A Lawyer For Equity: Debunking Myths About SafeSport’s Role In Our Legal System

In a recent interview with The Chronicle of the Horse regarding the new group “Athletes For Equity In Sport,” Ms. Diane Carney frequently references our judicial system. As an attorney and an equestrian, I was troubled by how many of her claims ranged from misinformed to flat out inaccurate. There has been a lot of […]

Barisone Pleads Not Guilty To Attempted Murder

In his first court appearance since being indicted last month, Michael Barisone pleaded not guilty to all charges today, Jan. 6. Barisone was indicted on two counts of attempted murder, crimes of the first degree, and two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, crimes of the second degree, following the shooting […]

The Wisdom Of The (S)ages: 2020 Robert Dover Horsemastership Week

Wellington, Fla.—Jan. 6 Katherine Bateson-Chandler, Robert Dover and George Williams can’t help it when pearls of wisdom fall from their lips. After all, they are dressage superstars. And, as the trainers for the 2020 Robert Dover Horsemastership Week, they shared their expertise with the talented young riders and spectators at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival […]

The Art Of The Half-Halt: Day 1 Of Robert Dover Horsemastership Week

Wellington, Fla.—Jan. 3 A decade after it first began, Robert Dover’s Horsemastership Week still attracts eager, young talent anxious to learn from some of the top names in dressage. Dover’s first-day schedule historically includes a chat about the fundamentals of dressage while audience members tentatively answer his questions. As always, it comes down to the […]

So Far And So Close

One minute we were trotting down the rail, the next I’m lying in the dirt watching Cairo cavort away while I desperately prayed to the horse gods that she didn’t hurt herself after months and months of rehab. It would be one thing if this was the first “Oh crap, she’s going to hurt herself” […]

A Decade In, How Are We Doing With Thoroughbred Aftercare? Part 1

A decade ago, the word “aftercare” was not part of the horse racing industry’s vernacular when talking about Thoroughbreds leaving the track. There were a handful of nonprofits that had battled the tide of horses retiring from racing for years. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation launched in 1983, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program in 1992 and […]

2020 Goal Setting

Greetings from Florida, where my team is safely ensconced. We had a boring drive down—my favorite kind—and the horses arrived safely. We’re all settled in, we’re riding, we’re working, we’re juggling the holidays and the persistent rain days, and we’re absolutely ready to go… but don’t really have anywhere to go. This is my longest […]

Leadership Gift For U.S. Equestrian Dressage Development Program Announced

The U.S. Equestrian High Performance Dressage Development Program will continue to provide strategic guidance and resources to dressage athletes, thanks to the generous support of Fritz and Claudine Kundrun through the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation.  Newly named the Kundrun Dressage Development Program, the U.S. Equestrian Federation initiative was created to provide support to selected athletes […]