The Canadian riders and horses are on their way south from their homes as well as north from Florida to compete in the Test Event CDI which begins next Monday with the official jog.  As it stands, 3 of the 4 combinations who are presently at the top of the long-list in Grand Prix will not be attending, so it will be up to Belinda Trussell and our other great riders and horses to maintain their ongoing supremacy of the east-coast shows.  I have great confidence in them and know they will do great!

I will be flying into Lexington on Sunday morning to begin training our group and will report daily on the classes as well as behind the scenes “goings’ on”.

Cheers!

RD

American Idol has proven to be more of a contest than I thought it was going to be early on, showing the group as a whole is far more talented than at first look. Hell - the judges even stopped qualifying Tim’s songs as if he were in a contest set apart from the others, a bit like a few seasons ago with Senjiah.
Honestly, I like Big Mike, Shivone and Tall Guy with Long Hair (sorry, I can’t remember his name- uh oh!)

But, all in all, I still say the Crystal Bowersox has set the bar almost every week with her incredibly authentic voice and a sense of inner strength which emanates only from those who are obviously born with such an immense gift that it would actually be far harder for her to suppress it than simply to let it fly out of her as if on the wings of angels. So, while I am enjoying most of the singers this year, I do think that Crystal has the win in her pocket.

But then, I did say the exact same thing last year about Adam Lambert!

Cheers!

RD

Over 300 people came out yesterday to enjoy and support the End Of Season Celebration / Fundraiser for the Courtney King-Dye, Charlie Weaver, and the Equestrian Aid Foundation.  Robert Ross along with Keller Williams, the listing agents for this magnificent farm in Grand Prix Village at 3410 Old Hampton Road, made this open house even more remarkable by combining the party with a benefit for our friends in need which, despite inclement weather most of the day, came our in force to what ended up being a great evening. Even the clouds cleared and, thanks to the generosity of Maryanna Hayman, the owner of the beautiful stallion, Don Principe, the horse Courtney had been competing before her injury, I was able to come our of retirement for just over 4 minutes to ride a musical freestyle in honor of Courtney and Charlie to the song, Hero, by Mariah Carey. Many thanks go out to Jen Marchand, Courtney’s assistant, and my heartfelt appreciation goes to my “friend” from the dressage world who underwrote the exhibition to ensure that both Courtney and Charlie would receive a minimum of $5,000.00. She always comes through and I love her!

All the auction items sold for the benefit of the EAF as well and I could see that everyone was having a great time, so in the end, it could not have been a better evening to wrap up another show season in Florida. When people say that our community is elitist and selfish, I can just say they have no idea what they are talking about. Do we have a great life and are blessed? Absolutely!  But, because of that, we recognize our need to give back and have learned how to do that while still having a great time.  And who could ever imagine anyone complaining about that, eh?

Cheers!

RD

Wendy Christoff won again today in the Grand Prix Special with Pfalstaff with an even higher score than yesterday, earning her close to 68%! Only one judge had her at a 65 while all the others were between 67  and 69%.  She is definitely on her way toward the magical 70% and beyond and I am very much looking forward to helping her and Pfalstaff realize that goal.  I also want to congratulate Wendy’s trainer, Leslie Reid, on a job well done!

Now, on to Lexington and the “Test Event” where the majority of east coast riders will be competing. It should prove to be a very interesting show, as many Europeans will also be coming to spectate and scope out the grounds so as to best prepare their teams for the World Equestrian Games. I’ll report from there as well.

Cheers!

RD

I am very pleased and excited to report that another Canadian has won a major Grand Prix at an American CDI!   This one was in Rancho Murieta, California, where Wendy Christoff and Pfalstaff not only won the class but  ended way out in front by almost 5 full percentage points with a score of 67.064.  Wendy is a little lady whose wonderful rapport with her gelding is obvious when you see them work. The best news is that I feel extremely confident that this pair, with a little more seasoning and exposure, can easily achieve scores over 70%.

Now, I know that thee are those who think that I am just a big talker when I say that I believe my riders and their horses can go over 70%, but just remember this. Belinda Trussell started this season with a Grand Prix in the low 60’s and I said that I was certain they would go over 70% before the end of the season. And not only has she done that, but she has won the last 3 Grand Prix CDI classes here in Florida with scores closing in on 72%. Mark my words, Anton and Belinda will go up to the mid 70’s with a little more time and we will see our other Canadian riders following close behind. And that doesn’t even speak to the fact that Canadian stars, Ashley Holzer and Pop Art will be touring with our group in Europe this summer as we build toward the World Equestrian Games in the fall in Lexington, KY.

The qualifying period for our European Tour will be over at the end of April, and I feel great about the combinations which are rising to the top, but there are also some greener pairs which have yet to bloom and I will be watching them as the spring and summer go on. Some are just beginning to show as combinations together, both in North America and in Europe. Others are planning on staying in North America to try to make the team for the Games.  Regardless of their game plans, I wish all of our Canadian riders the very best of luck as we continue to march toward the medal podium at the WEG’s!   And, CONGRATULATIONS, Wendy!

Cheers!

RD

I am proud of both Ricky Martin and Louis Van Amstel for taking their status as openly gay entertainers and telling America and the world how unfair it is that we cannot enjoy the exact same rights to marry the people we love as heterosexuals. Martin and his boyfriend have 2 kids and I am certain it is a huge relief for them to finally be able to be who they are in public. The sad thing is that Florida, his state of residence and my own and my spouse, Robert’s, is one of the most backward states in the country with regard to Gay Rights. Fortunately, we live in South Florida ( Miami), by far the most liberal area in the state, but make no mistake; we may not get married or even legally adopt children in Florida, regardless of how many kids are in need of loving homes.

I thought that Louis Van Amstel’s strong words about his hopes (and mine) that America will finally wake up and allow everyone the right to marry the person they love. As opposed as many people are to that idea, when Kathy Griffin went door to door asking people if they were in favor of Gay Marriage, those that said “no”, when pushed a bit further, recognized that allowing gays to marry would not honestly affect their lives at all. Thus, there is no real reason to disallow 10% of the world’s population ( even in Iraq, Mr. Ahmadinejad) the right to be married to their soul-mate. I am still waiting to be allowed to legally marry mine after 22 years of being together!  It’ll be a great party - I guarantee it!

Cheers!

RD

So, we are now well into April and down here in Wellington we have finally gotten to enjoy the weather we were looking for all winter. It has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Cloudless days and balmy nights both in Wellington and South Beach have been so delightful and I’m just plain loving it. I love walking Simon along the bay and letting him play with all the dogs he meets. And strolling down Lincoln Road with all the great restaurants and shops. Up here in Wellington, a lot of folks have left, making the streets as well as the restaurants easier to deal with.

So what can I say - it’s just a happy time for me. I visited my parents yesterday on my way home from Miami and had a nice dinner with them. Life is good!
I hope everyone is enjoying their spring as much as I am.

Cheers!

RD

Spring has sprung and the sad part is that many of my Canadian students have headed back up north, which always reminds me of when summer camp used to end. I hated it when everyone who had grown so close went their separate ways. The good news is that almost all of the east coast riders will once again be coming down for the CDI Test Event in Lexington which goes from the 18th to the 22nd of April. This will not only give us a good chance to get the lay of the land for our team, but will also be the last qualifier our here for making the squad which I will be taking to Europe in early May. Two more wst coast competitions are also being held in the nest few weeks which also are qualifiers for the Tour, which includes Wiesbaden, Lingen, Rotterrdam and Aachen.
Canada is also coming together for its first ever Dressage Hall Of Fame benefit April 25th, the proceeds from which will be used for our World Equestrian Games effort. Please come our and support our riders as well as the wonderful inductees at this not to be missed event!
From the 26th to the 28th of April, I will also be conducting a clinic geared toward developing combinations with the thrust toward building our Gold Medal Pan American Team for next year, ass well as future top Olympic contenders.

As you see. it’s going to be a very busy and, I feel confident, successful spring and summer as we head for the WEG’s this fall in Kentucky. Just remember, Kentucky is the land of the big bets and long-shots. Canada could very well be the “dark horse”. Wanna bet?

Cheers!

RD

With all of the very sad and tough things which have happened to recently to people we love, life has a way of reminding us of the miracles, small and large, taking place each and every day.

Like Para Equestrian, Jonathan Wentze, receiving a horse for the World Equestrian Games. And I have been receiving many such messages from wonderful people offering their horses to the other riders in need of new mounts, which I have forwarded to Pam Lane at the US Equestrian Federation.
In the last week Courtney King-Dye, now recovering at the Kessler Institute in New Jersey, is showing daily improvement. Another miracle!

My mother received a very positive report from the eye specialist who told her the cancer in her eyes had receded from the latest Chemotherapy. She is now going to try a less toxic form of medication to see if it will keep the cancer at bay while improving her quality of life. Remember, she was given 3 months to live 7 years ago!

Canadian riders won all but a couple of the CDI Grand Prix Classes here in Florida and have placed well in California and here in Wellington as a group too. They are excited to be part of a movement that is seeing great improvement and I am thrilled that their hard work and dedication is paying off. I’m looking forward to a very successful summer tour with a group of them after most take part in the “test event” in Lexington, Ky in a few weeks.

And I am so proud of my partner, Robert Ross, who will be hosting a great “End Of Season Celebration” and Benefit for 3 great causes: The Equestrian Aid Foundation, Courtney King-Dye and Charlie Weaver.  It’s going to be a great party and I hope all the local police officers and fire-fighters who know Joe as well as anyone else who just wants to celebrate the season’s end and support our causes will come join us!  I love how the universe works.  Don’t you?

Cheers!

RD

The very first Gay Polo League Tournament will hit Wellington tomorrow at the GrandChampion field on Pierson Rd. The 1st round begins at 10:00am and the 2ndround is at 2:00pm. Come out and tail-gate or join the group in the VIP tent and cheer on your favorite team. I guarantee you will not only see a very high level of sport, but also enjoy a wonderfully diverse crowd. Thanks to Mason Phelps and Kim Tudor for their hard work in supporting this event.

Saturday is the consolation round for the bottom two teams at 1:00pm, followed by special Dressage and Reining exhibitions and culminating in the final championship tournament beginning at 3:00pm.
And naturally, there will be a great Post Event Party at the International Polo Club beginning at 5:30pm which is also open to the public.
I hope you will all come out and show your support for these great guys and come by to meet and talk with them after the tournament is over at the IPC.

Cheers!

RD