Collective Remarks: A Journey Through the American Dressage Evolution: Where It's Been, Where We Are, and Where We Need

World renowned dressage judge and former US Olympic coach Anne Gribbons has had the unique experience of living the trajectory of the dressage evolution in the United States. A native of Sweden, Anne has been active in the US dressage scene since 1972, when dressage in this country was in its infancy. She has trained and shown sixteen of her own horses to Grand Prix, nine of which were long-listed for the United States Equestrian Team (USET), and one-Metallic-was on the Olympic bronze-medal-winning dressage team in Atlanta under current US Dressage Team Technical Advisor/Coach Robert Dover. Anne has coached many successful riders through the levels, and she has always been willing to share her experience and guidance in the form of clinics, lectures, and her popular column in the consummate American equestrian magazine The Chronicle of the Horse. Over the course of almost twenty years, Anne provided commentary on the state of dressage in the United States and around the world, tying together her diverse viewpoints from the ground, from the saddle, and from the judge's stand with her trademark style and wit. Now, the best (and in some cases, the worst!) of Anne's personal experiences as a rider, trainer, breeder, facility owner, sponsor, competitor, instructor, coach, and judge-first shared in her Chronicle columns-are gathered into one immensely entertaining sourcebook. Here, history, humorous anecdotes, attempts to learn from dressage's past, and prophecies about the sport's future meet in both harmony and disharmony. With almost seventy chapters closely examining the changing face of dressage in the United States over two decades, readers essentially experience "time travel," reliving challenges and celebrations alike, with the opportunity to critically ponder the choices made and paths trod. Anyone with an interest in dressage, its controversies, its most famous names, and its future in the United States will enjoy Anne's stories, but the true value is in her ideas for improving our horses, our riders, and our ability to compete on the international scene with success and integrity in the years to come.