The Grand Prix Special in Aachen for the Team Nations Cup was incredibly exciting today and I am very please to report that Canada moved upto become 5th overall in front of Sweden, Denmark, Australia and Spain.  We were very close to 4th placed Belgium but Holland was way out in front of Germany and Great Britain and clearly is the front runner for the World Equestrian Games.  The Dutch have to be very proud of their riders andthe depth which they have created since their first huge star, Anky Van Grunsven, came on the scene almost 2 decades ago. 

I also am very proud to have two Canadian riders, Ashley Holzer and Belinda Trussell, in the Grand Prix Freestyle tomorrow and know they will do a great job!  This has been by far the strongest competition since our squad arrived in Europe 2 months ago and I have seen tremendous growth in our athletes. 

I also want to say that 2 things struck me as I watched most of the 2ndhalf of the class today. First is that I am truly blown away by the fantastic quality of so many of the horses competing!  The bar in unbelievably high with regard to horse-flesh these days and if you really want to play the game at the world level, you had best recognize that it is just not going to happen without what can only be termed a “super equine athlete”.  I have been hunting for a baby which might grow up to be such a horse but alas, so far nothing has jumped out at me.  I would say that the top horses were all spectacular even if they had a mistake here andthere.  Of course, one or two of the judges missed so many of the so called mistakes I’m referring to that had I had an ejector button for them they would right now still be sailing through the air toward our outer stratosphere!  Sorry, but that is just the truth as I saw it.  But even the poor judging by some could not dampen my excitement from watching Totilas and others perform to the thrill of many thousands of spectators, including myself.

Tomorrow stands to be just as exciting and I am betting on another broken world record by the end of the competition.  Say something a bit over 92%.  We’ll see.

Cheers!

RD

Take a look at our Canadian horse comedians as they chill before competing in Aachen.  Poppy, here under, Anton, at right and Pikardi below wearing a head scarf show why they are so much fun to play with!  And on top of thisAnton begged for an apple yesterday and once he got it he turned around in his stall, sat down like a dog, and began to rub his tummy on the straw back and forth, like a dog scratching an itch!  You most certainly can’t say our horses are lacking personality!

Cheers!                                                                          

RD

Today was the day off for the CDIO combinations from competing so we trained our
Canadian horses this morning and they looked great!  I can’t wait for tomorrow and the 2nd leg of the Team Championships.

At 1:00pm we held a joint meeting of the International Dressage Trainers Club and the International Dressage Riders Club which I am very happy to say was extremely well attended witheven some prominent judges.  Actually, we way underestimated the number of people who would attend and the room was way too small and not air conditioned so a bit warm, but all in all I was very happy with the turnout.  David Hunt did a very good job of covering the situation with the Stewarding which simply needs to be re-written to say that “any abuse in which a horse in in undue pain or bewilderment will not be tolerated”.  Get rid of all that other stuff about 10 minutes in a frame as well as the wording about sweating andthe rest of that nonsense!  With the wording which I just put in quotes, we leave it up to the trained expert stewards to know what we all truly know when we see a horse suffering, I believe.  And we take back our sport from being so strongly influenced by the public and the media, and this is extremely important.

We then went on to discuss the Olympic Format which is in place at Aachen as I write this.  I wish so much that the IOC would have allowed the FEI to increase the number of horses for Dressage at the Games, but they absolutely refused to either give us more spots or reduce the numbers a bit from the other 2 disciplines so as to allow some more from ours.  we are stuck with no more than 50 horses and that’s that.  As you all know, we were only allowed 3 starters per Team in Hong Kong and the poor Reserves hadto go half way around the world to sit on their butts for a month not only not to be allowed to start but also to get no medal if their team was lucky enough to win one.  This, our Dressage Task Force last year, said was just not fair, so with great pressure still to keep the teams of only 3 riders, we came up with the idea to allow the 4th combination to start as an individual with the ability to either be put into the team should anything go wrong with one of the combinations up to one hour before each of the classes, GP and GPS, or to go for an individual medal. To be sure this is much better than not being able to start the 4th at all, eh?  Which brings me to the problem of the draw for the 2nd leg of the Team Competition.  So, if you’ve been reading my blog, you will have read that medals are decided by the compilation of the scores from the top 8 teams at the Olympics where there will be probably 11 Teams. ( Here in Aachen there were 9 teams)  At the last minute I decided not to go back to the hotel last night but rather to wait withGina Smith, Canadian Chef, to go with her to the draw for the Special.  As we sat there, they began to draw out the class such that the bottom 6 individuals were drawn out into the first 6 positions in the order to start.  Next the best 6 individuals were drawn out into the first 6 positions after the break. Then they took the lower ranked 3 teams and drew them out into the remaining spots before the break such that our Canadian riders would have gone one after the other as would have the Spanish and presumably even the top teams if I had not finally not been able to stand it any longer and threw up my hand to “politely” complain.  At first, everyone just sort of looked at me like I was nuts, but the minute I said that this was an impossible situation for any Coach, even of the very best teams, since they could not be outside at the first warm-up arena as well as with their rider who was in the final 10 minute ring awaiting their ride time any moment, the rest began to agree withme.  Even the head of the Ground Jury, Dieter Schulle, understood the problem and called Frank Kemperman in to help figure this mess out.  In the end, it was an error in the way it had been written into the program and Frank explained that they should have done the individuals as they did but then drawn the 3 lowest place countries as opposed to drawing out the riders form them.  So it went Spain, Canada and then Belgium andthen the riders for those countries were put into their times by how they did in the Grand Prix with one from each nation every 4th ride.  This, therefore, gives just enough time  for the coaches to train all their riders if that is their responsibility as it is mine, though I will not be able to go to the ring andwatch them compete since my next one will already be at the warm-up.  When there are more nations it will be easier, but I would have rather liked to simply draw out the class exactly as they did the Grand Prix, with the individuals  all being drawn out first and then the teams the same as well.  After all, the Special is truly only the 2nd leg of the Team Medal competition - not the Individual Championships.  I understand Frank saying that the TV loves to see the best all toward the end and therefore wants the top teams at the end of the class. However, as is the case here, some of the riders on those top teams were way below the scores of some on the lower placed teams and this is what will be shown on TV.  Sorry, but this makes no real sense either and it seems not in the spirit of fair play.  For the individual championships, I am on board with such a reverse order of draw within groups, but not in the Nations Cup. Further, the arguement that this is the way the jumpers do it does not hold water considering anything can happen when it is about rails staying up or falling down.  A nations Cup in which the top teams get to go at the end practically seals the deal that the lower placed teams from the Grand Prix will only be allowed to juggle around within their group but most certainly not be able to make a great comeback to win the day, as is still possible for the jumpers.  So do I totally understand wanting to “sell the sport” with this idea?  Absolutely!  But do I agree with this formula and believe that it represents fair play for all?   Sorry but NO WAY!

And finally to the Prix St. George this afternoon in Aachen.  What can I tell you other than, for the greatest show in the world, this was one of the worst cases of judging incompetence I have seen ( and trust me, I’ve witnessed a lot!) in years.  I won’t even speak to Ashley Holzer’s scores for her test which were all over the board.  Let’s just take, for example, Christoph Koschel, who two judges had in last place while two more had him in third and the remaining 3 were all over the rest of the map.  Sorry again but this is just plain ridiculous when we are talking about supposedly the very best judges of the world, and 7 of them at that!  Needless to say, I heard that there was a meeting directy after the class with the Judges and the members of the Supervisory Panel.  I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that one!  Of course, I am sure the SP was very kind by comparison to what I would have said to them.  Left up to me, at least a few would have probably been ejected from their Judges seats, I’m afraid.  This kind of stuff has simply been going on for way too long, especially when you consider the enormous cost of our horses and the sport for the riders, owners and sponsors these days.  We are owed better than this and I say again that the Supervisory Panel must be given the authority to correct poor judging beyond just “simple counting errors” if we are ever to change the sport for the better.  I cannot believe that seeing the difference between 8 percentage points in some riders’ scores, that the SP does not have the power to correct such injustice before the final points are counted, thereby resolving the problem before it becomes what could only be termed today as a “scandalous outcome”.  Enough said.

On to tomorrow and the Grand Prix Special where our Canadian Team will come back fighting to move up in the ranking, despite the way in which the draw occurred.  I wish them as well as the American riders and truly all the competitors the very best of luck!

Cheers!

RD

I am exhausted after the long day of the first part of the Nations Cup in Aachen.  The class went from 9:00am to 5:00pm and was full of ups and downs.  The Olympic format is in effect for this show and this means that 3 combinations competed for each team plus a 4th combination from each nation was allowed to start as individuals.  Only the top 6 nations from today’s results as well as the top 12 individuals  will come back on Saturday to compete in the Grand Prix Special.  The compilation of the scores from both competitions will produce both the team medals and the individual placements, the top 15 from which will come back to contest for the individual medals in the Grand Prix Freestyle.

I am thrilled to report that Canada made the cut by placing ahead of Sweden, Denmark and Australia.  It was amazingly close as we were 100th of a percentage point behind Spain and less than 2 percentage points behind Belgium.  I was very proud of all our riders and horses and am looking forward to the next part of the competition where we will fight to bring up our ranking.  They all did well and know they can be great, so I can’t wait to watch them do it in the Special!  And it was so nice to see our individual rider, Wendy Christoff with her horse, Pfalstaff, do a very nice job, earning many very good scores throughout her test!

I also want to say how amazing it has been watching Edward Gal on the fantastic stallion, Moorlands Totilas.  Not only is this the finest horse of this era, but I believe him to be the finest ever born into the sport of Dressage.  Such beauty along with power and elasticity is just plain miraculous to witness!  And other equine stars abound from quite a few countries these days, so the “bar” is extremely high if one wants to be at the top of the leader board.

That being said, I still have to wonder when I see horses with absolutely no true canter or walk scoring up very near 70%, just because they hike their legs up in piaffe and passage.  Doesn’t a horse have to have 3 clear gaits at all anymore to achieve high scores?  Sorry but this is a very bad trend, if it indeed is one.

I congratulate all the Teams which made it into the next round as well as the individuals.  Let the Games continue!

Cheers!

RD

This morning everything ran exactly as planned with one exception - I pulled my hamstring in my left leg while running Belinda’s horse, Anton, for the vet check.  But beside that, all our horses passed with flying colours and they went on to all school great directly after.  As I said yesterday, it is super to have Gina here as Chef d’Equipe and Geoff Vernon as vet. They and all the friends and family members of our riders are making everything so lovely and positive around the stables and I thank them all very much!

Gina and I just attended the first Chefs’ meeting where Farnk Kemperrman, Aachen’s amazing organizer, welcomed us all and mentioned that tonight is threatening to have major thunder storms which could force classes  to be stopped if lightning is too severe until they let up.  Trond Asmyr, Director of Dressage for the FEI, also spoke to everyone about the various trials which would be run here as they were in Rotterdam, such as the Olympic format of 3 person teams plus the 4th, should there be one from the country, starting as an individual. Other trials which will take place are: 7 judges, the use of 1/2 marks, and the splitting up of tasks in the Freestyle so that some judges mark the technical while others score the artistic. But probably the most interesting trial which was very controversial but I believe crucial to the future of the sport is the use of the Supervisory Panel.  It is made up of 3 or 4 top people who are mostly retired O Judges with one top trainer. In the case of Aachen, the Supervisory Panel consists of Uwe Mechlem, Eric Lette, and David Hunt.  They will sit up by the press and watch live as well as have super-modern computer and video technology to be able to see every score from all 7 judges as well as, when necessary, to rewind and look again at specific movements.  At this point, they are only allowed to change the scores given by judges if there is a simple error of counting; for example, in the sequence flying changes or the number of piaffe steps.  Then and only then may they take a score which was clearly out of line and scratch it out and put in its place the average of their 3 scores.  I have said before and I truly believe that they should be allowed to alter any score which does not hold up to the light of day as representing what is written in the FEI handbook as being correct.  Some judges feel they are being intruded upon by such a group of “Uber-Judges”, but I say that if more judges were both well enough educated and showed the true COURAGE of their convictions, the S.P. would not be necessary.  Sadly, as in many other subjective sports, that just is not the case and until it is, I am more than grateful to have the S.P. in place. 

Fianlly, we had the draw today for the CDI Grand Prix in which Canada has no entries, and the CDIO where we have our team as well as Wendy Christoff with Pfalstaff going as our individual. Wendy was drawn into 11th place and Canada was drawn as 2nd nation in the  order of go for the 9 countries competing.  So Bonny Bonnello and Pikardi will lead us off going in 2nd at 9:10am tomorrow morning.  Belinda Trussell will follow a few after Wendy, in 15th position at 11:20am while Ashley Holzer will ride as anchor in 25th position at 2:00pm.  (FYI to my American friends, Todd Flettrich goes in right before Wendy in 10th position and Tina Konyot got the very best draw one can - last to go in 38th position).  I will also report on Ashley Holzer and Jewel Court Sonnenstern as they contest the small tour. And I want to wish Canada’s, Eric Lamaze and the U.S. Jumping Team a very successful Aachen!

Early to bed tonight for us all as the fun all begins first thing in the morning and I need to rest my leg. I’ll fill you in tomorrow after the class.  You will surely get all the results on one of those other websites but mine will give you my opinions on the tests as well as behind the scenes fun stuff.

Cheers!

RD

Chef d'Equipe, Gina Smith and I are not just pretty faces. We work!

Today was our first day in Aachen and the Canadian Team here of Ashley Holzer on Pop Art, Belinda Trussell and Anton, Bonny Bonnello and Pikardi and Wendy Christoff and Pfalstaff all had their 30 minutes together in the main arena. I must say they looked great and the horses are ready for the jog tomorrow morning at 9:12 and the Nation’s Cup on Thursday, starting at 9:00am and going until 6:00pm.

Chef d’Equipe, Gina Smith and I met early for breakfast in the hotel and then went out to the stables to ensure that everything was prepared for the arrival of our horses. There was the little matter of removing the bedding from one of the stalls and making it into a tack stall as well as getting more hay and straw for everyone. Needless to say, my hayfever kicked in with a vengeance and it is also very hot here in Europe, just as it is in Florida and New York at the moment, so we had our workout. Gina is great and very organized in every way and her ability to speak fluent German is a huge plus as well. It is also super having our Team Vet, Geoff Vernon, with us as this is our first time all working together as a unit and so important to the overall success of the Team. Finally, I love having the many friends and family members here to support our riders as they feel this positive energy and rise to the occasion!

All in all, Aachen is hands down the most fantastic horse competition in the world and one feels this the minute one steps on the premises. Frank Kemperman ( or as I call him, “Fearless Leader”), has this organization running like a fine-tuned machine in everry way. From the fantastic facilities for both horses and riders to the huge trade show, Aachen has something for each and every one of the near 65,000 people who attend this show of shows daily.

Cheers!

RD

Our life-size "Hotel Horse" in Novotel Aachen

Mid July :
 
Where did Florenz Ziegfeld stage his first “Follies” What year, & where?
 
Who was Enrons founder & chairman ?  What happened to his company?
 
In 1975 who became the first African American to win what men’s single title at Wimbledon? Against whom was he playing?
 
Who was the first actress under 21 land an Oscar nod? For what movie?
 
Keisha-Hughes also under 21 became famous for what great movie?
 
What Frenchman was the first president of the Fifth Empire?
 
                                Good luck.
                                 Robert’s Mom

Well, we have finished our final day of training at Jewel Court Stud and after a very kind going away party hosted by the Cordia’s, I will be driving to Aachen this evening so as to be able to meet up with Chef D’Equipe, Gina Smith. Gina is an extremely accomplished Olympic rider from Canada and her world-class experience will be perfectly put to use in her role as Chef here in Aachen. Along with co-Chef, Gwynne Rooke, Gina will be extremely valuable to our Team at the WEG’s in Kentucky. Our official Team Vet, Geoff Vernon, will also be on hand here to ensure our Canadian Team has a full compliment of staff so that their one and only priority is to concentrate on riding great tests! And that is how a country is supposed to work for its athletes! I am very proud of and thankful to everyone who has made this Tour such a success so far and have great hopes that the fabulous Aachen show will be the perfect end to an amazing trip. It is always with horses that not everything goes as planned all the time, but I know that even the hard parts of our journey ultimately will bring our combinations to a higher, stronger standard then they would have thought possible before. On to Aachen!

Cheers!

RD

Tomorrow will be our last day at beautiful Jewel Court Stud and I must say that I will miss being there. I have stayed in some of the most wonderful places with my horses in Europe over many years but I can truthfully say that I have never felt more welcome or relaxed as we have been here. The Cordia’s and Wiebke Bank have been just fantastic in every way and we have become like a family over the past months. We can’t thankl them enough! They will be coming to Aachen to watch Ashley Holzer compete their great young horse, Jewel Court’s Sonnenstern, in the small tour which will be exciting! And tomorrow evening, before we leave, the Cordia’s are giving us a sweet send-off barbecue at the farm. So nice!

I also forgot to mention yesterday that my great friend and former teammate, Debbie McDonald, is also recouperating from having had her gall-bladder removed. I hope that she is feeling a lot better since we last spoke after her surgery as I know she is supposed to be doing a clinic at Gladstone as I write this. XO, Deb!

A final big CONGRAT’S to KBC with her 2nd place in the GP in France yesterday, securing her spot for Gladstone in August. Very proud of my “little girl” who is most obviously all grown up now and a force to be reckoned with.

I will be making daily updates from Aachen with both the important results as well as the behind the scenes stuff which I know you like to read about. I believe that on Wednesday, we will be having a joint meeting of the IDRC (International Dressage Riders Club) and the IDTC ( International Dressage Trainers Club) to discuss various isssues such as the stewarding rules and other upcoming rule changeson the table. Very interesting and hopefully productive!

Cheers!

RD

So here’s the thing. I was just about to give you an update about Guenter and mention for the very first time since arriving back to Europe and my laptop how sorry I was to hear the news of Mary Phelps’s accident, but then Guenter went and rubbed it in that he’s sitting in an air-conditioned room while I had to go out and buy a fan just to survivie my “furnace” here in Belgium without expiring! Needless to say, I lost my train of thought.

Seriously, I am happy that both my good friends are doing better and Guenter is even joking around as he awaits his flight home on July 14th. Mary was already doing better when I called and spoke to her in the hospital and whether it was me truly being funny or just her med’s kicking in, she laughed a bit and I knew she would be just fine. But since her husband, JJ, told me if I said anything to anyone prematurely he would have to “kill me”, I have kept my word. JJ’s wirey but strong! I wish them both very speedy recoveries.
I also want to say to one of my students who I will not name that my heart goes out to them and my thoughts and prayers are being sent out continually. And even if you are not my student and this message applies to you, please know that I wish every one of my readers and friends all the very best always. Remember - there’s Dressage and then there’s LIFE. We should always try to keep it all in perspective, eh?

Cheers!

RD