Well, better late then never, right? What a month September was! As a matter of fact, September was so full of “happenings” that it seems to have lasted right into to the first week of October. I’m sure that must be some sort of a record, or maybe something to do with leap-year or the Jewish New Year. Whatever.
September started off with my trip to Denver to interview for the job of U.S. Coach/ Chef d’Equipe, for which I had spent the year before preparing a brief, lest I be unprepared for what was my first interview of my life. That sounds strange for someone my age to say, but the few jobs I have held before were through situations in which my employers simply offered me the positions and I accepted them. So, although it did not work out that I was offered the coaching position (in fact, no one was as they changed the title to Technical Advisor/ Chef d’Equipe), I must say that I learned a great deal from the experience and am glad I went through most of it.
And as luck would have it, within a few hours of the news getting out that I would not become the U.S. Coach, riders from Canada contacted me to ask if I might consider doing the job for them. Now, I must admit that a lot of the wind had been knocked out of my sails at that point, but since I had worked so hard to create what I believe to be strong program outlines as well as strategic plans for America, and since my creative juices were still flowing, I decided to at least fly up to Toronto and meet with the folks from Equine Canada’s, “Own The Podium” committee to see how we all got along. I had forgotten how beautiful and clean the city of Toronto is, as well as how nice the folks up there are.
As it turns out, just about everything which I was hoping to bring about for American Dressage, is exactly the same for the Canadians. And also like the U.S., Canada boasts many very experienced and talented riders and trainers, all of whom I hoped, if I were to take the job, to enlist to produce a true team of top professionals working harmoniously together for the benefit of all riders and horses from the Junior ranks through the Elite International Team combinations. And anyone who knows me knows that once I commit to something, I do so with my whole heart and soul and will not stop until I have achieved my goal, especially where it means medals. Just ask Jane Clark or any of my students and teammates over the past decades.
Well, I am happy and honored to say that I am now officially the Canadian Technical Advisor/Coach Advisor and I am very excited to be working with a tremendous group of riders, trainers, coaches, owners and officials. I will do my very best not to let them down!
The other fantastic news is that a driving pony has been procured permanently for Gary Johnson, the young man who I profiled as my August Out For Good Hero of the Month. Johnny Robb took the reins after Mary Phelps who so generously loaned Sharing Village and Gary her pony, Buddy, to try to find another permanent one and did just that - a wonderful miniature Shetland named Ranger. I can’t wait to see Gary and Ranger in action. In the meantime, I will be flying up to Gladstone, N.J. for the Sharing Village Awards Luncheon on this Sunday, October 11th. When I tell you that this event is going to be exciting, that is really an understatement. Their exhibition of the kids driving will be a sure hit, not to mention a silent auction boasting everything from my Olympic tote bag from Sidney to a runway couture silk gown from designer, Carmen Marc Valvo to a Maserati or a Ferrariworth over a quarter of a million dollars! This is going to be a star-studded affair not to be missed!
I just have to mention my other half, Robert Ross. He has been absolutely amazing in his first year as a realtor, working with Keller Williams. While so many people in real-estate had been complaining of how slow it’s been, Robert has been just plain inundated with clients and listings both in Wellington and
South Miami Beach, where we have homes ourselves. Last I heard, out of the just under 100 people in his office, Robert was number 11 in sales! I really think it’s because he is 100% honest, has a great personality and work ethic, treats every client as he would want to be treated himself, and is pretty darn good looking to boot! OK, I know the good looking part may not be one of the real reasons for his success, but it would be if I were a client, so I’m leaving it in. 
My Mom has been going through a lot in the last month, as she found out that her cancer was active again, showing up in her left eye. She immediately went for a scan and began on 2 new types of chemo, one of which she found impossible to tolerate. At that point we decided it was time for a fresh opinion and made an appointment at University of Miami’s Sylvester Cancer Clinic. She, my Dad, and I spent a whole day there and she is very pleased with her new doctor, Doctor Gomez, who came to Sylvester from Sloan-Kettering in New York, and is a top specialist in the field of lung cancer. So now Mom feels confident, as do I, that the course of action will be the very best one to try to bring her once again into remission. Like I always tell her, “This is my movie and no one’s going anywhere until I say!”
It seems that our dog, Simon, just can’t stand being away from his vet, Dr. Ringler. Every couple of weeks he’s been having skin infections of some sort which require him to go back on antibiotics. The last time he got an infected toe nail and is just back to normal in the past couple of days. The doctor said that Schnauzers tend to get skin infections easily and so our perfectly trimmed Schnoodle is once again growing his hair out to the length it was as a puppy. He already has lost the Schnauzer look and is much more mischling/ Schnoodle-like. No matter what, he’s just adoreable and we love him!
So, as life is seemingly about to take off for me in lots of new directions, I will keep everyone in the loop and try harder to update Dover’s World more often. And please remember how much I love hearing from you!
Cheers!
Se
