After 2 1/2 decades of attending the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, I find myself with mixed feelings. Its not that I don’t really love and admire the folks who trielessly go that extra mile to ensure the Derby comes off without a major hitch, year after year. Or that the show, with our beautiful weather over the last few days, had been a continued top proving ground for our best horses to compete at a great venue.

The truth is that I just keep remembering back to the early and mid 80’s when a small group of friends of Gisela and Howald Pferdekamper produced a show on their farm which was very elegant, had great prize money, the likes of which we had never seen, and pulled Europeans like Jo Hinneman, Daniel Ramsier, Karin Schluter, and others each year to our town to compete. They would bring a few horses along with their top mounts to sell and end up having fun and a very lucrative winter season away from the frigid European winters. What could be better?

Well. 25 years later, everything about our shows seem for me to be formulaic. The great parties are gone, although I certainly enjoyed Mary Phelp’s inspection party which benefitted the Equestrian Aid Foundation. But the prize money has shrunk from then till now, one doesn’t see the Europeans coming to contest their horses against ours, the grounds look the same year after year and at the end of the day, the bar has lowered substatially as opposed to being raised at just about all the shows for all the disciplines.

I wrote a post last month called, “What’s Wrong With Our Shows?” For some reason, I got not one comment, even though what I wrote I thought quite controversial. Maybe you should read it again. Maybe also this isn’t the right time to be complaining about a lack in our horse shows. At least there are the shows, while so many other businesses are failing and services are falling off. I just keep thinking back to the shows like the Derby, Devon, The IEO show at York, PA, and the PVDA shows. They were truly exciting and had electricity in the air, despite the utter lack of quality in most the rides.

We need to reinvigorate our shows, bring in more prize money, produce them more like show business and make our riders into stars with house-hold names. I so appreciate everyone in the business who works so hard just to keep the shows out there and available for our riders. We all have to lend a hand to bring about the change we desparately need to raise the bar for the future of our competitions.

Since deciding that I wanted to do a Farewell Tour of Symposia (a la Cher), the requests have been streaming in. I will only do one per month in those months when I am not traveling for pleasure already. I am retired, remember! Here are the dates I have scheduled so far including the contact information of the organizers. If you are interested in taking part in any of these events, either as a rider or an auditor, please get directly in touch with the people I am listing below. I hope to see you in one or more of these locations!

March 19-20 Los Angeles
contact Marie Meyers 805-279-0731
mmstables@hotmail.com

March 21-22 San Diego
contact Alison Harding 858-401-2668
Allicat1979@yahoo.com

April 6-8 Sao Paulo, Brazil
contact thantalmeida@hotmail.com

June 28-29 Cincinnati
contact Chris Federer 513-833-5081
ChrisFederer@embarqmail.com

July 24-26 Greenville, SC
CANCELLED due to illness

August 22-23 Long Island, NY
contact Jane Springer 631-335-0085
JanePSpringer@gmail.com

September (date to be determined)
contact Jenna Wyatt 561-568-6965
dressage1@mac.com

November (date to be determined) Sydney
contact Mary Hanna (00) 6135253208
statenehockey.net.au

January 2010 Wellington (Date TBD)
contact Dressageclinic.com

April 2010 (date TBD) Atlanta
more info coming soon

2009 fall/ winter I will be conducting symposia also in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Buenos Aires. Both dates will be determined soon. Requests are also coming from various cities in Europe and I will be reporting those dates when they are finalized.

If you or your group are interested in scheduling a Robert Dover Symposium please look at the Farewell Tour information on this site and contact Robert at RDover2@aol.com

Dear Rhonda,

I recently joined Facebook and a fellow equestrian, whom I did not know, sent me a friend request. I accepted hoping to make a new friend, but now I am starting to regret it. She makes odd comments about photos and posts off-color wall-to-wall messages that creep me out.

What is the proper etiquette to get her off my back? Please keep in mind that we travel in the same industry, so I don’t want to be rude and possibly get a bad reputation. Thanks for any insight.

Signed-
Kelly Green

Dear Kelly,

18 months ago, I would have told you to take your lonely life off-line and start living it in the real world with real people, especially if you want to avoid the online woman-to-woman stalking tragedy you are currently enduring. But, the sad fact of the matter is that Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and all the other social networking sites have made their way into the social fabric of our society (proof being that it even made its way into the daily existence of someone as long in the tooth as me).

I am not an expert at warding off online stalkers; primarily because no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to get myself one (maybe this column will do the trick). Regardless of that, I have a sure fire solution to your problem.

Log onto Facebook and click on your “friends” icon. All the way to the right of each person there is a small “x.” Click on this and a box will appear that asks if you want to remove this person as a friend. Confirm, “remove friend.” This person will be removed from your friends list and will not be able to correspond with you or see your profile in any way. And, the best part is that they are not notified that you dumped their sorry ass.

Next time she tries to email, post to your wall or comment to you, she will be blocked and have to send you an initial friend request like she did originally. And when she does (oh, and she will) just ignore it. Trust me; she will be confused, disoriented and assume that a technology glitch has stood in the way of your deep and meaningful friendship. At this point, Miss “Off-Color” herself will move on to a new target leaving you free and clear with no traceable blame.

Thankfully I was here to save your ass this time. From now on, lets stick to whom you know.

Best,
Rhonda

p.s. Just one caveat. If you exchanged phone numbers with her ignore everything I said. It becomes an entirely new question…

I’ve been overwhelmed by the response to my Pet Pics post. You guys have sent so many great photos in of your wonderful friends that I asked Jory to set up a gallery so we can go and look at all of them like the art they are!

Remember, on March 15th, we all get to vote on our favorite pic and the winner is going to get a special prize from me. So keep those pet pics a comin!

Cheers!
RD

I’ve known Tina Konyat since we were little kids. I got to ride with her Dad, the genius, Alex Konyot, on his horses while Tina, younger then myself, rode her fabulous pony, Johnny. Alex was the only person in my life that my mother would allow to call me Bobby, though more of the time he would call me, ” You Shoemaker!” In case it’s not clear, that was not necessarily a compliment. Alex was, just as his daughter is now, a perfectionist in every way, and the slightest movement of the hand or a poor leg or seat position was dealt with by a very loud response in any one of his nine or so fluent dialects (I believe he could swear in many more).

Tina is, in so many ways, a chip of the old block. She is artistic, tempermental, extremely talented, sometimes impossible and truly has a heart of gold, especially when it comes to her animals. So a couple of months ago when she called from the bottom of a staircase she had fallen down, in obvious agony and asking for the name of a doctor in New York, it was immediately clear that Tina was in real trouble.

She had been so hopeful about bringing her young stallion out at Grand Prix in Florida, and I think she was already grieving ,now not the death of a horse which she knows only to well the feeling of, but the inevitable time which she knew was about to be lost to a cast on her leg.

At that moment it was clear we needed to find help, so I called our great USET doctor, Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Craig Ferrell. He is absolutely the best in his field and, as he has helped me more times than I care to remember, I knew he would have the very best advice for Tina. Dr. Ferrell worked his magic and got a top surgeon to see Tina and he operated very quickly to repair the injury.

Now if you know Tina, you know she is an all or nothing kind of person — everything she does is all the way or not at all — and her ankle was no exception! Tina had broken her ankle in NINE places, requiring enough hardware to keep her buzzing at airport security checks into her next lifetime. Further, the doctor made it very clear that her’s would be a very long recovery with months spent placing no weight on that foot. Tina would need help for all of the daily minutia we all mostly take for granted- walking to the bathroom, taking a shower, and for Tina more importantly, taking care of and feeding her animals, not to mention paying the bills for her farm and business. Even with her medical insurance, Tina was unprepared to deal with the huge bills that were collecting and without the capability to even stand and teach, no less ride, her prospects looked bleak indeed.

But thanks to her amazing friends, Tina has made it through the toughest of these times. Friends like Paul and Bruce, two of the most amazing guys I feel lucky to call my friends, as well as Herb and James, were there to make sure she ate, was bathed and nourished, and that her animals and farm were maintained. Other friends like Karin and Tamara, even though they lived elsewhere, were wonderfully supportive in more ways than one, and I know that Tina is extremely thankful to all those who have come to her aid in her moment of need.

Tina is a great trainer and an even greater horse lover, and she will be back in the saddle sooner than we can imagine or probably than the doctors know about, if I know Tina! In the meantime, take a look at her website, tinakonyotdressage.com and if you are looking for that special trainer for that special horse, give her a call. Or simply call or write just to say “hi” and wish her well.

Thanks!
RD

Jane Savoie is one of my dearest friends and longtime student. She has ridden for the U.S. In Europe and has become an extremely popular author and public speaker on Dressage and positive thinking. Jane and I spent an hour today reminiscing and discussing Dressage and life in general. If you would like to hear the conversation, click the link below. Hope you all enjoy it.

Listen here: http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=6294612

Hey, if you are going or have just been to one of the big shows (like at LAEC or the Palm Beach Derby), why don’t you take a few pics, even with your cell phone, and become my roving “I Reporter” for DoversWorld. As hard as I keep trying, I just can’t seem to clone myself to be in 2 places or more at once!

So if you want to do a short article or story on an event, horsey or otherwise, that you think will be interesting to our readers, pleae send it in to robert@doversworld.com.

Do a good job and we’ll print it with your name at the bottom and my thanks!

Cheers!

RD

The following is a sponsored marketplace post. For information on purchasing ads on Dover’s World, please contact us.
Proven Champion in the Show Ring!

Hunter/Equitation/ Dressage Superstar

2001, 17h Holsteiner Mare. In her first year of showing, this stunning mare was 2007 USDF Horse Of The Year First Level All Breeds Dressage Champion and 2007 USDF Horse Of The Year Training Level All Breeds Dressage Res. Champion and is currently schooling 3rd Level Dressage.

At her first A Rated Hunter Show, she was Baby Green and Novice Hunter Res. Champion Division Winner! This mare has unlimited Dressage, Hunter or Jumper Capabilities. Fabulous Equitation Medal Horse. Currently schooling 3′6″-4′, but still qualifies for Baby Green for 2009.

This mare has it all - LOOKS, STYLE, GRACE, TEMPERAMENT and ATHLETIC ABILITY! Her bloodlines include those of the famous Ahorn Z, Ladykiller, Cor de la Bryere, Landgraf I, and Abglanz . This mare is bred to jump, but has the looks, style and grace of a Hunter. She is all business in the show ring, with a wonderful work ethic, yet is a lady to work with daily.

Contact
Promised Land Equestrian Center
Tracey Gabriel Ivec
815-476-4764
815-685-4764
dressagequeen007@yahoo.com

Read more for video and photo gallery

Dear Rhonda -

At what point in a man’s life does “age inappropriate” behavior actually become age inappropriate?

Chris Demeanors

Dear Chris,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you passed age inappropriate when you decided to even ask me this question. My grandmother used to say to me, “if you are questioning the appropriateness of your behavior, then there is nothing to question…you already know the answer”. I don’t know anything about you, but I do know that you are being a bad boy, so stop it and act your age (Whatever that age is… But, something tells me you’re over 40, bald and in need of a treadmill–and that’s not judgment, just a statistical probability).

Listen Chris, you better figure out a way to look in the mirror and love yourself the way you are, let go of your youth and figure out how to capitalize on your life experience to help you work through this emotional regression. Even though you asked the question, I think we both know that you already know the answer…

Good luck & grow up,

Rhonda

Send your questions to rhonda@doversworld.com

I have a whole new respect for people who have gone though or are going through back surgery. I was operated on back in October and still am trying to recover.
Don’t get me wrong. I was writhing in pain for two days in a New York E.R. and am now pretty well pain free so for that I am grateful, but nobody told me that I might go through the stuff I’ve been dealing with. A couple of days after my surgery I began to lose feeling in my right leg below the knee. It was worse on the outside but below my ankle I could only feel my bif toe and a bit near the ball of my foot. The doctoer explained that he had found a piece of disk the size of half his thumb nail embedded in my nerve. It had probably been there for years, hence the pain I had lived with for over a decade, but somehow it had moved and that laid me right out! Taking it out created even more nerve damage and this was the reason I had become partially paralyzed.
I was told that it would probably take around 6 weeks to heal and went about re-learning how to walk without looking like Quasimoto.
Six weeks later I still had very little feeling in my foot, although I was walking better and with less of a limp. I also could see more muscle atrophy in my entire right leg which was driving me crazy. It’s hard enough to be a middle aged gay man in our culture without being one with one leg half the size of the other, especially in the glutes. Sorry if it sounds trite but I still want to look good in a bathing suit!
So back I went to the doctor’s office where I was now told it could take up to one year for the nerve to “re-boot” and that I should be patient, get physical therapy, and hope that it happened. “No Guarantees”.
well. now it’s been about 4 months and I am back in the gym pretty much doing full workouts. I tried physical therapy twice but ended up more crippled the next day than when I went in, so I decided to follow my instincts from over 20 years working out with great personal trainers like Bob Gutowitz.
I am getting stronger and with the help of Dr. Cabanellas of the Wellington Institute of Wellness, my body is getting more fit and I’m feeling better. I still could stick a fork in the outside of my foot and probably not notice it but I am beginning to feel a tiny bit more, like electrical shocks in the soul of my foot.
No matter what I’m better off now than before my surgery, so I will remain upbeat and positive about my recovery and keep on moving on!
Cheers!

RD