Five Time Olympian Robert Dover Returns To The Dressage Ring At The 119th Dressage At National Horse Show
Wellington, Florida—November 22, 2002—The 119th National Horse Show, the most prestigious horse show in the United States, will make its debut at The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington from November 26 through December 1, 2002. The National, founded in 1883, brings together the best horses and riders in the U. S. competing in the well-known equestrian disciplines of hunters, jumpers, equitation dressage and ladies’ sidesaddle.
For the first time in several years, dressage will be part of The National’s schedule and will be called “Dressage at The National”. The dressage competitions will take place on Saturday November 30 and Sunday December 1.
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A Miracle Recovery
By: Emily Lineberger Bridges
Springtime is my favorite time of year, although the Tennessee climate is a fickle one. My husband and I were on foal watch duty beginning the first week of March, 2000, and the weather had been unseasonably warm until we began our nightly vigil in the tack room. We retrieved our sleeping bags, snuggled into them and waited for signs of a new arrival. Our eleven year-old Half-Arabian mare was due around March 10, and although it was a little early to expect an arrival, we didn't want to take any chances. The truth was that we loved to sleep at the barn amid the peaceful night sounds of the horses.
Like many middle-aged horse lovers, I had been involved with horses a child. But with maturity came other responsibilities and horses fell by the wayside. In 1992 I came to the realization that I wanted to make more memories by which to grow old, and that raising horses was the way I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
So we moved to Tennessee with our Arabian horses, one of which was Lilli, the beautiful bay mare now due to foal. We had built a barn, complete with foaling stall, and set our sights on raising babies. The first filly was born in April of 1997, in a textbook foaling. The second filly was born in 1999 and was truly a miracle. Now we waited with great anticipation for the third to enter the world.
Each night was uneventful and we wearily trudged back to the house in the morning. Lilli was kept in a paddock free of fescue where I could observe her during the day.
I constantly checked for signs of impending labor; by this time I was reasonably skilled at recognizing muscle relaxation, sweating, pawing, colicky behavior and wax on the teats of the mare. I saw no signs of foaling as we passed the expected due date.
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Ladies’ Sidesaddle Competition To Be Featured At The 119th National Horse Show
Wellington, Florida—November 20, 2002—The 119th National Horse Show, the nation’s most prestigious horse show, will be held at The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington from November 26 through December 1, 2002. The National, founded in 1883, brings together the best horses and riders in the U. S. competing in the well-known equestrian disciplines of hunters, jumpers, equitation and dressage, as well as in the somewhat lesser-known discipline of ladies’ sidesaddle.
Ladies’ sidesaddle is an area of equestrian sport currently enjoyed by only a few hundred women in the U.S. Historically, ladies who competed at The National only rode sidesaddle. This changed in 1915 when Eleanora R. Sears broke this barrier and became the first woman to ride astride at the show.
Sidesaddle is ridden as the name implies: seated on a special saddle individually fitted to each horse, the rider keeps both of her legs on the left side; she maintains a completely square position in the saddle while the horse is in motion by the use of proper balance and the assistance of two pommels on the left side of the saddle which give support to her knees. A sidesaddle horse must be specially trained to be responsive to the rider’s whip aids on the right side, which has no rider leg.
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21st
November 2002

20th
November 2002

Free Admission On Thanksgiving Day At The 119th National Horse Show
Wellington, Florida—November 13, 2002—The 119th National Horse Show, the oldest and most prestigious horse show in the U.S., will be held at The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington from November 26, 2002 through December 1, 2002. The National brings together the best horses and riders in the U.S. competing in the equestrian disciplines of hunters, jumpers, equitation, ladies’ side-saddle and dressage. Since 1883, The National has been held in the New York metropolitan area (at Madison Square Garden with the exception of 6 years at The Meadowlands in New Jersey) and in an “indoor” arena; the move to Wellington with its “outdoor” rings is historic.
Thanksgiving Day falls on the Thursday during The National. While the competition schedule that day will be abbreviated so that one and all can celebrate with family and friends, it will nonetheless be an exciting day, giving spectators a wide variety of classes. Gene Mische, Chairman of the Board of Directors of The National, has announced that admission to The National on Thanksgiving Day will be free. On other days, ticket prices will range from $7-$15 per person.
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