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Sunday, May 07 2023 / Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature

A Tribute to Dressage Olympian Carol Lavell

By George Williams

 

This past month, U.S. dressage lost one of its greats. Throughout her equestrian career, Carol Lavell set an example of how hard work, persistence and nose-to-the-grindstone-style commitment can make goals become a reality. She inspired many during her competition years and ultimately left a legacy through The Dressage Foundation that helps others make their dreams come true. Since Carol’s death at the age of 79 on March 27, I have read numerous wonderful tributes to her on social media. Carol’s story is being told by others far better than I can ever pretend to tell it.

Let me just say that her wonderful horse, Gifted, caught the eye and imagination of many. Probably the only Olympic horse to come up through the national levels, Gifted won the USDF Horse of the Year award at nearly all except Training and First levels. We all felt like we knew both horse and rider by the time Carol started showing him at Grand Prix. As a result, we rode with the two of them every time they went down the center line in a major international competition. Writing for USDF Connection in 2014, Jennifer Bryant stated, “The flashy bay 1980 Hanoverian gelding (Garibaldi II – Lola, Lombard) with the enormous movement and range was the first modern American equine dressage superstar.” Not surprisingly, and deservedly so, he was the first horse to be inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Carol and Gifted placed sixth individually, ending a 16-year dry spell to lead the U.S. team to a bronze medal—its first medal since winning the bronze at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.

I remember watching Carol and Gifted compete in one of the early Palm Beach Derbies that was modeled after the famous Hamburg Derby. I was shocked that she would let others ride her incredible horse. Her response was matter-of-fact and revealed her practical side. Carol claimed she needed the money to return to her home in northern Vermont at the end of the Florida season.

Another still-vivid memory that sticks in my head is the time I placed second to her in an AHSA Eastern States Dressage Finals. While in the awards ceremony, even though it was only a Second Level class, I recall feeling like I was on a pony sitting on my 17.2-hand horse as we stood next to the already bigger than life Carol and Gifted. Urban legend has it that Gifted’s great size and scope is the reason the zigzag in the Grand Prix was reduced from six to five half passes.

Carol was part of what I consider to be the second, or perhaps even third, generation of trailblazers of American dressage. These individuals played a significant role in the development of our sport. Working with Michael Poulin, Carol started to be noticed in the dressage world in the late ’70s and early ’80s. She competed at the Insilco U.S. Dressage Championships (the precursor to the U.S Dressage Finals) held in Kansas City in 1982. By the late ’80s and early ’90s, she and her new horse, Gifted, were our top/star combination.

When you think that this year the U.S. hosted its seventh FEI World Cup Finals for dressage (the first one being in 1995 in L.A.), it has hosted two dressage World Championships (both were part of a WEG), and how major the Florida circuit has become, it’s easy to assume that dressage has always been strong in the U.S. The reality is that each generation of dressage enthusiast has helped to create what we have today. In order to add volume and depth to our sport, we need to remember them, for all too often they are forgotten. As they say, it does take a village, but it also takes a few strong women (and men) to occasionally lead the way and make it happen. And without a doubt, Carol Lavell was one of them.

 

Photo: Carol Lavell with her Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame inducted horse, Gifted.

 

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Yay for June! We have another great edition for yo Yay for June! We have another great edition for you all that we can't wait for you to read. Up first are Evan and Ashley Donadt a dynamic duo that has won the hearts of many! Stay tuned for many great stories like this by following us on Instagram and Facebook or subscribing to get your very own copy of Sidelines Magazine!

What happens when a horse-crazy equestrian girl meets a never-touched-a-horse-before guy? If you’re Ashley and Evan Donadt, it might just be the beginning of a happily-ever-after that includes a solid dressage program and extremely popular social media channels featuring good-natured humor and horses.

Ashley, a lifelong equestrian, began her horse experiences with the local 4-H club, progressed to lessons with the local dressage trainer when she was 10, then her own pony when she was 11. Conversely, Evan grew up in Massachusetts, without any horse experience to speak of. The odds of them meeting were fairly low, until fate landed them both in Southern California.

Evan knew from the start that spending time with Ashley meant spending time at the barn. In fact, Ashley told him straightaway, “The horses come first always; you’re going to be second!” Evan wasn’t deterred, and instead found the loophole: spending all his own free time with her at the barn.

Read Ashley and Evan's full article in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! You can also click the link in our bio. Don't forget to subscribe to get your very own copy delivered right to your door! Thank you Evan and Ashley for allowing us to share your story!
📸Portraits by Jeni Jo Brunner

#sidelinesmagazine #sidelines2023 #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
As we head into June we wrap up our May women entr As we head into June we wrap up our May women entrepreneur, edition. We were so lucky to be able to feature so many amazing women within the Horse industry. We have one more to share with you, and if you missed any of the women entrepreneur stories head to our website for all of our past issues! Enjoy! 

Hurry Up and Wait” is a familiar saying at hunter-jumper competitions. Unlike other disciplines, where 
riders are assigned specific ride times, hunter-jumper riders typically must check in with the starter at 
the in-gate throughout the day to determine when they will show. In 2019, Emma Fass decided to put 
her computer science background to use in the show industry and created RingSide Pro to allow riders 
to be “ringside” wherever they are.
Throughout high school, Emma competed at horses shows on her horse Son Of A Sailor, aka Ernie, 
oftentimes trailering Ernie into the show for the day with her mom. “That was stressful because we 
didn’t know how the show was running until we got there. Even once we were on the show grounds, we 
struggled to find information. It’s a hike to the rings and the speakers in the barns tend to be 
unreliable,” Emma said. “I would think to myself, There’s got to be a better way.”

For more information, visit www.ringsidepro.com

Read Emma’s full story at sidelinesmagazine.com, and never miss an edition of Sidelines magazine by subscribing. 

@ringsideproinsta @emmafass 
📸Photos by Kirsten Konopnicki, kkonophoto #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
The June issue of Sidelines Magazine is here!!! G The June issue of Sidelines Magazine is here!!! 
Get ready to meet the cutest, funniest and very talented equestrian couple from California - Evan Donadt and Ashley Donadt. Thanks Jeni Brunner for the great cover photo! 

Evan is a Tik Tok and social media star, along with several of their horses and ponies. So get ready to laugh, and also be inspired by their relationship and Ashley's dressage goals - she's headed to the top! You will love them and their story will make you want to follow them on social media! 

We also feature hunter-jumper rider Will Baker who has a new farm near Ocala, Florida, complete with a cute donkey (and lots of amazing horses of course), equestrian artist Jan Lukens of Jan Lukens Fine Art (if you were a fan of Gem Twist you will love his paintings!), talented Texas dressage rider John Mason who has a great story, hunter-jumper rider Addison Reed who is now showing in the Grand Prix, and we catch up with the amazing Kate Egan and her larger-than-life horse and her story about how she won a car!

Former eventing groom Courtney Carson tells us about her new career, eventer Nicole Zardus shares her story of retraining racehorses for the eventing and foxhunting world, and we catch up with the very talented rider Luke Jensen who is now a professional rider for North Run's Missy Clark and John Brennan. Don't miss Luke's touching story about the horse Jamaica! 

We feature Robert Crandall in our Unbridled column, along with our great columnists who share their wisdom: eventing with Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing, dressage with George Williams, hunter-jumper with Rob Jacobs R.L. Jacobs and sports psychology with Margie Sugarman. Also enjoy the Show Time pages from The FEI World Cup Finals and the American Equestrians Got Talent competition. It's another great issue!!

Don't forget to visit our website and order a subscription - one year for $14.95 - you can't beat that! In the meantime, enjoy the June issue. Link in bio! 
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
🌞 🐴 The HITS-on-the-Hudson Summer Series in 🌞 🐴 The HITS-on-the-Hudson Summer Series in Saugerties, New York, is officially underway! Don’t miss your chance to experience the new Wordley Martin renovations, including the redesigned Grand Prix Ring, featuring Wordley Martin’s premium footing blend. Make it a summer to remember on a riding surface you can compete on with confidence. For more information about building your own Wordley Martin arena, visit WordleyMartin.com.
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