This evening’s Freestyle in Rotterdam was the reason why I love coming to this show, even with the cold and driving rain which tested the courage of both horses and riders. Though the sky opened up just as Edward Gal and Totilas were about to enter the arena, so much so in fact that it was hard to make him out in his grey jacket on the black stallion through the torrential down-pore, this pair was simply magnificient! In all my years I can honestly say I have never seen a more fantastic equine athlete in our sport of Dressage. There are other wonderful horses and it has been the case in the past that Totilas is beatable if (but I will say only if) he makes mistakes out of tension. That being said, he had every right to show tension tonight but looked as if the whole thing were a walk in the park, thus his 90.143%! Courage!

Adelinda Cornelissen and Parzival both showed amazing courage as well when just as she was going down the outside of the arena toward A, the bill boards on the entire short side of the main arena began to change repeatedly to show the various sponsors of the show. Parzival had every reason to turn and run and would have but for the patience of Adelinda who took it in stride and, after finally getting him down to the entrance, had just enough time to relax him enough to produce a very nice, if not mistake-free ride for 2nd place and 83.929%. Courage!

I honestly would have had Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Sunrise 2nd but she received 81.250 and was 3rd. Her music was, for me, the best of he night. Produced by Jost Peters with one of the finest pianists in the world, I was absolutely carried away by the gorgeous piece, both the story and thre drama. And Sunrise had a lovely and harmonious test. Courage!

But, friends, that is where the show went from one in which I may have exchanged the spots of Imke and Adelinda but was still happy for them both as well as for Edward - 3 great rides which were easy to give very high marks - to feeling discouraged that there is still a total lack of courage displayed by too many judges. It really doesn’t take a lot of courage to score something fantastic with high marks or something absolutely insufficient with very low ones. But it does require courage to give certain famous riders and horses low marks for movements which are not only insufficient but actually not even meeting the definition of the movement in the FEI Handbook. Horses which did no discernible piaffe whatsoever and had irregular trots and passage as well as huge laboured pirouettes were allowed to have scores above both Belinda Trussell and Ashley Holzer, both of whom had lovely, mistake-free rides with their horses tonight. You can say that I am biased but I guarantee that if you watch the video of all of the rides this evening, you will agree with me. I even believe that were I able to sit with the video from all of the rides with the judges and go through them being played next to each other, they would come out with a different outcome. This is why I am hopeful that the Supervisory Panel which now only can correct errors of counting (as in tempi changes) will be able to flag inappropriate judging and change scores which just don’t belong being given, whether too high or low. Only then can we hope that judges will step up to the plate and display the courage of their convictions, and if they are simply not good enough at their job, the Supervisory Panel should direct the FEI Dressage Committee to have them demoted, plain and simple.
The riders,trainers, supporters, owners, and sponsors deserve to have fair and courageous judging. And until there is, I will go on complaining about it regardless of whether people want to hear me say it or not. I guess when you’ve been around in the sport as long as I have, if nothing else, I have Courage.

Cheers!

RD

Oh my GOD!  I just got back to my room in the hotel after morning training with Ashley and Belinda to prepare for tonight’s Freestyle in Rotterdam and I have internet service. Hurray!

So, I thought I would mention a few other things I have not so far because, frankly, I did not want to spend so much money being online on my Blackberry. It is REALLY EXPENSIVE!  And, as promised, I am showing you the main arena here in Rotterdam from the first warm-up day when it was still sort of warm and sunny, as opposed to how it is now - a mild winter day with rain.

I have always loved coming to Rotterdam as a CDI and have only had great experiences here, but to be very honest, I must admit that for a major CHIO, I have found this year there have been more than a few organizational issues which, sadly, are unsatisfactory.  I will not go into all of them but will say that both the computer situations and some human errors have just not been up to the standard for which this great show has made its reputation.  Granted, this is the first of the shows in which the FEI Pilot Programs that the Dressage Task Force created last year are being tried out, but for Ashley Holzer to have ridden in the Grand Prix with it being announced that she was aboard Sonnenstern instead of Pop Art was just plain wrong.  And despite trying to have it fixed so the owners did not have to read and listen to her being called out riding the wrong horse all day, I was told that it was impossible to change because doing so would delete all her points from the scoreboard.  I love Sonnenstern and he did a great job in the Intermediare 1 later that day and luckily was not called Pop Art!  You get my point, eh?  I also want to say that the secretary could not be nicer though and I know that when she sees me coming, she and the others are considering the possibility of jumping out the second story window from their office.  I just like things very literal and perfect.  If you ask me for a list of my riders when I arrive at the show, I will give you the list in no definite order.  If you ask me for my Team’s “Order Of Go” for the Nations Cup, I will give you that exactly as I want it.  Enough said? OK.

The other thing which is a bit disappointing to me is the look and feel of the “old” main arena.  It used to give a rider such a rush to go around and then into this ring and now it was like being at a schooling show where the horses could not even go around the outside anymore and had to start from inside the arena.  And for such a major show, there were very few spectators for the Grand Prix Special and very little atmosphere.  That being said, I am positive that tonight’s Freestyle in the main arena will bring me right back to my memories of thousands of people filing in to see the main event, now in the beautiful stadium.  I would honestly reduce the show in the future and only use the main arena as I feel that part of the problem is just that they are trying to do too  many things and it just becomes too confusing for everyone, including the stewards.  I also think that, because of the many languages spoken at CHIO’s, there should be a Chefs Meeting immediately to go over all things and questions.  Then, again after the jog, thee should be the second Chefs Meeting to do the  Draw and further clarify any issues there might be.  By doing this, many of the issues I have experienced might have been prevented.

I have been happy to hear that the use of the “Supervisory Panel” was successful and it is my belief that it should be evolved to work beyond just technical errors such as miscounts in tempi changes and the like in the future.  If there is a clear discrepancy in the judging in which, for instance, someone has a very poor piaffe but receives a high score anyway, it should be incumbent upon the S.P. to change the score for the average of their own.  This is done in other sports already and Dressage should follow suit in order to maintain the “fundamental correctness” in our sport.  Otherwise, I can honestly say, after being on this tour, that it is not always clear what exactly is “acceptable” to the judges anymore.  I have seen a great horse piaffe 3 meters forward and receive 7’s and 8’s for it. Sorry - unacceptable.  I have seen others behind the vertical for the entire test receive well over 70% where if you only watched its legs, that would be fine. Problem is, they are supposed to count off for not being on the bit correctly.  Or so I thought.  So, as I say, I am thrilled with the use of the S.P. and hope that Uwe Mechlem and the others will fearlessly and wisely keep moving this process forward so as to assure even more correctness in the marks and the results.

Still, all in all, ,  Rotterdam is by far one of the great shows in the world and I only want it to be greater and greater, so I would never want anyone to think I do not appreciate everyone who makes it happen for us all! These are my friends and my colleagues and I have the greatest respect and admiration for them. Sermon over.  

Cheers!

RD

Canada had more very good results on two continents today and I couldn’t be happier. First, at the CDI in Blainville, Quebec, Victoria Winter won the Grand Prix over Americans, Lauren Sammis and Sue Blinks, riding Cindy Ishoy’s, Proton. Many congratulations go out to Vickie and Cindy for a job well done!

Here in Rotterdam, where our hotel came under new ownership, leaving us without internet access, thereby forcing me to once again post this from my Blackberry, Bonny Bonnello placed 3rd in the Grand Prix Special with Pikardi and Ashley Holzer was 5th in the Intermediare 1 on Jewel Court Sonnenstern. More very promising results for the Canadian Team!

Tomorrow night is the sold-out Freestyle with many of the world’s top combinations competing. Ashley and Belinda will both be representing Canada and I will bring you the results directly after the class. Then, I will be on my way to go stay a few days with my friend, Guenter, who is recovering in the hospital in Munster, Germany. He was feeling a bit better today, thank GOD!

Cheers!

RD

I was very proud to walk into the main arena at the CHIO Rotterdam in front of my 3rd placed Canadian Team. I must say that my goal coming to this great show was to place in the top 3, knowing that Holland and Germany would likely be one and two respectively, as was the case. Ending up in front of the Swedish, Danish, and Belgian teams even though I can tell you that each of our combinations had a few more errors or lost points than usual and Shannon Dueck’s mare, Ayscha, had a sore back and had to be withdrawn, makes me even more confident in Canada’s ability to be a very strong team by the fall.

I know I was supposed to bring you some pictures of Rotterdam and I did take them; however, the hotel in which we are all staying changed ownership today and there is no internet access, so I am writing this post from my Blackberry. Sorry!

I also want to be fair and give credit to the Dutch Team which clearly showed why they are perceived to be in a league by themselves. They have great riders on some of the best equine athletes I have ever seen in my entire life. I also want to congratulate the German team and those individuals who made the top 12 going for the Freestyle Saturday night, 2 of whom are Canadians, Ashley Holzer and Belinda Trussell. Bonny Bonnello will be contending in the Grand Prix Special tomorrow afternoon. I will report on their success and bring you the promised photos as soon as I can.

Cheers!

RD

I always thought Rotterdam was one of the best shows in Europe.  It is beautifully organized and extremely well sponsored and I have fond memories of it being a real “game-changer” in my own career.  When, in 1987, I rode my freestyle on Federleicht, I can still feel the reaction of the crowds as they saw American musicality perhaps for the first time and were literally on their feet as my Kur ended to my signature, “That’s All!”  Well, Rotterdam has grown by leaps and bounds and though it still has the lovely feeling of being in the woods surrounded by wonderful parks and waterways, the arenas are completely changed with what was before the grass Grand Prix Jumping field now housing an all-weather arena used for both Jumping and Dressage.  It gives one the same feeling as we have become used to in Wellington during the Masters. (I’ll be sure to take some pictures tomorrow to put up on the site.)

Now, what I also forgot was just how far everything is here if you don’t have a bike or scooter or even a Segway!  And, after 3 days, I still have the flu and haven’t been able to keep much down so exhaustion is setting in as I write this.  We have warm-ups in the main arena in the morning from 7:00am-9:15 and our two CDN riders, Wendy Christoff and Cheryl Meisner, will be competing between 12:00pm and 2:00pm so I will have a report on their class and all the rest tomorrow.  Pretty much everyone is here to compete in front of the WEG  Judging panel, so I guarantee it’s going to be exciting and hopefully a bit better judged, if I might add, then some of the past classes at shows before.

Guenter is about the same and I know he appreciates every-one’s messages of concern and love. I will see him right after the show on Sunday and send every-one’s best wishes.

Cheers!

RD

What essential tool did Ezra Warner patent forty five years after the invention of canned food?

What number of varieties is associated with Heinz’s products?

What method of food preservation was invented for the British Navy in 1813?

What four-letter name was given to Hormel Special Ham in the 1930?

What is the main use for the legume phaselus vulgaris in the canned food industry?

What 1941 invention by Heinz and ICI kept troops warm durning the D-Day landngs?

I hope you enjoy playiing my new Twister. Please let me know.

Robert’s Mom

Yesterday, my very good friend, Guenter Seidel, had a bad accident while mounting his horse at the stable of Klaus Balkenhol’s in Germany.  He put his foot in the stirrup and says that’s the last thing he remembers; however, his groom said that the horse bolted and began bucking and running and as one would expect, Guenter actually stayed on quite some time before falling.  He was air-lifted to Munster which is a university hospital and had one of the top surgeons in Germany perform his surgery to repair a broken pelvis with a plate as well as a punctured lung.  Both procedures went well and I have spoken to him twice today, the first time hearing that he was in a lot of pain.  I have a lot of experience with that sort of thing so I told him to scream bloody murder until the nurses gave him better med’s and after lunch he was feeling much better.  He is still in the I.C.U. but hopes to be moved to a normal room later today and I will go to visit him directly after the Rotterdam Show is over for my Canadian riders on Sunday.  In the meantime, I will call him a few times a day and let you all know how he is doing. It will require about 2 weeks in the hospital and then another four months for recovery, which I hope he will be able to do back at home in San Diego. The best news though is that he will recover and be fine in time.

On a brighter note, Anne Gribbons and Debbie McDonald went and visited Courtney King the other day at the Kessler Institute where she continues her recovery and they said she is doing even better than they had hoped.  She was able to walk up a few stairs on her own, lift her right arm which earlier had not been possible, up over her head, and is laughing and talking and completely cognisant of exactly what everyone is saying to her.  Anne said that Courtney shows her “Olympic Determination” and resolve to recover 100% and I can completely believe it.  It is hopeful that she will be able to go home in July and keep doing her therapy as an out-patient.  I am still living in my “COME BACK COURT” arm band and will not take it off until I see her back on her horse!

I leave for Rotterdam early tomorrow morning but will be reporting on the show as well as Guenter’s progress daily here on DoversWorld.com.  And Dick and Jane Brown just sent out a message letting everyone know they can send “Get
Well”  cards to:                  Guenter Seidel, c/o   Klaus Balkenhol, Hoven 92,            48720  Rosendahl, Germany

Thanks very much!

RD

Robert and I drove into Antwerp yesterday and stayed the night and had a great time. Tonight we drive back to the Brussels airport where he will take the early morning flight back to Florida.

Sadly, I forgot to take our camera with us but I just want to say that downtown Antwerp is both ancient and beautiful and is a “must see” for anyone coming to this part of Europe.  For me though, even sadder is that I somehow contracted the flu along the way and am presently a wreck as I write this post.  See how devoted I am to you, my loyal readers?  Which brings me to the fact that though I’ve been typing away to keep you all involved in my life, it seems to have lately been somewhat of a one-way street. And you know how I feel about not hearing from you, eh?

So get with it, friends. If nothing else, send me your tried and true remedies for the flu and its symptoms, of which I have them all!  Thanks!!

Cheers - sort of!

RD

Canadian riders are poised and ready to compete over the next 2 weekends in both Rotterdam, Holland and Fritzen, Austria.  We will be sending a team to Rotterdam and I was thrilled with the way the horses looked today!  They have definitely made great progress since Lingen and I feel confident this will show next week. 

Since the CDN Grand Prix at Rotterdam will not be useful for our riders trying our for a team spot in the World Equestrian Games, due to the selection criteria which states that only CDI3* or higher will be counted, Wendy Christoff and Pfalstaff will also be traveling down to the farm of Christlot Boylen and Udo Lange to prepare and go together to Fritzen to compete in the CDI there.  Fritzen is a lovely show alnd a great venue for our riders as well as Americans, Tina Konyot, Guenter Seidel, and Todd Flettrich, all of whom will be attending.

Tomorrow is a well earned day off for our horses at Jewel Court as well as the riders and myself.  I will be going into Antwerp tonight and Brussels tomorrow evening since Robert will be flying home from there on Monday morning at which time I will head back to Brasschaat to work with our team.  We leave early Tuesday morning for Rotterdam.  I can’t wait!

Cheers!

RD

Anyone interested in an up close and personal look at the family history of J.Z. can go to the following link: http://vimeo.com/12458618

Signed

Anonymous