| Torrance Watkins | |
| Other Names: | Torrance Fleischmann |
| Nationality: | American |
| Discipline: | Eventing |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 4.5 |
| Weight Lbs: | 106 |
| Horse: | Poltroon, Finvarra |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Torrance Watkins (born July 30, 1949) is an American 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.
Watkins is the daughter of August and Torrance Watkins (Sr.); she has three brothers: Richardson, Thornton, and August Jr. Her family was full of horsemen, many of them 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.
Watkins made her international debut in the 1970s, and her career spanned into the 1990s. Her two most famous horses include the pinto mare Poltroon, and the ex-racehorse Finvarra. Her accomplishments include:
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.
Watkins married Charles Fleischmann in February 1981; she competed under his last name in the 1984 Olympics. 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 105acres property in Hardwick, Massachusetts, which they named Morningfield Farm. The couple later acquired three adjacent parcels of land. In 1998, they bought a 365acres farm which they called Great Meadowbrook.