Posted by
Jessica Hickson
Category: Dressage
Robert Dover: Then and Now
Six-time Olympian Robert Dover has been at the forefront of U.S. dressage for many years. He began competing internationally in 1984. As the most decorated U.S. rider, Dover has competed in six consecutive Olympic Games, four World Championships, and seven World Cups. He finished his career with four bronze medals and was U.S. team captain at all six Olympic Games.
One of his many notable achievements includes winning the Grand Prix at Aachen in 1987. By defeating six-time Olympic gold medalist Dr. Reiner Klimke, Dover became the first U.S. rider to win in the prestigious venue in 27 years.
In 1994, Dover was named “Male Equestrian of the Year” by the U.S. Olympic committee.
In October of 2008, Dover retired from his training and teaching business at Romance Farm in New Jersey. Following his retirement, he was inducted into the USDF Hall of Fame.
In addition to writing a book, Dover is focused on his non-profit organizations. He has many future plans and goals.
Dover is a co-founder of the Equestrian Aid Foundation (www.equestrianaidfoundation.org). This non-profit organization assists equestrians who are suffering from a life-threatening illness or catastrophic injuries by providing direct financial support for medical and basic needs.
Well Wish International is Dover’s newest project. The organization will focus on drilling wells and providing much needed water in Third World countries. South Africa and Zambia will be the initial focus.
Recently, Dover launched his own website (www.doversworld.com). In 2009, he will be giving clinics in the U.S., Europe, and South America as a part of his World Symposium Tour. He will also be giving a select number of virtual lessons and video critiques. More information about his clinics and lessons can be found on his website.
In a recent interview for Equestrian Life, Robert Dover discussed his career, retirement, and future plans:
Q: Who has been one of your greatest mentors throughout your dressage career?
Dover: I have had many wonderful people assist me over the years. I started my career with Myra Wagner. Elizabeth Lewis was also instrumental in helping me. My greatest mentor was Colonel Bengt Ljungquist, coach of our Olympic team when I made the squad for the first time. He was the trainer who mentored me from being a medium level rider through to the Grand Prix. He formed my belief system on not only how to ride, but also on horse care and mastership.
Q: What does it mean to you, personally and professionally, to be inducted into the USDF Hall of Fame?
Dover: It was a great honor to be inducted into the USDF Hall of Fame, especially because they had to change the rules in order for me to be inducted. The award/honor is normally given to people who are quite a bit older than myself. Before the induction, they asked me to make a one and a half hour video. I asked what the purpose of the video was going to be. They said that normally the video is meant to commemorate the accomplishments and life of the inductee because most of them do not stick around much longer. So, I had to laugh about that.
Q: What has been one of your greatest or most rewarding accomplishments or experiences throughout your career?
Dover: There are so many great moments throughout my career. I would have to say that the first time I was in a major international competition, being Aachen, I won the Grand Prix class. It was the first time that an American had won in that venue in 27 years. When the American flag was raised in the main stadium, 65,000 people stood up to hear our National Anthem play. That was huge for me.
Q: What is the focus of your upcoming book?
Dover: My book is going to be a memoir and a collection of anecdotes that have been a part of my life. As I was going through chapter after chapter, I noticed the most of the themes or headings were words like “friends” or “family”. The majority of the words started with an “f”, so I decided to name my book “Words That Start With An ‘F’”.
Q: What steps do you believe are important in order for the popularity of dressage to continue growing in the U.S.?
Dover: What has to happen is that the U.S. needs to adopt a program that goes from juniors and ponies all the way to the International, Olympic, and Grand Prix riders. The program must focus on the training and competition aspects in order to build and strengthen the riders at all of the various levels. Also, the focus of show management must change. The program must include all facets of dressage and must be adopted in order to bring our sport forward.
Q: What direction would you like to see the sport of dressage take in the future (changes, advancements, goals)?
Dover: One goal that I would like to see is a change of format in dressage at the Olympic level in order to sell the sport better. The greatest hurdle that we have is to create broad popularity. Dressage is such a beautiful sport and when people see it, even those who do not understand it fully, they can still appreciate it and enjoy watching it. Until dressage is seen in everyone’s living rooms, people can’t truly learn about it and experience it. We need to figure out how to bring our sport into a wider public view. Broadcasting is the biggest opportunity and challenge for the sport.
Q: Considering your experience, would you like to be involved with future U.S. Olympic teams (chef d’equipe)?
Dover: You know what, I will never say never. I’ve always tried to be open and share my opinions as far as the future and advancement of the sport. I’ve never been shy about stating my opinions and I think everyone who knows me knows that.
Q: What are your future plans for your own personal riding?
Dover: I have a horse that I am keeping as a hobby horse, so that I can ride as often as I choose. Other than that, I have no plans.
Q: Following the success of your dressage reality show, would you like to be involved in TV networking in the future?
Dover: I would love it if the opportunity arose where the sport could have greater popularity through television and, of course, I would love to be a part of that.
Q: Can you briefly explain the future goals for your non-profit organizations?
Dover: The major goal for the Equestrian Aid Foundation is to see it run fully as a membership driven organization. There would be a few events held each year to enhance the organization, but not as a necessity to keep the foundation afloat.
For my new non-profit, Well Wish International, I just want to get it started. The focus of the organization will be to bring water to African villages.
