In all the rush I forgot to mention how great both yesterday’s Pas de Deux and Young Horse classes were. All 3 pairs did a great job, but at the end of the day, Guenter Seidel and Beth Ball brought the house down with their Phantom of the Opera theme. Beth’s gorgeous gown draped over her horses back and Guenter’smask created such a spectacle that any tiny errors disappeared, and the fact that they stayed practically glued together when they rode next to eachother madethem the hands-down champions. As a matter of fact, they were so great that the show organizers asked them to stay one more day to do another demonstration ride tonight for the sold out Freestyle crowd.

The young horse exhibition was also fun to watch as four horses between 5 and 8 years old showed the excited audience what top youngsters should look and go like. They were all beautiful - Steffen Peters rode a lovely black 5 year old with 3 very expressive and correct paces. Edward Gal rode his amazing champion 6 year old, which was also black, and knocked our socks off by his extraordinary trot. Willy Arts showed everyone why his very successful 7 year old gelding has been winning up a storm, and my favorite, Marisa Festerling on her gelding, Big Tyme, showed everyone a near perfect test, exhibiting every quality that would make you want to stand in line to ride her horse.

In a couple more hours I’ll be off to do the commentary for the Freestyle, and I’ll be sure to give you my opinion on the competition if you can’t watch it live.

Cheers!

RD

It’s all come down to this! One ride to music which will determine who will be crowned the 2009 FEI Rolex World Cup Dressage Champion.

And, at this point it is really Steffen Peter’s title to win or lose. He not only won the Grand Prix; he did so with a wide berth, showing that Ravel is truly the best horse on the grounds. Not only does he exhibit the gaits that are fantastic; he also has wonderful technique in all the movements, especially the piaffe and passage. Now, Steffen just needs to keep cool, not try to improve on what he did so well in the last test, and ride a smooth and precise test. The atmosphere as well as the audience will give them the boost they need to produce all the expression required to put them over the top. But even one mistake and both Anky and Isabel will be waiting in the wings to take advantage of tghe moment and ride to their own triumphs.

I, for one, can’t wait for all the excitement and will be bringing it to you live tonight on Universal Sports.

Cheers!

RD

Well, there was not a dry eye in the house as first the Thomas family, who have done so much for Las Vegas as well as the sport of dressage in the U.S. received honors from the officials at the World Cup. Then, riding her fantastic mare, Debbie McDonald entered the arena visibly upset by both the very moving video showing highlights of their career together, but also by the emotion she could feel from the crowd which honestly love both of them and think of them as  the equestrian heroes they are.

I don’t need to recount the extraordinary accomplishments of Debbie and Brentina as I know you understand them very well, but I still have to say that I have never known a smarter, more loving horse in my life than this great mare, who tried her heart out to do each and everything Debbie ever asked of her. You could look into the eyes of Brentina, even today as she walked around the arena and then stood as the saddle was removed from her back for the very last time, and see that her love of her rider and desire to please her was still, as always, foremost in her mind. And that expression of love is what I will remember most about this star of a horse. I wish her a long and peaceful, healthy retirement!

RD

You know, nothing is easier than sitting in my seat and critiquing the jobs other are doing here at the World Cup in Vegas. I mean, I’m totally used to speaking my mind about pretty much anything to do with Dressage - Right?

But I have to tell you, this show is run beautifully, like a well oiled machine. All the folks who have been working so hard this year, I’ve seen back since the first time I came to watch the jumping  before they even got the Dressage. And they are simply the best and I want to commend them on putting on another fantastic show!

I also want to make a short mention about our American riders.  Not just how proud I am of them all, which I am. Because, let me tell you, I am still flying over how unbelievably great Steffen and Ravel went, but I know only too well how it feels when one has a disaster in the ring, and I spoke to our other two riders yesterday and applaud both of them on their grace under the most difficult circumstances. I remind them and you all that, while Dressage means so much to us, it is not curing cancer or stopping AIDS or poverty in the world. They had unfortunate rides yesterday, but they are great people, great riders, and great horse lovers, and they will surely be back doing top rides in even bigger arenas before too long.

And lastly, I want to compliment Gil Merrick, Jessica Ransehousen and the USEF Team behind the scenes, all of whom have been working tirelessly to ensure our Dressage Riders have the very best of everything they and their horses need to compete. I saw Jess on the monitor yesterday when Steffen came out of the arena and she was crying with joy! This is truly someone who had dedicated her life as a rider, coach, and Chef d’equipe to the US Team and we all should thank her for everything she continues to do from the bottom of our hearts. I know I do!

And a special thanks to the grooms, vets, farriers, therapists, and all the super folks , without whom these riders and their horses would never be able to shine in every way as they do.

And a final thought - Remember what I’ve said so many times before - Every one of us gets up every day hoping to do the very best we can with our horses and in life, with what we know. So while it is easy to be critical with our words, it’s even easier to be generous!

Cheers!
RD

So the first leg of the Dressage World Cup is over and, as promised, even though I have a huge headache from the noise in my headphones all afternoon, I couldn’t wait to blog about how fantastic Steffen Peters and Ravel were today! Put simply, he blew the competition out of the arena!

The show got a rough start for the Americans when Jan Ebeling and his mare, Rafalca, had a hard time getting around the ring without shying. I felt very sad for Jan, but even sadder for Leslie Morse, as she was disqualified for lameness on her Stallion, Kingston’s front leg. I know both of them are watching the “instant replays” over and over in their minds. It happens to the best of them.

Marco Bernal of Colombia and Diamore did a nice and pleasant job for their first World Cup and Marco, who is a great guy and very nice rider, should be quite pleased with himself and his horse.

Another person who I believe should be happy is Heath Ryan, both of himself and his stallion, Regardez Moi. The name means “look at me” and with his gleaming black coat and extravagant gaits it’s easy to see why. I thought the Aussie did a creditable job.

Minnna Tilde of Sweden, along with her gelding, Don Charlie, put in the first ride which looked like it would come closer to, if not hit the 70% mark. She showed some lovely highlights and the composure which the Europeans gain from riding in much the same atmosphere as here in Vegas, week in and week out through the WC season.

Her partner, Jan Brink, has been the anchor of the Swedish team for many years on his Bjorsells Briar, and this being his last competition before the horse is retired, I’m sure was bittersweet for Jan. He also showed some very nice movements but looked behind the leg in moments and, at the age of 18, who could blame him. Still, the crowd loves this very sympathetic pair and we will all miss him in the future. I wonder what Jan will come out on next.

And now for my wonderful friend and fantasic Canadian rider, Ashley Holzer riding Pop Art.  Poppy reminds me a lot of Kennedy and he and Ashley laid down a wonderful ride, earning her 5th place but within a point from 3rd. They did great piaffe and passage and just had a couple of problems in 1/2 passes and the changes. I have high expectations for this pair on Saturday evening.

I thought Jeanette Haazen and Nartan did a great job too. Jeanette is a tiny lady on a great big horse, but she rides with great experience and calmness, and I really enjoyed her ride.

Randon with Michel Rapcewicz went next and was much improved over last year’s World Cup performance. He had approximately the same score he received in Hong Kong, 67% and change, and could even get more points if his neck appeared a bit longer.

Hans Peter Minderhoud showed a lovely performance on his mare, Equis Nadine, and proved that he belonged with her up near the top of the leader-board with over 73%. His horse’s expression over the ground and nice paces gave him the edge over Ashley and Pop Art.

Then came what was in my mind the front-runner for the show, Isabel Werth, on Satchmo. I had predicted that her consistency this season, winning all the major European shows, would bring her to the top of the heap by a mile. NOT!  Isabel was leading with around an 80% until she had the wrong count in the 2nd to last zig-zag and did a 7. She smiled as if to say, ” I can’t believe I was not concentrating there!” But then you know what? She proceeded to show the same lack of concentration in changes, where she even stared at someone in the crowd who no doubt had moved or made a noise she disliked. Then Satchmo fell out of the canter pirouette into a walk for a stride and that was all she wrote. The best she could do was a 3rd place, which some might even say was generous.

In came Anky Van Grunsven who, earlier in the day had to be admitted into the hospital for an allergic reaction. But that didn’t stop this amazing competitor from pulling out every stop on her 2nd string horse, Painted Black, to place 2nd today with a masterfully ridden test. People may not like Anky for whatever reason, but the most decorated rider in the history of our sport did not give away one point in the ring today, and you have to admire that!

What more can I say that I did not at the beginning of this article about Steffen and Ravel? When he rode into the arena, it was clear that he was not just there to take part. He and his horse were there to win the day, and they did that by a mile. I feel a bit sad that the overall winner will not be determined at all by the Grand Prix scores, since Steffen’s was so far ahead of the rest. But I hope that the clear difference between Ravel’s correctness in all gaits and movements, from the other horses will be remembered as he goes for a freestyle victory on Saturday night.

When my friend, Monica Theodorescu, rode in on Whisper, I commented that I would not want to be following Steffen into that arena. But, as usual, Monica showed her many years of experience and began with a very lovely ride. Some mistakes in the middle, though, cost her too many points to bring the pair into the very top group.

So today was Steffen’s as well as America’s day, and I, for one, could not be more proud!

I will be back doing the live TV broadcast on Saturday night for Universal TV, so PLEASE make sure you get the station and watch or Tivo it. We all want to keep seeing more horses on TV, and I keep telling people that if you don’t watch and support the programs when they are on, the networks just become completely uninterested in bringing us more. As a community we need to make it clear that we are a demographic worth catering to.

Cheers!
RD

So we haven’t even started the first competition and already there’s been drama on two fronts in Dressage at the World Cup in Vegas. I am very sad to report that Adelinde Cornellisen has had to withdraw her fabulous gelding, Parsival, after riding him today. The amazing chestnut which was favored to be in the top three, was lame behind and the rider immediately did what was best for the horse and pulled out of the competition. Naturally, nobody likes it when any of the riders and horses who have worked so hard to get here, have to be pulled out, but Parsival and his rider had been consistently in the top two in Europe. As someone who has lived through this heartbreak, I send Adelinde my sincerest sympathy.

We didn’t just lose a horse today though - we also lost a judge! The plane bringing Dr. Vincenzo Truppa from Italy had to make a sudden emergency stop at an island near Iceland when its pilot suffered a heart attack. Since Truppa will not be able to get here in time for the Grand Prix which begins at noon tomorrow, the TD and reserve judge, Mirabel Alonso de Quinzanos will do the honors.

I am very excited to be bringing live broadcast of the Grand Prix tomorrow on-line at Universalsport.com starting at noon. While I promise to call them as I see them, I admit to be rooting secretly for my fellow Americans, all of whom looked excellent in the warm-ups today. ( I also love our other North American rider, Ashley Holzer.)

And I’ll be bringing you the news of the Pas de Deux class which stands to be very fun to watch and the Young Horse classes. So stay tuned!

Cheers!

RD

Everyone got through the jog yesterday without a hitch. That’s great news! Now, the dressage riders will get a chance to ride into the main arena this afternoon with a big crowd clapping and cheering every time they do a movement - and in my case in ‘05, every time Kennedy flew into the air!

This is where the seasoned riders show why they own their moment. They will know exactly what and how much they and their horses need to get done in order for them to peak tomoorow in the Grand Prix. I will report back at the end of the day with how I feel they all did today and any last minute predictions for the competition.

Don’t forget to watch live on Universal online tomorrow and TV on Saturday evening. You also need to remember that when we watch horses on TV we are indeed lucky, and we have to support it by tuning in or at least not forgetting to Tivo it. The networks look at our numbers to judge whether we are a worthy demographic to continue creating programming for.

So enjoy and send in your posts to root for your favorite!

Cheers!

RD

I’ll be on my way to Las Vegas tomorrow morning to bring you all the Dressage, LIVE on NBC Universal. You can see the entire Grand Prix online on Thursday and the Freestyle on TV on Saturday evening. The info is on this site so make sure you are watching or at least Tivoing!

I will also be blogging several times a day to give you all the behind the scenes fun stuff. I want my DoversWorld readers to have the feeling they are right there in the stables and at the warm-up with me, as well as in the booth as I watch and comment on the rides.

So please tell your friends to tell their friends to tell their friends that DoversWorld will be the place to be, even if you’re lucky enough to be in the stands for the competition. We will have frank and open discussions of the rides, the riders, and the horses. And, as always, I will not shrink away from my opinion.

Cheers!

RD

Update: We’ve removed this in favor of spam-protection software.

Hey guys, it’s Jory, the webmaster. When you leave a comment from now on, you may be prompted to enter the solution to the math problem “5 + 5.” We’ve been getting a lot of spam comments lately, and this is the simplest way to make sure you’re a real human. Just type the answer, 10, in the box where prompted. Thanks!

I heard today from a totally reliable source that the owners of the horses going from the east coast to Las Vegas and back for the World Cup are having to pay between $12,000 to over $18,000! I was absolutely flabbergasted with these prices.

And we’re not talking non-stop on privately chartered jets, mind you. My friend who is competing herself there said that her horse has to fly from Miami to Dallas, stop there, and fly the rest of the way to Vegas. But that’s not all. Coming home, he has to fly to Lexington and then, for an extra $800.00, they’ll ship him home in a van.

Now I’ve competed in Vegas a couple of times but I don’t ever remember such ridiculously crazy prices for the travel.

Just between you and me, what do you all think?

Cheers!
RD