Thanks to ABC, the 3 men caught on tape abusing Tennessee Walking Horses were charged and convicted of abuse in Federal Court yesterday in Nashville.  They will be sentenced to up to ONE YEAR in prison and up to a THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE.  Naturally, we who love horses and all animals would rather see a penalty more in the range of what they would receive had they been caught for abuse of children, but the one silver lining is that they have been banned from all horse shows for life.  Now this does not mean they are prevented from owning, training and having horse businesses; however, let’s hope that those in their industry will simply choose to have nothing to do with them and force them completely out of the business. They should be brought to their knees the way Micheal Vick was for fighting dogs!  My assistant of many years, Katherine, said it best when she posted on this site that they should have the same treatment they bestowed upon their horses given to them during their time on earth, that they would truly know how it felt to be one of their animals.

The Internet has most definitely changed our world and has created so much more transparency that things like this are way more apt to get out into the public eye. If it continues to force us to be a more honest, caring and compassionate race, whether in our dealings with animals or each other, I say FANTASTIC!

Cheers!

RD

It has been a year of amazing evolution around the world as new Dressage Stars have cropped up from countries which historically had never been of much consequence.   It was 20 years ago that the USA began  its 4 consecutive Olympic Bronze run, proving America one of the major powers in the sport along with Germany and Holland.  Who would have thought then that Great Britain would now be the top contender going into the Olympics on its home territory?  Certainly, America has continued to strive for the medal podium; however, Denmark has produced brand new combinations recently who have even bested the scores of their tried and true Team riders from the last Games, giving them depth like never before.  Sweden and Spain are also showing greater strength and suddenly Canada is showing multiple combinations which can score well into the 70’s.

In the Individual rankings, it is going to be extremely interesting as well.  Valentina Truppa just won the 5* in Munich over Isabell Werth, though no one has beaten the two-time World-Cup Champion, Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival.  On the other hand, more than a few top contenders have not faced off against this pair this year, such as Steffen Peters with Ravel, Charlotte Dujardin with Valegro and Matthias Rath with Totilas.  Any one of these amazing combinations could have their best day and end up on the highest podium!

Still, as promised, once the final nominations are in next month, I will announce my predictions for Team medals and down to 8th place as well as Individuals down to 10th.  I was pretty close last time around but this year may prove to be much more difficult to ascertain the winners since there are so many more stars on the horizon.  It will be fun trying though and I am sure I will hear your comments when I write the post.

Cheers!

RD

DC Comics is about to present its first Gay Super Hero, interestingly just days after President Obama came out in support of Gay Marriage.  Of course, Marvel has had a Gay character in “North Star” since 1992 and he is soon to be married in the cartoon world, so it’s not like there is no precedent for Gays to be among the Super Hero community.  If 10 percent of the world population is indeed Gay, then it is simple logic that 1 out of every 10 Super Heroes would be Gay, right?  We are everywhere, doing what commonly were always thought to be “Straight” jobs: Contractors, Teachers, First Responders, Pilots, Members of the Armed Services, Professional Athletes, Politicians, Parents and yes, Super Heroes!  It is more and more obvious that the world is evolving, albeit slowly, toward becoming one in which all people are looked at and treated equally.  I have always said that I wish someday for the end of “Gay Pride” days along with the parades and festivals.  I like parties as much as the next guy but the day we all enjoy equal rights will be the day we no longer have to fight for them.  I’m ready for that day!

Cheers!

RD

It has been a season of new beginnings and faces in Canada and this week in Burlington, Ontario we saw a veteran rider, Jacquie Brooks, pilot her new mount, De Niro, to 2 second place finishes with 68.4% in the Grand Prix and 69.9% in the Grand Prix Special to keep them safely in an Olympic Team spot for the moment. The nice thing is that De Niro shows very good ability in the hardest movements while still having a great deal of room and potential to improve in overall expression of his gaits, meaning even more points for him down the road.

David Marcus did a fantastic job on Chevri’s Capital, owned by Deborah Kinzinger, to win the Grand Prix  with a few big mistakes on a 68.84%, followed by a far cleaner Grand Prix Special with 72.36%.  This pair, though both in their first year competing at this level, are showing world-class potential with gaits, expression and harmony comparable to the very best combinations out there today.

Naturally, I would have told both these riders to now relax for a week or two and train for their head-to-head Final Selection Trials to be held in early June…………..Oh that’s right - there are NO Final Selection Trials for Canadians.  They have a ridiculous system in place which not only would allow for someone to have had 4 scored last year of, say, 69% and even if they were going poorly today and receiving 62% at each show, only the high scores from last year would be counted and they could be on their Olympic Team.  Further, this process is forcing all but ONE rider to chase points by shipping their horses thousands of miles right up until June 17th to fight for one of the top 3 spots.  It would have been so much smarter to have a cut-off date for qualifiers and then hold a nice, four day head-to-head trials so they could compare apples to apples on the same venue - GP on a Thursday, GPS on Friday and GP Freestyle on the Sunday.  (In my opinion, the U.S. should have held their trials in this way too, as opposed to 2 weekends of GP and GPS with no Freestyle on either weekend.)  And once the Team for Canada is announced, with funding far under what is appropriated, they intend to send this Team directly to Aachen.  I am sorry but this is an awful plan and absolutely should be reconsidered and changed for a better one immediately.  But we will just have to wait and see how it all plays out, won’t we?  In the meantime though, take a look at David Marcus riding the Grand Prix Special last weekend in Burlington. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4zsxdJtzk

Cheers!

RD

It was a beautiful, crisp day in Burlington as the CDI held its first day of competition.  Though the classes were not large, there was definitely quality and potential in each, including the Juniors and Young Riders. The Prix St. George was won by the very elegant pair of Tina Irwin and Winston with Esther Mortimer and her husband, Harper Mackensie second and third respectively.

David Marcus is continuing to show world-class potential with Chevri’s Capital. Although only in their first season at Grand Prix and still making a few mistakes, the pair received a winning score of 68.63, slightly ahead of Olympic veteran, Jacquie Brooks riding her new mount,  D Niro, with a 68.24. Cesar Para was 3rd with his Van The Man earning 67.2 and David Marcus rode his 2nd horse, Don Kontes to 4th place with over 66%.  I was very proud of David’s progress and am certain he will be breaking 70% very soon,  but must also mention 20 year old Megan Lane who did her first CDI Grand Prix of her life with her Caravella.  Megan is one of the most gifted young riders I have seen in many years and has done a wonderful job of training her mare herself.  She will most definitely be a major force someday for Canadian Dressage!

Tomorrow is the Intermediaire 1, more classes for the kids and the Grand Prix Special.  I am looking forward to even better rides from everyone.  My only disappointment is that Canada has no head-to-head final selection trials, keeping riders running all over the globe to chase scores for a system that is both archaic and poorly constructed.  Let’s just hope that the cream truly does rise to the top and a legitimate and competitive Team unfolds to represent Canada in London this summer.

Cheers!

RD

Lisa Wilcox sent me this yesterday and asked me to talk about it.  I am so disgusted and ashamed that our community is still allowing this kind of treatment to go on in any discipline!  Take a look.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DgxVlxT_x-f0&h=KAQHXyMWzAQH1p1L-H0_F-T3bILCv6Ep8NUW5gZPBbw2l8A

RD

I arrived as a kid to Idlewild Farm, owned by the Zang family and home of the U.S. Dressage Team Coach, Colonel Bengt Ljungquist.  Linda reminded me of other young ladies in the Equestrian community - ambitious, hard-working and focused on her career while living under the same roof with her parents.  Linda went on to make a World Championship Team with her horse, Fellow Traveler, as well as become one of the most influential judges in the world.  But the truth is that Linda’s real happiness began when she met and fell in love with Jim Lewis.  Jim was always charming and interesting to talk to.  He had a love for horse racing but what I admired more was that he was constantly finding new ways to be creative, whether delving into politics or acting.  I could so relate to Jim’s desire to reinvent and find new and fun ways to express himself.  But equally important was that Jim was thrilled to accompany Linda around the world as her “First Man” while she officiated at the top international Dressage competitions and championships.  Best of all, it was obvious that Jim was Linda’s greatest fan and best friend.

When I heard the news, I called Linda immediately and she sent me a reply thanking me and saying, “It will be hard without my friend and love!”  My heart goes out to Linda and Jim’s family and I hope we all remind her how much we love her and that we truly are her “family of friends” and here for her, always!

RD

I’ll admit it - I get bored easily.  As much as I love horses and Dressage, it has been many years since I woke up and thought, “I can’t wait to get to the barn”.  Now, I greatly appreciate everything that the horse world has done for me and when I am teaching I click into the mode in which I can’t help but give 150% to the rider or horse I am working with.  But the feeling of being creative in new and different ways is extremely important for me and I find the minute I complete something, whether it is finishing a horse to Grand Prix, producing a reality show for TV, or doing a radio show, while fulfilling, still makes me yearn for something more.

This is why I love blogging here at Dover’s World and hope that you will keep communicating your thoughts and feelings with me just as I do to you about everything “horsey” and everything else!  I keep asking you to post here rather than on Facebook because it is easier to maintain a dialogue in one place rather than two. I hope that works for you as well.

Cheers!

RD

The last week has been amazing since President Obama came out in support for Gay Marriage.  The news headlines continue to talk about this issue over others, including the economy, and today the President will be attending a fundraiser hosted by Ricky Martin.  I wonder what he’ll talk about?  On the other hand, Mitt Romney addressed the graduating class of Jerry Falwell’s, “Liberty College”, in which he stated his opinion again that “marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman”.  He has said he would seek a federal amendment to enforce this opinion and also to disallow both gay marriage and domestic partnerships which will affect thousands of straight couples as well.

So here’s the thing.  If we look at this issue correctly, it is one of civil and equal rights, something guaranteed in our constitution for ALL Americans and fought for in the past successfully by women and blacks at an enormous expense!  Our nation was founded with the notion of separation of church and state as paramount and yet when asked why those who are against Gay Marriage feel this way, they overwhelmingly begin by saying, ” Because in the Bible ………”.  They never, when pressed, have a rational reason based on facts of any kind  that would support their decisions.  There is no doubt that Mitt Romney is echoing the opinion of his far right constituency in order to ensure the support from his base.  But he of all people know that allowing Gays to marry would not result in the immediate implosion of America anymore than it caused the demise of Massachusetts, at that time he was the Governor of this, one of the very few states with legalized Gay Marriage.  As a matter of fact, Mr. Romney once went so far as saying he would be stronger in advocating for Gay Rights than Senator Edward Kennedy.  In 1994, Romney declared himself a fiscal conservative but a social progressive.  He was trying to get elected in a liberal state back then and now is pandering to the right wing and the Tea Party members of the Republican Party. I was interviewed the other day by the New York Times and told the reporter that, having met and talked directly with Mitt and Ann Romney, I found both very nice and that it would be hard for me to believe that either would tell me directly they would wish to deny me the same rights they enjoy as American citizens.  Of course, we spoke mostly about horses but I assure you, if the moment ever presents itself again, I will most definitely ask him if he really does not believe I should be able to even enjoy domestic partnership with my life partner of 24 years, Robert Ross. I also know that the amazing Alfred Fiandaca, the famous openly gay designer who has made clothes for Ann Romney and has been a personal  friend for many years, gave me the impression that Ann is not in the least bit bigoted against gays.  I would tend to believe the same for Mr. Romney.

Funny that this once was THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY, lead by Abraham Lincoln, who stood up against slavery and the same southern states which now make up the largest swath of the so-called “conservative Christian right”. And what part of being a “good Christian” goes along with discriminating against Gays to the point of saying we are an abomination?  Of course, there are those who say they believe in the literal translation of the Bible.  But if this means EVERY SINGLE LINE of it, I would ask if they are still for “stoning women to death for adultery” as well as multitudes of other laws which, I’m sure, seemed practical at the time when the Bible was written.  No, Gay Marriage is an issue in which those against it have formed opinions based on the exact same kind of bigotry and hatred as we have thankfully evolved beyond as a nation in the case of other minorities.  If you are a straight person and I ask you directly, “What do you believe will be the impact on you and your family if Gays are allowed to marry?”, how will you answer?  Will denying people like me equal rights which you now enjoy make your life better?  Exactly what will you gain by keeping me a second class citizen?  Truly, these were the same questions asked by blacks only 50 years ago. To think it was against the law for a white person to marry a black person.  I am still ashamed when I read books like, “The Help” and was so proud when we elected our first African American President!

I want to praise again our President, Vice-President and many other leaders including Governor Purdue of North Carolina who spoke against the obvious backward thinking of her own citizens who voted to ban Gay Marriage.  She compared her state to Mississippi and received rebuke from Mississippi’s governor who claimed that the people of her state must “share the traditi0nal values” of his state.  I never knew that denying equal rights to all Americans was a “traditional value”!  We obviously need to create NEW AND BETTER TRADITIONS!

Cheers!

RD

I want to wish Moms everywhere a wonderful Mother’s Day full of joy, the gratefulness of their children, and LOVE!  My Mom was told she had three months to live ELEVEN years ago and I can tell you that I dearly appreciate every single day of every single year that we still have her in our lives.  And now she is living with my sister, Margo,  who, herself, is a great mother to her two grown and fantastic daughters. My brother’s wife, Lynn, is also a super Mom to her brilliant son, Shane. My mother-in-law, Julie, has become more dear to me with every one of the 24 years her son and I have been together.   Then their are my “second Moms”: Mercedes, Mary Ellen,  and A.R. and F.B. in heaven, and many more,  all of whom I send my loving thoughts today and every day.  All of these great ladies have shaped and enhanced my life through their loving example and I am so glad there is a special day every year when I am reminded of how much they all mean to me and to take the opportunity to tell them, once again, that I LOVE THEM ALL!

Cheers!

RD