I predict right now that London will be the most fantastic competition for Dressage in the history of the sport!  The standard across the board will be the highest ever and we will finally see a group of riders and horses truly approaching the scores relating to the words which describe them - EXCELLENCE!  Despite the fact that I feel the FEI has most definitely made serious mistakes in the formula of 3 riders plus 1 individual who is only accepted if high enough up on the world ranking list, meaning just 3 countries will have this advantage, nations have really stepped up their games and we will see a true horse-race for the medals and just as much of one for the next 3 spots.

As we get closer to the time when countries must nominate their final team members, it is going to be quite surprising, I believe, when we see the names as some of those historically always on the teams from nations like Germany could very well be left off or become the Individual/Reserve.  Once the Teams are determined, I will be making my final predictions as to not only the Team medals but also the Individual placings to 10th.  How’s that?

Cheers!

RD

In the last days I have spoken to two amazing people and friends to pay my respects for the loss of their beloved spouses .  I wrote of the passing of Sis Steinkraus and John Quirk and mentioned briefly something that Billy Steinkraus said to me - that he is devastated and in the present equestrian community, feeling irrelevant.   Naturally, while I understandnd his feelings, my perspective is that Billy Steinkraus is one of the most relevant people in the world, since he was one of the people, as was his wife, who had a huge effect in shaping my career and life.  I know exactly how intelligent he is and how much his thoughts and advice are still worth, should anyone care to ask for them.  But I also know how quickly those who lead our industry tend to toss aside those who have given so much and even been, like Billy, one of those who actually ran the show, so to speak.

I also had a wonderful chat with Tish Quirk today which made me an even greater fan of her husband, John, who passed away just before his 92nd birthday.  Tish told me some amazing stories including how the two of them met and after some tears and laughter, it was crystal clear to me that theirs is a story which absolutely needs to be put in print for us all to read and enjoy.  John and Tish lived a very big life together and his legacy, as with Sis Steinkraus, will be felt by everyone in the equestrian community and just as many outside it for as long as people respect their contributions enough to remember and remind us of them.

It is my great hope that Tish finishes the autobiography which John began and carries on his work and projects and that her sorrow will lessen as she tells their fantastic story for us all to revel in.  Likewise, I hope that Billy will also remind us of the amazing lives which he and Sis experienced together, as I am positive that their story would be outstanding reading for us all!  I respect Billy and Tish so much and feel so sad for them both in their time of mourning, but hope they know just how much we all love and respect them and send them our deepest condolences.

RD

It is so hard to believe that in this day and age where gays are finally allowed to serve openly in the military, America is still allowing discrimination within a club such as The Boy Scouts.  Take a look at the story below and please join me and others in the fight for equality and fairness for all.  Thank you!

In the week since Jennifer Tyrrell launched her petition on Change.org asking the Boy Scouts of America to stop discriminating against gay people, more than 140,000 people have signed on, and Jennifer’s story has been reported by CNN, ABC, and the New York Daily News. Read on for a lot more information from Jennifer herself.

Jennifer Tyrrell was her son’s Cub Scout den leader for a year before she was told she had to step down because she’s gay. She’s asking the Boy Scouts of America to abolish their discriminatory policy.

Sign Jennifer’s Petition

Robert –

My 7-year-old son, Cruz, loves being a Cub Scout, and he really loved when I got to be his pack’s den leader. But the Boy Scouts of America asked me to step down as the leader of my son’s group — just because I’m gay. Cruz doesn’t understand why that matters, and frankly, neither do I.

When Cruz told us last year that he wanted to be a Boy Scout, my partner and I were concerned. We knew the organization has discriminated against families like ours before. But the other families in Cruz’s group were so welcoming and supportive — they even asked me to be a den leader on the first day.

One year later, our fears came to life. A representative of the Boy Scouts of America abruptly told me I was no longer welcome – that because I’m gay, I didn’t “meet the high standards of membership that the Boy Scouts of America seek.”

I hated feeling that my family had been discriminated against, so I started a petition on Change.org asking the Boy Scouts of America to stop discriminating against gay people. Click here to sign my petition.

During the year that I was den leader, my cubs performed volunteer service at a local soup kitchen, collected canned goods for area churches to distribute in food baskets, and worked on a conservation project for a state park.

After I was asked to leave, other parents from my pack were outraged. Some of them even waited for hours to voice their concerns to Boy Scout officials, but they were turned away. As for Cruz, he doesn’t really understand why there’s a problem. He made a sign that says “I love my two gay moms.”

Other organizations like the Girl Scouts and Boys & Girls Clubs of America welcome gay kids as well as adult leaders — I know that if thousands of people sign my petition, the Boy Scouts will see that it’s time for them to adopt a policy that incorporates their own core values of compassion and respect.

Click here to sign my petition asking the Boy Scouts of America to allow gay parents to serve.

Thanks,

Jennifer Tyrrell

The other day I heard from Mark Beginin, the attorney for Serge Federov, famous hockey player who, along with about 60 others including Robert and myself, were conned out of approximately $180,000,000.00 by Joe Zada’s ponsi scheme that took place over a decade up to 2007.  Now, five years later, we are told that the federal prosecutor here in West Palm Beach, Florida, is trying to cut a plea bargain with Zada’s lawyers which would only send him to a minimum security (camp) prison for THREE YEARS for TAX EVASION!  Naturally, the minute we heard this news, many of us wrote Mr, Garcia (the federal prosecutor) to say how absolutely disgusted we would be by this gross miscarriage of justice, should such a deal be made.  Not only does it make no sense for Zada to not be prosecuted for the crimes he committed against so many good people including many fire fighters and policemen and women; part of the deal would be that he would, after the three years, pay back $25,000,000.00 to those he stole the money from. The problem with this is that if he had the money in the first place, he would not be facing jail time now - he would have paid s all back, because this is not a guy who is conducive to prison life.  Of that I am 100% certain!

Every victim I have spoken with agrees that we would all much rather go to court and get up on the witness stand and testify, even if we lose the case, then to let him get a slap on the hand after all the lives he totally wrecked.  Homes were lost, marriages failed, people lost everything and Zada is still living in his home on the lake in Gross Point Shores, having found yet someone else who believes his crap and thinks there is a golden pot at the end of the rainbow coming - probably on a Tuesday, if I’m right!

If you are one of the people from whom Joe Zada took money, please contact US Attorney, Mr. Rolando Garcia at 561-820-8711 or e-mail him at rolando.garcia@usdoj.gov and let him know your feelings as we have.  All we want is justice to be done and we deserve nothing less!

Cheers!

RD

The closest thing in the equestrian community to John and Jacquie Kennedy has always been Billy and Sis Steinkraus - PERIOD!  The last couple of weeks have been full of the passing of great people and it saddens me that now added to the list is my friend, Sis Steinkraus.  You can read her obituary pretty much everywhere but I want to tell you a few things you might not read elsewhere.

Sis Steinkraus was always working for equestrian sport, especially Dressage, since I was just a kid learning from Col. Ljungquist in my early teens.  She was an avid Dressage rider and competitor herself and rode her lovely mare up to the FEI levels.  Beyond this, she did so much to help elevate the sport, once it came to Stadium Jumping through Gene Mische in Florida and actually managed and organized the shows here for many years.  It was because of Sis (and her legendary husband, the great U.S. Jumping Gold Medalist, Billy Steinkraus) that we were able to bring top judges to Wellington and ensure they would come back.  One generally did not say “NO” to Mrs. Steinkraus! 

Many years ago, she invited me to her farm, situated on their very own island off of Connecticut.  The barn was a mini-Gladstone, complete with the brass balls over the stall doors, not so usual for that time, and gorgeous brick floors as well as a sweet indoor arena.  We then took a drive around the rest of the farm and went by an enormous brick mansion that I was certain was their home until Sis advised me that it was her childhood home and because it had less than the happiest memories for her, they had divided it up in 5 sections and rented them out as apartments.  Some apartments!  We then drove up to a sweet, unassuming, white farm house and went in to what was and still is the Steinkraus home.  You have never seen more reading material anywhere, the answer why Billy and Sis were always considered great intellects.  But more than this, the love that was in that house for each other and their pets was palpable then and speaking to Billy today, it still is now.  While he is devastated by the loss of his soul mate, Billy knows Sis would want him to keep on going, as he put it, “one foot in front of the other”.  Of this I am glad, but I also truly wish everyone could avail themselves right this minute of the vast and unparalleled knowledge which is encased in the mind of this great man.  Billy told me, when I asked him if he was still writing or doing anything for the media, that it was mostly too exhausting at his age of 86 and not in the best health, but he also said something that really struck a cord with me - that he was “irrelevant” now.  To that I have to say, how sad for all of us that the greatest legend in American Equestrian history could believe himself to be irrelevant and how stupid of us if we could make him believe such a thing.  I would love to hear his views on everything happening right now in the horse world and I wish I still had the chance to ask Sis the same questions.  I’m positive she would give me a real ear-full and it would be 100% right on!  My thoughts and prayers are with Billy, the family and all who loved Sis Steinkraus as I did!

RD

Well, as I’ve been told, once one starts receiving these “robo -posts” which come from various computer hacking companies, they are almost impossible to stop.  The thing is that they are rarely anything but complimentary to one’s site, although some are pure nonsense.  On the other hand, I certainly thought I would get at least a little bit of a rise out of some of you out there who had feelings, one way or the other, about the points I made regarding next season’s shows. I am honestly a little unhappy that you don’t seem to care enough to let me know your thoughts. Shall we try again?

Cheers!

RD

Robert Ross already amazed me and most everyone else in the Real Estate market last year when he had over 80 transactions close while most of his colleagues were just trying to get by.  With sales and rentals from Palm Beach to South Miami Beach, Robert is, as far as I know, the only true EXPERT on this much of south Florida.  And when I say he’s an EXPERT, I am not saying that lightly, because Robert has worked day and night to learn each and every detail about the areas, the homes, farms and condos, and the pluses and minuses of  buying or selling  in a market that has had more turns than we’ve seen in our 30 years of living down here.  Just since January 1st, Robert Ross has completed and closed on over 30 farms, homes and condos and he’s got many more in the works.  What’s more, Robert  is one of the most well liked Realtors in the area as he always bends over backwards to be kind, thorough and most importantly, 100% honest with everyone he deals with.

If I sound a little bit bias because Robert is my life-partner of 25 years, you may be a tiny bit right; however, the facts speak for themselves and Robert Ross is clearly a fantastic Realtor, person and friend to all who know him. So,  if you are looking to buy, sell , or rent that special farm, home, or condo, don’t be distracted by another Realtor’s ads in magazines showing umpteen listings - look for who has had over 100 transactions in the last year.  ROBERT ROSS - “The EXPERT from Palm Beach to South Beach!”

Cheers!

RD

So here we are well on our way to London where Teams from all around the world are sending their horses, most in Dressage with a reserve that will do nothing for over a month, other than the 3 nations allowed to send an Individual who can also act as a reserve if needed.  Naturally, that was supposed to be the case for all qualified teams until someone from this Dressage Committee got it wrong and screwed it up with the I.O.C. and the London Organizing Committee.

And if that’s not bad enough, Adelinde Cornelissen’s defending champion, Jerich Parzival, must trot up in the morning to see if he is fit to compete.  Two others were already made to trot again and we approved but not Parzival.  So here’s the stupid part for me.  Ten minutes later. Adelinde was doing her usual warming up as the day before any other show on a horse the vet and ground jury is concerned enough for not being fit that they force her to jog again in the morning.  Does this make any real sense to anyone?  If the horse is lame, it has no business being trained t0o be prepared for a major international competition as if nothing were wrong with it.  If it is fine to work that hard, it must be fine to ride tomorrow.  Or we should throw out the vet check altogether and expect that if a horse is lame or off in the test, the judge will ring it out on the first sign of it being unfit.  There - no more need for these ridiculous jogs and people know that they will definitely be rung out if their horse is off at all so they had best not try to show if they are unfit to do so.  But it certainly can’t look good to animal rights activists when a horse is spun in a jog but allowed to go right to work in the warm-up 10 minutes later as though all were peachy clean.  The jogs have always been a joke and should either be the exact same for all sports with rules that make sense for horses not passing the first day or thrown out completely.  Meanwhile, I really do wish Adelinde and all the other competitors, especially my American riders, the very best of luck!

Cheers!

RD

In the last days we’ve seen the passing of three amazing men: John Quirk, Siegfried Peilecke and Dick Clark.  The horse world and the world at large will miss them all and you can read about their lives and accomplishments all over the Internet.  Instead, I would like to offer the thing that each of these people did which left a profound mark on my life.

John Quirk, with his enormous and likeable character, showed me how a successful business venture could be handled with absolute honesty and transparency, whether in journalism or producing and organizing a world-class competition. He was a class act!

I met Siegfried “Bimb0″ Peilecke the very first time I went to Germany in my 20’s.  He lived next door to the farm of Willi Schultheis where I went to train and enjoy an amazing adventure in the little town called Warendorf. Bimbo was a rather gruff looking man and I could not speak a work of German at that time, so I was most definitely intimidated by him as well as Schultheis and pretty much everyone else.  On one of the first evenings at the pub in the “rider’s hotel”, Emshoff, Peilecke and others, some of whom have remained life-long friends, invited me to sit with them and drink beer and sing and laugh.  I felt welcome then and “Bimbo” was nothing short of a gentleman throughout his illustrious career to me, for which I thank him.

I grew up in a singing/dancing household and never missed Dick Clark’s, “American Bandstand”.  This true TV mogul went on to create and produce show after show, some of which left an indelible effect on my life. To this day, I am addicted to “So You Think You Can Dance”,  “American Idol” and just about every show on or off Broadway.  Dick Clark was a giant!

All three of these men will be sorely missed and my heart goes out to their families and loved ones.

Cheers!

RD

With the Florida Dressage season over, despite the tumultuous and sometimes exhausting moments, I think it is clear to say that the addition of the Global Dressage Festival venue and Series not only was a great success but did not detract seriously from the other shows in the area.  Understanding that what is for the good of the sport generally helps everyone involved, I now truly hope that everyone in our community will unite and see how we can work together to ensure next season is even ten times better than this one was.

We have 4 venues for Dressage in the West Palm Beach area:  Jim Brandon,  Original White Fences, New White Fences/ Equestrian Estates, and Global Dressage Festival.  All of these venues have a place in the community to bring something special for riders and horses in our sport and it is my hope that we can harmonize our show managements to provide the niche for each so that they can all thrive next year while ensuring the very best situations for competitors and their needs.

The original White Fences is a perfect environment for low stress outings with green horses and riders who need mileage and I believe all concerned with these shows were happy with them.  The key is considering how best to use the other 3 venues to give competitors exactly what they need as well.  In the best of all worlds, the show managements would look at what they offer realistically and then work out a deal to hold national or smaller CDI’s (CDN’s) in White Fences, CDI 3*’s at Jim Brandon which is a lovely facility provided it does not rain as the footing, though changed to a better one, does not hold up and becomes unusable outside for warming up.  This is not a problem of the type of footing but rather the drainage and the base under it and the county would need to completely redo it with tax-payer’s dollars to fix it. Since I do not see this happening, I would try to work out a deal in which the top tier of the shows - CDI W’s, CDI 4/5*’s, and CDIO’s - would all be held at the new, world-class, Global Dressage Festival venue, allowing the managements of the shows to not only do their jobs and make their normal fees, but most probably make even more money by knowing that entries would most definitely go up because of the use of this top facility. In other words, I would love to see all the CDIW’s, the World Dressage Masters, the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, as well as the shows already being held at the Global Dressage Festival, held there.  I would then have those national shows at the GDF held during the week stay as they are for those wishing to ride on this venue but all national shows held on weekends moved to one of the other venues to ensure their health and that our grass-roots competitors have their fare share of competitions.  If we could all see the logic in working together to use the various venues for the very best outcomes, without threatening the success of any one of the managements, the result could be the most amazing 2013 season for our sport not only for Florida but indeed, the world!  On the other hand, if everyone stands their ground and refuses to figure out a way to compromise, I am certain that, in the long run, we will see the demise of those venues not able to sustain themselves adequately, and that would, in my opinion, be very sad since I have competed at and enjoyed all of them over the many years I have lived in Wellington.

In any case, I am on a “personal mission” to find sponsors and raise $1,000,000.00 in prize money for the Global Dressage Festival Series of 2012/13 along with a $250,000.00 bonus for any combination which can win all 5 (right now) major Grand Prix competitions.  With this kind of prize money, I assure you that we will most definitely see the world making Wellington its winter home for Dressage, just as we have seen happen in the jumping world.  With the gorgeous shops and cafes built out on the GDF venue, it will surely rival the most beautiful show grounds anywhere and I feel certain that everyone who has been showing there or going to watch the competitions would agree with me.  So, let’s hope for the very best for all in our community and that we can see the value in uniting behind a common goal for our horses, riders and everyone else in our sport!

Cheers!

RD