132 SIDELINES APRIL 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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South Carolina – Dressage
An Unexpected Journey
By Diana Hunt
Five years ago Dori and Jim Derr bought a 23-acre former
chicken farm in Wagener, South Carolina, close to the horse
activities in Aiken County. Jim commuted from his law office in St.
Thomas, Virgin Islands (and still does), while Dori enjoyed riding
her horses she brought from New Hampshire. They worked hard
to build a spacious barn for horses, cross-fenced for pastures,
built a covered and an outdoor arena and put up jumps.
A former saddle seat and hunter/jumper competitor, Dori started
taking dressage lessons on her little Paint horse and fell in love
with the discipline.
Not one to waste a lot of time, she went for the top, a place her
Paint could not take her.
“I wanted to learn on a horse who was already trained,” she
explained. “It takes 10-12 years to train a horse to the upper levels.
I was in my early 60s, and I didn’t want to be wheeled up to the
horse in a wheelchair to get on. I had to start with something that
already was trained and had a forgiving nature so I could learn.”
She already had fallen in love with the beauty of the Iberian
horses – those from Spain and Portugal – from having visited
Spain in the past.
“We had gone to the Royal Andalusian School for Equestrian
Arts in Jerez to watch the horses perform,” Dori smiled. “I was in
tears they were so beautiful. Every time you looked up anywhere
in Spain there was another P.R.E. (Pura Raza Español, better
known in this country as Andalusians). They are absolutely
the most comfortable horses I’ve sat on. They are kind, smart,
forgiving, they have huge hearts and big personalities. They have
lots of go, they are not afraid to try things, they are bold, they have
such athletic ability and people do everything on them. I have
never seen any mean spiritedness in any of them.”
Before she knew it, she was on a plane back to Spain, a list
of possible sale horses with her. She found a lovely grand prix-
trained stallion with historic bloodlines on the island of Mallorca.
Tomillo VII had been started by Olympic medalist Rafael Soto
and kept in training by his brother Pedro Soto. The stallion shares
several bloodlines with the great Invasor, Soto’s Olympic mount.
Although the owner didn’t want to part with the horse, she finally
sealed a deal. Not only did she have her dream horse, she
had a mare in foal as part of the package. Pedro was not shy
in admonishing Dori as to the incredible responsibility she was
taking on with owning Tomi.
“Pedro shook his finger under my nose,” Dori related, “and said
‘do you have any idea the thousands of hours of training on this
horse and the responsibility you are taking on right now’? ‘Yes I
do’ I said. I’m still figuring out how much responsibility it is.”
Things moved quickly from there, including the foal being born
earlier than predicted – while the horses were still in quarantine!
That set the path that has followed.
To say the last four years have been a blur is an understatement.
Half Moon Dressage Center now owns five PREs (Pure Spanish
Horse), including Tomillo VII, the original mare and a 2013 filly by
Tomi. On any given month, there are from four to 10 additional
boarded horses in full training with Dori’s trainer, who is straight
from the Royal Andalusian School in Jerez, Spain. The Royal
School is patterned after the Spanish Riding School in Vienna with
its Lipizzan stallions, but featuring the country’s very own Spanish
horses.
Francisco José García Ibañez is a 28-year veteran of the Royal
School, having earned the elite status of trainer/rider/specialist.
He trained one of the 2006 Olympic silver medal horses, Oleaje,
as well as its rider, Ignacio Rambla. He is training in this country
while on sabbatical from the Royal School. Horses seem to melt
under his kind, soft hands, becoming supple and willing athletes.
As for Dori’s dressage training, it had been unfocused until Sr.
Garcia came on as trainer. He took the ride on Tomi at Grand Prix
and quieted the now-nervous horse with slow, consistent riding,
earning his USDF gold medal on him in 2013. He is working with
Dori to confirm her Third Level and Fourth Level rides. He also
shows clients’ horses from Fourth Level through Grand Prix.
“I feel like I’m learning dressage backwards, from top to bottom,”
Dori laughed. “I rode Third
Level, then Second, then to First, then
to Prix St. George, now I’m back at Third and holding steady. It’s
been an interesting couple of years. I piaffed before I could do
shoulder in, pirouettes before half passes. My big goal is to pick a
level and touch all the noses and go through it properly. I’m taking
my lumps, but it is worth it.”
For more information, go to
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Dori and Tomi
Photo by HuntScene Photo
