IN THE BEGINNING

Robert’s first experience on horseback was in Toronto. The owner of the stable was a very wise woman who immediately saw that there was something special about this young boy on horseback. He seemed to feel the horse under him, and know how to move him to respond to the aids as this woman was instructing him to give.
The first thing Robert did on arriving in Freeport Bahamas was to ask for a ride to the stables. Fate brought him to his first real mentor, Myra Wagner, who gave lessons in all the disciplines including Dressage. There were a limited number of horses due to the difficulty and expense of importing them, so it was soon evident to Myra and his supportive father, Herb, that Robert needed his own horse. Off he went to Florida to search for the perfect horse. His name was Ebony Cash. Finding the right horse was easy, compared to chartering a plane, finding a groom, and having a stall built to transport them over the ocean to Freeport .
On June 9th they arrived via this unheard of plane ride, to be greeted by cheering children. There was only one problem! How to get him off the plane? Again, I am trying to remember, but I think they brought up a flatbed truck equipped with a forklift to lower Cash onto the ground.
The local paper took pictures that day, but on Robert’s 40th birthday I gave him everything I had saved and that article is with him. He had snipped off a bit of Cash’s tail and stuck it on the picture with red tape. I had it framed leaving it intact. I added a plaque with his words that day. He said it was his “best day ever”.
Cash had been taught to do tricks .When you touched him in a certain place, he nodded his head, “yes”. If he was touched in a different place, he would shake his head, “no”. For instance, Do you like girls? “yes”. Do you like boys? “no”. Can you count to ten with your hoof? “yes”, and he did. Robert was very upset with me because I asked him to show people this talent. He said, “Mom, Cash is not a circus horse anymore. He is a Dressage horse!”
Here are two more things about Cash which were special. He would see Robert coming and put his head out, grab his bridle and throw it to him. He also knew how to open his stall and loved to try to follow Robert home.
Robert won a trophy for jumping clear in the second horse show ever held in Freeport. The trophy was almost as tall as Robert. Luckily I still had that article though I must admit I had to cut most of it out to get it small enough to e-mail.
Myra Wagner instilled in Robert the need for excellent groundwork. When she visits Florida she still comes and sits on the sidelines to watch him teach.
The first heartbreak Robert experienced, was having to leave Cash behind. The Bahamian government decided to deport all foreigners. That meant us. However, Robert’s dad assured him that finding a new horse would be first on his “to-do” list.
Sometimes it is fun to go down memory lane. Thank you for letting me do that.

Robert’s Mom.

Here are my favorite Summer Shows. What are yours?

In MY OPINION, there is no summer show better then The #1 Detective Agency. Nevertheless, summer brought along a few winners. The best summer shows were America Has Talent, followed by So You Think You Can Dance. Their last episode was a stunner in every way. It was beautiful, exciting, and very unpredictable.
As for Paula Abdul leaving American Idol, I think she will be sorely missed and hard to replace. I don’t feel Spice has her personality, sweetness, talent, or chemistry with Simon and Randy.
Please tell me what do you young people make of the summer shows and American Idol changes?
Maybe if you can get over it, I will too!
As Robert says, Cheers,
I needed to say cheers because I have the flu and am feeling very sorry for myself!
Roberts Mom

A picture of this remarkable Lady taken at the convention last December. The other two are Herb & me, her fervent admirers

Way back in 1981 or 2 The Insilco Dressage Finals were held in Kansas City at the Kemper Arena. Mary Ellen Purucker was chairing the show & was in charge of assigning a lady to escort each rider and see to their needs. As fate would have it the lady got sick at the last minute and Mary Ellen, at who’s home Robert was staying, decided to escort Robert herself.
And so began a life long friendship that has spanned these 30 some years.
Last night we were chatting about all the horses Mary Ellen has had Robert bring for an exhibition to the very appreciative crowds. There was Johnathon Livingston Seagull who died under Robert from an aneurism. Then Romantico, Federleicht , Deveraux, Juvel, Ranier and Kennedy.
I am sure there were more but Robert will have to fill us in on them.
This from Mary Ellen:
“I will never forget the night Robert was putting on an exhibition at the American Royal Horse Show in Kansas. There was a cocktail party before the show, hosted by the Woman’s Chamber of Commerce, and Robert was to speak. We left my house in plenty of time and arrived at the show building. Robert reached for his jacket in the back seat..it was not there!!! We just sat looking at each other, sure the other had put it there. I told him to go in. Fortunately it was a very warm November night, and I sped home in record time & back in 30 minutes. It usually takes 30 minutes one way. I could have been locked up for excessive speeding. Robert put on his jacket and calmly performed.”
“Another time he and Kay Meredith performed a Pas De Deux on foot! No one knew it was going to happen .It was a wonderful surprise.. Whenever Kay went off course Robert grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. The crowd loved it and laughed, showing their appreciation. The two came out wringing wet but happy to have pulled it off.”
Fast forward to the USDF, December 25th, in Denver Co. The temperature was a chilly 25 degrees and it was snowing. All the Dovers were thrilled to hear that Mary Ellen and her long time friend Micky Christopherson were going to join us for the festivities. Micky is on the board of directors of the USEF which was sponsoring the convention.
To see Mary Ellen with her vitality at 90 years old, it was amazing. We should all be so blessed! What a trooper she is. I sat her next to Robert and the two enjoyed eachother’s company very much..
Mary Ellen is still active and interested in all things having to do with horses.

Are coupons worth the trouble to save?
Here is the thing. I never saved coupons. I always gave them to the ladies that clean. Now that I have had check book shock from doing and re-doing things since we are back home I have come to realize it is worth the trouble to cut them out and use them while shopping. Like the old adage says, better in my pocket then theirs. I even made a folder to keep them in. I put it in my desk under F but quickly realized it should be under S for shopping. of course. That was a close one. I never would have found them.
Anyway I went grocery shopping yesterday. I had put the ones I wanted to use right next to the shopping list which I quickly picked up as I was in a hurry to miss the daily rain here in Florida. When I was ready to pay I realized, much to my dismay, that I had left them at home. Oh sugar! That is not what I really said  but you get the idea.  The nice Checkout lady said “It happens to all of us bring them next time”.
Sure there is always a next time. Maybe then I will have them in my purse and still forget to give them to her. The lady in front of me said that is what happens to her.
So again I ask is it worth all the self incrimination to cut coupons?
Help,
Roberts Mom

Robert’s Dad & I were always there from the beginning for Robert. We saw to his having a horse and supported his desire to be the best he could. Now we would like to find a way to highlight the other important people who by their Mothering and Mentoring helped him become Robert Dover Dressage Champion Extraordinaire!
If you or anyone you know would like to add stories of some of your experiences with Robert through his wonderful journey please contact me at Moms Corner or at jd33024@bellsouth.net and I will be thrilled to help you relate your experiences.
I know there are those who are no longer with us but are now riding with the Angels. I will try to tell their stories as best as I can. I am sure Robert will remember them and add to my knowledge.
I look forward to hearing from you soon so I can get this journey back down memory lane started. It will be fun to read and I know folks in the horse world will think so too
Love,.
Roberts Mom

Sure is easier said then done! I am working on it but when you spend 7&1/2 weeks in a rented villa and have had to fix it’s problems along  with yours small stuff becomes huge stuff.For instance the insurance man just walked out after telling me how lovely things looked when the rain started and water poured down the wall on the new carpet that was guaranteed stain proof! It isn’t!  l sat on the floor and cried for a second and then said to myself “It is not my health just another small inconvenience!”When all  3 outside  walls were taken down due to mold and mildew the hurricane shutters were removed. Now no one wants to rehang them as they say they are not up to code! Small stuff indeed…unless a hurricane comes our way. So Dear Friends of Roberts Mom I am happy to be back writing a note to you. AT&T took 10 days to restore our phone service. A DSL man came out to get my computer going. Of course it didn’t work when he left. I spent almost two hours on the phone with a number he left if I had a problem. Yesterday it still would not let me retrive my e-mail so I had my computer Guru over for another hour on the phone to get positive results. Small stuff indeed. Maybe tomorrow I will be able to buy new plants . Ours got all sick looking from being out in the tropical storms here in Paridise. Thanks for letting me vent. I hope to be more up beat next time.                                    Love,                         Roberts Mom

When I was a little girl I came to the conclusion if I was nice and sweet life would be kind to me. Well friends no more. Roberts Mom is now changing to a tough to fool senior citizen!Some years ago I was a real estate sales person for a large condominium on the ocean in Hallandale. The manager I found out after he was gone was not a straight shooter. He assigned the same first space parking spots to every new tenant. When they moved in  he was long gone. Folks who had been friends for life no longer spoke to each other. I had been working for him about two weeks when he walked up to me and said. ” You really ARE a nice person.” As if I was just putting on an act. Dealing with people these last few weeks has changed me forever. Today was the straw that broke the camels back. Carriage Hills where we live has an automatic gate opener for residents. 99 times out of 100 it opens no problem. Today I backed up 3 times with no luck. I honked me horn for the guard to open it. I opened my window an again asked him to please open it. He said, “try again”. ” I have tried 3 times I said please open the gate” Repeat the above. Finally I just said “open the gate” in a hateful voice. The gate opened. Yesterday the man who washes my car every two weeks came along with the thunder but I felt sorry for him so I said OK you can wash the car. Now,I pay him 20 dollars plus a 5 dollar tip. I found out he does the neighbors cars for 10 dollars. Our best friends needed to have their cars washed . They pay 15 Plus a tip. One drives a Lincoln and the other a Mercedes. I asked him why I pay 5 dollars more then they do and he answered. “Well I do many more things to your car then theirs.” Because I feel sorry for him and am a sweet person I continued to give him the 25. When I got in my car today I noticed the front window was never washed. The same smudges where still there. Wait until he comes back in two weeks. No nice guy will greet him.We had our ducts cleaned to rid them of dust from the dry wall that had been taken down. A clever sales man gave us a razzle dazzle conversation about how we lovely seniors deserved to live in a clean air enviorment, and he was going to provide it. He flicked open a ceiling vent I was not tall enough to see and said.” Oh dear it is covered with mold and mildew”. I panicked as that is what cause the three outside walls to be taken down and all our carpet to be ripped out. He said,” I will only charge you for 5 vents though you have 8.” He threw in many more freebies or so he said. Next he offered his GPS so we could find our way to a Home Depot to buy a clamp for the lint pipe connection which was supposed to be 39.00 but in his kindness to us he would clean free… I said.” That is OK I know the way. We returned in about 30 minutes and he was outside all done. We went back in so he could connect the clamp then sat down at the table for the invoice to be presented. He listed all the freebies on one side for his boss and that total was over a thousand dollars. But he was only charging us 633.00. The ad was for 29.99. He promised a two year guarantee. It wasn’t on the invoice. He said” Don’t worry. if anything goes wrong just call me and I will come right out.” I insisted on a guarantee. He promised it would be here in a week. The second straw is that when we went into our house I found the clamp still in the bag. Wait until he hears from me tomorrow. You will probably hear me yell where ever you live. NO MORE Sweet Me.                              Roberts Mom

 Dear Friends of Robert’s Mom. Last month I went to the Orthopedic Doctor I told him my right knee was hurting when I kneel down. He asked if I was Catholic. I laughed and said no. He said then don’t kneel. I said but I do Yoga and he answered don’t do that position. I said that is the most important one. Get a pad he said. Nothing I made worked. Here is the amazing part.    A maintenance Man fixing holes in the wall in the house we are renting while ours is being rid of mold and mildew, was wearing a special pads on his knees. He said when asked he bought them at Home Depot and they allow him to be on his knees all day with out pain. Off we went and sure enough they worked for me. I now go down on my knees with No pain. The reflux Dr. said I shouldn’t put my head flat for anything. You try standing on your shoulders with your head on a pillow. No way. I tried the pad and sure enough it worked. Today I  went to see what the pads were called. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The front in large  print said ROBERTS! Yesterday I read of a sure way to get rid of reflux. I bet many of you take pills for it. The article said to drink 1/2 of a fresh lemon squeezed into a glass of water to rid yourself of acid. Oh my goodness I can’t believe It worked. No bad feeling when I streach out flat with NO Pad! So all of you who suffer or know someone who does remember you are never to young or old to live and learn.                       Love Roberts Mo

Last night I went into my bathroom to get ready for bed. As I was taking off my makeup (no I am not a natural beauty), I noticed tiny black bugs circling my arms. I was amazed to see NO Seeums in the house. This is a first as you really can’t see them since they are smaller then the tip of a pin. Naturally I swatted at them but the Dear Lord gave them an advantage over us humans.  They move faster then light when they feel your hand coming towards them. Believe me , I tried and tried to swat them to no avail. Then I noticed as I was turning on the water that there were 5 in the sink basin. Ah Ha, Now I have you , I thought, so I turned on the water and watched them go down the drain. So where did 5 more come from? Do they go to sleep when the lights go out? All questions to ponder, or not.  So what do you think?

Robert’s Mom

THE OTHER DAY I WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE TO PICK UP A FEW THINGS IN THEIR DELI SECTION. THE NICEST MIDDLE AGED MAN WEARING A SUIT AND TIE SAID, “GOOD MORNING MADAM. HOW MAY I SERVE YOU?”    WOW! NO ONE AT THE DELI HAD EVER SPOKEN TO ME LIKE THAT - AS IF I WERE BUYING DIAMONDS. I SAID I WILL HAVE 6 SLICES OF BORES HEAD HAM AND 6 SLICES OF SWISS CHEESE PLEASE. “BORES HEAD CHEESE MADAM?” YES PLEASE I REPLIED.. HE SLICED OFF ONE OF EACH FOR HERB & ONE FOR ME AND SAID, “DOES THIS THICKNESS PLEASE YOU MADAM?” I SAID YES IT WAS PERFECT. HE SAID, “THANK YOU, MADAM.” HE HANDED HERB THE PACKAGE WITH AN, “ENJOY YOUR PURCHASE AND HAVE A LOVELY DAY.”
I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WHO COULD THIS MAN BE? AN EXECUTIVE WITH THE STORE, OR A NEWLY OUT OF WORK GENTLEMAN WHO IS WILLING TO WORK AT ANYTHING AS LONG AS IT IS AN HONEST JOB!
SADLY I NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ?
ROBERTS MOM