Classical Dressage Art in Motion

    2021 seems to have been a particularly long and difficult year thus far. Obviously Covid hasn't helped much. The loss of my father just before Christmas 2019 has taken its toll and even the passage of time barely dulls the feeling of loss. On top of that the July colic of our 2nd statesman Grand Prix horse Tigger that required the decision to euthanize him still has both hubbie and I reeling. Personal health issues, haymaking weather making the season inordinately long and the like, have all hampered attempts to get back on the horse.   I'm just reviewing Robert Dover's new book for Catskill Horse magazine," The Gates to Brilliance." I suppose in a way in dressage terms I grew up with Robert's influence. The 1980's to early 2000's were a time of international competition and travel for me. Horses were very much front and center of a busy working life and hubbie Paul and I enjoyed many adventures both together and separately throughout those decade...

Over the past 30 + years I have been privileged to work with many 'greats' within the world of dressage, some embodied the art, some more the sport of dressage. Every experience yielded a new insight and much learning but yes, it has been expensive. There have been years when all I'd do was clinic. There have been years when all I did was show. There were years between when I just focused mostly on other 'life' stuff. Important stuff like kids. When like many other women I had to set aside my goals and be sure I was there for the three youngsters. These were the years when I also heavily invested both time and money in breeding horses. Well - kinda went together. I'm pregnant, let the horses be pregnant. Seemed to make sense. Looking back it still does and to this day I often advise a client that when they decide to have their next pregnancy to take their lovely mare and do the same. Those moments for me, of standing in the stall awaiting the imminent birth of...