[Mike Matson]

Those in this forum are involved in a "weird" sport, wear "funny fancy clothes", and should be made fun of, according to this Atlantic news article. I suggest you keep a low profile for awhile if you don't want to look the fool.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/polit...e-sport/53705/

[DottieHQ]

"Dressage is about making the horse change its gait to music..."

A comment:
"Right you are, Elspeth.

Dressage is the ultimate elitist "sport".

No true American would have anything to do with it."

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__...e-facepalm.jpg

That comment was nothing short of unnecessary and offensive. It was especially painful for me, a girl who's parents are more than enthusiastic and supportive of my riding goals and who are filipinos who became American citizens less than 20 years ago. It sickens me that because my parents are supportive of and involved with my passion, there are people who won't consider them true americans despite the fact they picked up their lives and moved halfway across the world so they too could become proud (and true) americans.

[SmartAlex]

What a dumb article.

[J-Lu]

The very last line of her blog post is this:

******

As a fan of a different obscure sport, I understand the frustration some dressage fans might have in reading this post about their often-neglected sport. Send corrections or better GIFs my way, please!
Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ereeve@nationaljournal.com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

******

Perhaps we should send comments?

[emilyo]

if you do it you know dressage is just about as straightforward and easy as ballet. So why not expect people to make fun of it? At least it's getting some press! Gotta love that! If you are really thin skinned & can't take the public humiliation I would suggest trail riding (which I also do). It's easy & everyone gets it.

[Coyoteco]

I think - hope- that the fact that Anne Romney is a devoted horse person whose husband supports her in her passion isn't something that the Democrats can get traction out of as a *negative*. It would be such a bad statement on the state of our country and the intellect of voters that it would truly be disheartening.
Hopefully, people will take this opportunity to learn about dressage if they don't already know about it. Really, though, how many people do you know who are not aware of this discipline by name or by description?
It takes money to get to the Olympics in most sports. Not all horses that go to the Olympics initially cost a lot of money. It's all just so stupid............but my fear is that people are stupid enough to fall for it.

[J-Lu]

coyoteco, unfortunately, the comments submitted to that blog page suggest that people don't know much about dressage and aren't interested in learning more. Quite a few people are dumb enough to believe what they're told (or what they see on TV/the internet).

[Beentheredonethat]

Oh chill out and stop getting your panties in a bundle. I think the article is great and informs the uninformed about dressage, and so nice to see Nadine's freestyle again.

Anyone thinking this is a negative for he Romneys is truly naive. NO ONE CARES. All I care about them is actual stuff that matters.

Jeese. If you ride dressage and can't make fun if yourself when we wear white breeches, gloves, tophat and tails (which I love) you should pull the stick out of your backside and have a look at yourself. It is truly ridiculous. Oh, it's kinda like men wearting tight tights and their massive bulges showing and women wearing tutus.

Can anyone actually READ?

[gahawkeye]

Hmmm....Riding in funny clothes and being 'elitist' seemed to be OK for Jackie Kennedy....

[Trevelyan96]

I'm actually getting kind of sick of this. I usually have a pretty thick skin,and am politically very moderate, but I'm getting a little tired of a bunch of rabid, radical, ignorant, dumb@$$es thinking its acceptable to attack a woman, a horse, a sport and everyone who participates in it, just because they don't like Mitt Romeny's political views and the fact that they're rich enough to own part of a partnership an Olympic caliber horse.

Its the school bus bulies all over again, only these are adults who should know better and definitely should have their privilege of spreading their particularly nasty brand of BS across the media revoked! If they went after Michelle Obama with the same type of venom for participating at the highest levels in figure skating there would be riots in the streets.

Not a fan of the far left or right... both are major contributors to the political and social ills that plague our country, economy, and sanity.

[danceronice]

I think - hope- that the fact that Anne Romney is a devoted horse person whose husband supports her in her passion isn't something that the Democrats can get traction out of as a *negative*.

They're certainly going to try. It wouldn't matter what kind of horse sport or any expensive sport it was--if Ann Romney was into water polo, we'd get articles about how sports teams had super-expensive natatoriums while poor children play in puddles from busted fire hydrants because the Romneys JUST DON'T CARE.

This is how EVERY major Republican candidate is treated. The actual activity does not matter, the actual price of clothes, supplies, etc. doesn't matter, what matters is the practioner or their spouse has an R after their name, not a D. This time around, it's dressage. Get used to being in an elitist sport for the 1%.

[rideastar]

it's funny that if the Romneys co-owned a NASCAR team (a true Joe Sixpack sport) no-one would call them or the fans nasty names and make such ridiculous statements. Yet a NASCAR team costs millions more than an Olympic quality horse!
Just enjoy the notoriety and laugh the idiots who don't understand and don't want to understand the athletic and artistic elements of riding dressage.
Come to think of it, I kinda like being thought of as elite!

[SGray]

kinda like John Kerry's windsurfing?

[RedmondDressage]

I'm finding this kind of attention irritating too. Not because I'm thin skinned or can't laugh at myself, but because it exposes the sheer stupidity of so much of the American public. I mean seriously, do people have nothing better to do but worry about what sport others spend their money on? Money that they have earned and have a right to use in any legal way that they please? The right and the left are both equally guilty of lobbing absolutely ridiculous insults back and forth, many of which have absolutely nothing to do with politics. This kind of behavior should be embarrassing to us as a country but somehow grown adults think it's acceptable. Sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in that Idiocracy movie

[patch work farm]

The problem is that the "idiots" are also allowed to vote!

[suzier444]

What bothers me is the idea that people who know less than nothing about dressage feel entitled to pass judgement on how valid or worthy it is as a pastime. The *arrogance* of that bothers me. A scary amount of people in this country have this preposterous notion that their opinions are valid simply because they exist, not because they have any knowledge or facts to base those opinions on.

I find the trash-talk about both political parties and their representatives, including the romneys, to be mildly annoying but expected. I don't really care how the romenys spend their money, but I am willing to accept the idea that other people do care. I'm willing to admit that dressage is expensive and possibly elitist, that the attire is a seriously easy target, that some people want to elect officials they can relate to, and that the romneys may not fit the bill (personally, I want to elect officials from either party that are far smarter and more capable than I am, but whatever).

It's the trashing of dressage as a concept, and moreso the underlying arrogance of those doing the trashing, that bothers me.

I'm considering embracing the elitist title, though, and I'm not so sure it is a bad thing. A lot of things in this country that are considered elitist are things I support and enjoy. I'm not sure why I should feel guilty about associations with things that are "elite" -- my education, for example. I should feel blessed, but should I feel guilty or bad?

[SGray]

when was the last time Dressage was mention in mainstream press? I am tickled pick at the attention to the sport.

[suzier444]

when was the last time Dressage was mention in mainstream press? I am tickled pick at the attention to the sport.

The articles themselves haven't really bothered me. I'm very bothered by some of the commenters, though -- especially in the story that prompted this thread.

eta: commenters on the linked story page, not commenters here. just clarifying.

[dalpal]

I'm actually getting kind of sick of this. I usually have a pretty thick skin,and am politically very moderate, but I'm getting a little tired of a bunch of rabid, radical, ignorant, dumb@$$es thinking its acceptable to attack a woman, a horse, a sport and everyone who participates in it, just because they don't like Mitt Romeny's political views and the fact that they're rich enough to own part of a partnership an Olympic caliber horse.

Its the school bus bulies all over again, only these are adults who should know better and definitely should have their privilege of spreading their particularly nasty brand of BS across the media revoked! If they went after Michelle Obama with the same type of venom for participating at the highest levels in figure skating there would be riots in the streets.

Not a fan of the far left or right... both are major contributors to the political and social ills that plague our country, economy, and sanity.

I was just thinking it's starting to sound like a bunch of "cool adults" trying to bully those that they think are weird or uncool. What a bunch of morans. You can't find anything to attack the man on other than his wife's horse and an incident in the 1980s????

I

[alicen]

when was the last time Dressage was mention in mainstream press? I am tickled pick at the attention to the sport.

I'm never tickled pink when ignorant reporting is masked as news.