In 1983 Dressage shows were not only horse shows but social events. Gisela & Howalt Pferdekamper ran the Palm Beach Derby that year at White Fences. Even driving into the show was a treat. The roads led down lovely lanes with working ranches on either side.

Jeans hadn’t come into style yet and we wore lovely sport clothes.  Luncheon was served in the paddock on round tables set with cloths, real plates and lovely flowers at each table.  Robert chatted with folks, including his great friend, Ruth Barrish, at the table before his ride. After lunch we went to the stands that had been built, to watch the show.  We were delighted that Robert won on Romantico.  Here is his picture as he waits to enter the arena for his prize blue ribbon and $1,500.

Winning is so much more fun than losing!

That was a special time, never to be duplicated again.Today’s shows are not social events. You go, watch, eat at a stand, and go home. I believe with the Masters coming to Wellington again after all and other great things I hear are in the works, that may soon change for the better.

I used to set up my jewelry kiosk at the shows. Kay Dore brought her jewelry too. We showed them together and became fast friends, and remain so today.  Thanks to Walter and Mary Anne McPhail, the Palm Beach Derby, though at a different location since the Pferdekamper’s sold their farm, has gone  on as a tradition since 1983!  May it go on and become ever greater with each passing year!

It was a lovely time visiting with people who came to the shows. I hope horse folks get to enjoy the thrill of it all again.

The Dover's and the Dubin's never missed a show and always has a great time cheering on their "son".

 Love,

Robert’s Moms, Jean and Mercedes

Sean O’Keefe said he was going to put on an amazing and memorable event and the Tetrathlon last night at the Jim Brandon Center was just that.  The four teams made up of Dressage, Jumping, Reining and Polo riders competed in sports other than their own and that was just part of the fun.  Great food served by just about every top restaurant in the area made dining absolutely wonderful and the auctions, both silent and live were a great success.  Every single moment of the evening was taken up with something to keep adults and kids having a good time, including a group dance and a game of Simon Says.  I have to say that though that the best pat for me was getting to see some of the folks the EAF has helped over the years and knowing they are doing well in part due to the help the organization has given them.  That is what has made all the hard work that everyone involved with running the EAF over the last 16 years worthwhile.

My compliments for a great and successful party go out to Sean, Scot, all the members of the EAF Board and all the volunteers who made the event the wonderful evening it was!  I hear another Tetrathlon may be held sometime soon on the west coast.  Let’s hope so as it will be a blast for them out there and let’s also hope that this brings back our annual tradition of holding the EAF/ Sidelines Tetrathlon!

Cheers!

RD

I love good news and what could be better than the birth of twins to my  good friends, Steve Heineke and Ken Riel!  Charlie and Olive were born today in Charlotte and will be released from the hospital on Wednesday and soon thereafter will be travelling with the two boys down by car to their new home in Wellington where lots and lots of  “uncles and aunts” can’t wait to help their Daddys spoil the hell out of them!  And who could blame any of us when you see how adorable they are. Right?

Charlie is on the left and Olive is on the right

Cheers!

RD

I am very excited to offer my listeners some really super offers! Tomorrow night on “Dover’s World” at 6:05pm to 8:00pm, If you call in to WBZT (AM 1230) to speak to mt Special Guests, each will be giving you something back.

Dr. Jennine Cabanerra of The Wellington Institute will be raffling off a FREE Weight Loss Program to one very lucky caller and will give free Reike sessions to each of the rest of the callers. How awesome!

And Charlie Tota of The Dressage Connection will give 10% off any purchase over $50 to each of the callers during his segment. Wow!

So don’t forget to tune in and call in to 561-844-6167 or toll-free from anywhere to 800-889-0267. It’s going to be a great show!

Cheers!

RD

Join me and my “Special Guests” this Tuesday evening for 2 hours from 6-8pm EST on WBZT (AM1230) and live around the world right here at DoversWorld.com when we talk about getting older while looking and feeling younger in every way.  Impossible, you say?  I will tell you that, with an excellent diet, the right exercise, and the help of a specialist like Dr. Jennine Cabanerra of the Wellington Institute of Wellness, you can look and feel decades younger than your age.  If you think I’m lying to you, take a look at the picture they have used of me for the past couple of years with my shirt open.  If you run into me somewhere,  just ask andI’ll take my shirt off and prove it. I’ll show you even more defined abs and a more youthful body than the time from that photo - guaranteed!  If that sounds egotistical, I’m sorry, but I haven’t worked my ass off in the gym, dieted correctly and gone to the very best Anti-aging specialist in America to act all shy and self-concoius at this point in mylife.  I want to head to South Beach every weekend and look great in a bathing suit!  :)    But it’s not just about making you look better from the outside; Dr. Cabanerra will explain how she examines your blood, urine, saliva and even your family history of medical problems in order to bring you into a perfect balance nutritionally, hormonally, and chemically so as to bring your body, mind and spirit into such harmony that you feel and look far younger than your years.  We will take your calls to 561-844-6167 or 1-800-889-0267 and you can ask her yourself about your issues and even your fears, just as I did.  She is amazing - a Harvard graduate who has specialised in Anti-aging for close to 15 years with fantastic results!   At the end of the day, “To Age Or To Anti-Age…….That Is The Question!”

In my second hour, I will have Charlie Tota of The Dressage Connection and Pana Cavallo on to discuss the reason he has undertaken a new direction with his extremely successful business and how this will bring even higher quality tack and equipment for horse and rider to all of us at the best prices ever.  All of us know how expensive everything has become here in America, especially with a weak dollar.  Well, my good friend Charlie has created a way to deal with these high costs and is ushering in a new era to the “Tack Shop business”.  I promise you this is stuff you will want to hear about, regardless of what type of riding you do and once again, you can call in to speak to Charlie and me at 561-844-6167 or toll free from anywhere in the world at 1-800-889-0267.  We would all love to hear from you with your questions and comments!

And, of course, it couldn’t be Dover’s World without a round up from my International Reporter, Lita Dove, on all that is happening around the “Equestrian World” as well as “The Voice Of  Welli-World” himself, Mason Phelps, who will give us the skinny on everything that went down since last week here in Wellington and all that we can look forward to in the upcoming days.  These two Pro’s make Dover’s World a ” MUST LISTEN” all on their own.  But I too will have some “stuff” to talk about at the beginning of the first hour regarding the recent unlawful use of Carriage Horses in Manhattan during the Weather Emergency called for by Mayor Bloomberg.  If you’ve been following my blog, you will see that the discussion of this as well as my call to fix the problems or ban the industry altogether has been quite hot at times.  I also am calling for the closure of all auctions in the United States which sell horses to killers for meat.  Besides dogs, no animal has done more for humans in the history of the world then horses and we owe them thousands of times over and must do something about anything which does not see this as a fact.  If you agree with me, please call in to the numbers above and tell me and my listeners.  Later in the season, I hope to have members of 2 groups who have dedicated themselves to saving horses from slaughter and the terrible torture they endure even before they are killed.  Please tune in and call in and tell your friends to tell their friends to…… oh, you get it. :)  Hope to talk to you on Tuesday!

Cheers!

RD

As is always the case, the season has begun for not only the horse shows in Florida and California but also for fundraising for the many charities which work so hard for so many great causes.  From the USET to the Equestrian Aid Foundatrion to Vinceremos to the Challenge of the Charities and the Challenge of the Americas and many more, we in the Equestrian World most definitely do our part to make the world a better place for animals and humans alike.  It’s hard to take part in every one of the benefits which take place every week and over each day of the weekends from now until April, though I bet my good friend, Mason Phelps, not only appears at each and every one but also helps out in one way or another to ensure they are a success!  Robert and I will support as many as we can this year and hope you all will too, starting with the EAF Tetrathlon tomorrow,(Sunday) night at the Jim Brandon Center. It’s going to be fantastic!  Click the banner at the top of this page for more info and I hope to see you there!

Cheers!

RD

I believe I was extremely fair in the way I dealt with and covered my story of  the Carriage Horse industry in major cities, especially Manhattan.  I went and saw the stables, gave credit where credit was due, tried to be open with my general support for anyone who gave excellent and loving care to horses in this and any industry, and was equally critical and up front with issues I feel are not adequately being dealt with. 

But here’s the thing.  I said I would be watching to see if improvements I suggested to enhance the safety and care of Carriage horses would be undertaken, including a police escort to their work places in the mornings as well as on their return to their stables at the end of their day, fines for any driver not obeying the traffic laws or caught reading, texting or calling while driving, safer and better stabling and care to match that of the level of Steven’s barn, and clear adherence to all laws pertaining to the use of the horses in inclement weather, such as under 19 degrees or during blizzards. 

Well, New York has just been hit with repeated blizzards, so bad in fact that Mayor Bloomberg declared a “weather emergency” after 19 inches of snow fell in the city. He stated, ” Clearing the streets remains our number one job  and to do that, motorists should please refrain from driving.  The law provides that horses may not work in Manhattan under “Weather emergency conditions” and yet the carriages were out, despite the ASPCA  stating in fact that they were not allowed to work in such dangerous conditions.  It is most obvious by the pictures below that neither the ASPCA nor the Carriage Horse industry can be counted on to properly adhere to the law and protect the welfare of the animals.  The ASPCA is falling short on their policing of the industry and the owners, driver and care-givers are absolutely not self-policing their conduct as they should.

So, though I have said that I am not against the use of horses to pull carriages, even in major cities, provided that their standard of care is as it would be for my own horses in my stables, I cannot sit by and see the gross negligence in this instance and must come to the conclusion that short of a complete overhaul on the regulations regarding the industry and new methods of policing it, the Horse Carriage industry in New York and any cities where they would be treated as they are there, must be banned.  At the same time, Auctions which sell horses for meat should be made against the law as well to ensure that once banned, the horses presently used in New York would have to be sold or given away to good homes in other places where people do make their care and well-being the their highest priority.

Horses out despite a "Weather Emergency"

Clear evidence the the industry is not considering the welfare of the horses first!

 These pictures speak volumes to me and I believe they must to you too.  Please join me in sending a clear message to the Horse Carriage industry as well as the ASPCA that they need to either FIX IT OR BAN IT!  If it is, as I have been told by both sides, unfixable by my standards, than it needs to become a thing of the past, for the welfare of the horses.

RD

My boyfriend of 23 years celebrated his 45th birthday today and he is truly more wonderful, hotter and more successful than ever!  Robert is one of the top 15 Realtors from Keller Williams in th entire nation after only a couple of years in the industry. He is an abolute genius at this and pretty much everything else he undertakes.  But the most amazing thing is that Robert has been able to deal with me for 23 years without killing me off, which is a feat all unto itself!  Without him, I would surely still be circling around somewhere in a European country looking for my hotel, most definitely a discount one at that!  Robert has always been the compass and the wings with which I and our relationship has flown to the greatest of heights and continues to soar beyond my wildest dreams.

So, to the Love of my life, Robert Ross, I wish  a Happy, Healthy Birthday and 100 more Happy, Healthy returns!

Love,

RD

Our President gave a clear and vivid description of his vision for the direction in which he wants to take America; one in which WE WILL WIN THE FUTURE!  And win it we must if we are to leave a better world for our children and the many generations to come.  He is determined to create jobs through innovation, education, and building our infrastructure while cutting our debt.  None of these things will be easy, he said, and all will take time but we must be determind  to live up to the ideals which have made America the greatest nation in the world.

To those who criticized President Obama for not talking enough about how he would cut our debt, that debt which was created in the 8 years of the former Republican President, but which the right keep blaming on this President, as well as all the other messes which he inherited, I can only say that the biggest problem facing the Democrats is that they have been terrible at sending out the message of each great change that has come about in the last 2 years.  Health-care reform (Thank God!) which he even said he is open for having anyone help to improve but we will not go back to having companies refuse people for pre-existing illnesses or dropping people if they have a hang-nail.  Education is huge on his priority list as it should be and the President outlined his “Race To The Top” program to have every town and city in America compete to see which can produce the very best Education System.  One of the worst in the country, Newark, New Jersey, is already making enormous strides because the Governor, the Mayor and the founder of Facebook have gotten together to “win the race to the top” for kids living in this city.  I Love It!

I also love that this President ended the “Don’t Ask - Don’t Tell” policy after so long and said that everyone is welcome to join and be of service in America’s military, regardless of who they love!  We are one step closer with this assertion to living in a country where every American enjoys EQUAL RIGHTS as provided by our constitution, including marrying the person we love.  I still hope, even after 23 years, that I will be able to legally marry Robert while my parents are both alive.  Is that too much to ask?  I mean, we are now allowed to serve and even die for our country.  Don’t you think that we should be able to marry each other too then?

The greatest thing that President Obama has given us ( and I mean ALL OF US), whether you choose to believe it or not, is HOPE!  I feel it everywhere I go in the world, from fellow Americans and those from other countries who once again look up to America as the shining light it is.  Just a few years ago, traveling for business overseas, I constantly felt the scorn and could read the graffiti on walls and I have to admit that there was reasonable cause to feel ashamed for certain things which our government had done, or not done in some cases like Sudan.  But now the world once again respects and even loves the United States, other than the countries which are aligned with organiztions that hate anything that stands for true liberty and freedom.  The American Dream lives as strong as ever in our people and I have seen it everywhere I go. And I predict that in 2 years, as our economy steadily grows and our deficit diminisheswhile more people find jobs, this President will win an easy victory over his Republican rival and we will keep moving our United States forward toward his vision of “WINNING THE FUTURE!”

Cheers!

RD

I am very excited that tomorrow night will be my first 2 hour show of “Dover’s World” on WBZT (AM 1230, Clear Channel) from Palm Beach to Miami and live around the world here at DoversWorld.com from 6:05pm to 8:00pm EST!  If you think it’s easy putting on a radio show, FYI….. it aint!  But it is fun and exciting doing things which are different and creative in ways other than at an arena or on a horse, though I admit that I still get a charge from having my horses and students learn something new.  The thing is that taking my ”Dover’s World” to 2 hours required me first to find more sponsors interested in supporting the show and seeing the value in it for themselves, their businesses or organizations.  It has been so gratifying that a wonderful group of people, all with completely different kinds of businesses, got on board very quickly and I thank them all from the bottom of my heart!  Once again, they are:  Robert Ross/ Keller Williams, Wellington Equestrian Development/ Beef Wellington, USPREA, Hampton Green Farm, The Dressage Connection/ Pana Cavallo, The Wellington Institute of Wellness, Phelps Media Group, Trident Title/ The Law Firm of Paul Krasker and Associates, and Martin Collins Footing.

So what can we look forward to tomorrow night?  I have a strong suspicion that this first show of my new season could not go off without a word (or a bunch of words) from my Mom and her ” Mom’s Corner”  I am always as surprised as you with what she comes up with and I’m sure it will be entertaining as usual.  Next, I am positive that my International Reporter, Lita Dove, will have lots of news from around the equestrian world and I can already guess that some of it will have to do with the status of the upcoming World Dressage Masters to be held here in Wellington this March.  Very interesting! 

 And my “Special Guests” in the first hour are the force behind a truly wonderful organization called ” Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center”.  I can’t tell you how many amazing things these people and their horses do for those in need and their director, Ruth Menor, will be on hand to describe their mission as well as discuss their upcoming benefit.  Along with Ruth will be their auction Chairwoman for their event, Tuny Page, and the Chair of the “Young Professionals Committee”, Devon Kane.  And none other than the famous author and Grand Prix Dressage rider, Tami Hoag, will be on board as their “Celebrity Host”. I can’t wait to hear about the event as well as what I understand are going to be several “pre-event events” at the Players Club where some pretty wild mechanical bull riding may be taking place, and you never know who will show up to judge the ” BUCK OFF!” 

And that’s only the first hour!  My second hour will kick off a new segment called, “The Voice Of Welli-World” and will be presided over by non other than my good friend, Olympian and ” Knower of All Things Wellington”, Mason Phelps.  Mason will be updating us on everything which happened over the previous weekend from in and out of the horse world and filling us in on what we can look forward to during the upcoming week.  Nobody knows what’s going on and which are the “must do” events as Mason and I guarantee no one can deliver the information quite the way he can either!  He alone is worth staying tuned in to “Dover’s World”.

And my “Special Guest” for the 2nd hour is the CEO of Martin Collins, Glynnie Walford.  Martin Collins is the name behind the finest footing, bar none, in the world today.  Now you may say, “What’s so interesting about talking about footing in arenas?”  Well, let me tell you that, other than stabling, nothing is more important to the health and well-being of our horses, both at home and at the competitions, than the ground they have to “run around on”.  I can remember riders in Europe at a major international competition all getting together to threaten the organizer with a full boycott of the Grand Prix Jumping class if they did not fix the footing.  Shows actually can and do die a very quick death if their footing is not world-class and when you think of how much top horses in most every sport cost these days, it’s no wonder that riders or drivers and owners demand not just adequate but rather excellent footing in warm-ups and the show arenas.  We will discuss why Martin Collins has become the choice for shows like Hickstead and trainers and riders like Mark and Zara Phillips, Tuny Page, Lisa Wilcox, Oded Shimoni, Kathy Priest and myself.    It’s all about The Health Of The Horse!

That will be the show tomorrow night and I hope you will tune in and remember that we love to hear from you, so please call in to 561-844-6167 or toll-free from anywhere to 1-800-889-0267.  This show is really for you and about you (OK… and me) and I am specifically doing shows which you have written in and asked me to do this season, so don’t let me down when I ask you to call in and take part in the conversations.  I get lonely easily!

Cheers!

RD