way back to the sport, training himself.
Contemporary sources state that Horine developed his version in his backyard, the shape of which forced him to alter his approach. There was also a “no diving” rule in force in competition then, meaning that the head could not cross the bar first. Horine kicked his foot over first, then rolled his body when his torso passed over the bar — a new style out of necessity. It was referred to as the “Western Roll. Horine, who joined The Olympic Club in 1911, would later say that his technique was further refined by watching and learning from fellow inductee, college rival and Club teammate, Edward Beeson.
When Horine arrived at Stanford University, legendary coach Edward Moulton asked him to abandon his technique for a more traditional one. It was not until he reverted to the roll in 1912 that he dominated competition, quickly setting first a collegiate record, then breaking the world record, and then clearing a height of 6’6 ¾” — the first man to clear two meters.
His performance at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm did not measure up the rest of his season — he finished a disappointing (for him) third. He won his only AAU national title at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.
He retired from competition in 1917. Writing to the Club nearly 30 years later, he remarked, “I had the extreme satisfaction of carrying the famous Winged “O” emblem over the bar… a period long to be remembered and cherished.”
