Oy Canada And All - Sorry For My Absence From DoversWorld!
Listen, I know that I haven’t been great about posting new blogs recently, but let me explain. You see, I thought I was accepting a job which was to be “part-time” and allow me to carry on my normal, pretty relaxed lifestyle. So much for wishful thinking, eh?
Don’t get me wrong- I have really enjoyed coaching and giving technical advise to the Canadian High Performance riders. I just didn’t kn ow there would be so many of them! So now I am starting my days getting up at 6:00am and working straight through until between 4 and 5:00pm 6 days a week. But the riders and horses have been a pleasure and I am truly enjoying the creative process of building a medal contending team. And Canada is so supportive of my work and advise as a whole that this has also been very refreshing.
Still, there is a huge amount of work that is being undertaken by both staff and volunteers of Dressage and Equine Canada which govern the sport. When I took on the role of Coach/Technical Advisor, the organizations were both working together to re-build, from the absolute ground up, every facet of what makes up their High Performance division; everything from programs for riders from Juniors through International Elite Grand Prix are in the process of being created. Of course, this requires a very strong fundraising arm, and this also is, at this very moment, becoming a reality. We are working on holding multiple benefits for our riders and programs both before our Elite combinations leave for Europe in May to do a 4 show tour, and after to raise the necessary funds to send them with every possible necessity to Kentucky. I am very thankful to both the tireless staff at Equine Canada and the amazing volunteers of Dressage Canada who are, right this very minute, continuing to hammer out all the details which will ensure that our riders and horses have every possible advantage going forward to enable them to bring back medals at every level.
It’s now the end of the day and I am really exhausted and going to bed. We have another big day ahead with some of our horses doing the show at Jim Brandon to prepare for the both the Masters next week and the next CDI the following week. They will be great, just as they were last week at the show.
Cheers!
RD
