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2008 End-of the Year Questions
Now that the end of the year is rapidly approaching, Eurodressage asked several international riders, judges and journalists to review their year briefly and highlight what they considered the most important evolutions and happenings in their personal and professional life.
Check out a second batch of reactions to the 2008 End-of-the Year Questions.
See who else answered the 2008 End of the Year Questions?
 Monica Theodorescu
Germany
German Olympic Team Reserve Rider and former FEI Dressage Committee member |
| Most important event in your equestrian life in 2008? |
The Olympic Games in Hongkong. It was a great experience even as the reserve rider of our team. There were many very emotional moments. |
| Most important happening, evolution or trend in the world in 2008? |
The election of Barack Obama and the financial crisis. |
| Best and worst tv and radio show |
If I watch TV, it is mostly sports, because there are many „worst“ TV shows. |
| Best book, play, concert, movie and CD |
Best book: „Der Chinese“ by Henning Mankell.
Best movie: „Das Leben der Anderen“.
Best CD: Amy Whinehouse.
I didn`t have much time for concerts. |
| What would you like to see changed in the dressage world in 2009? |
I would like to see prize money in dressage competitions the same in jumping competitions, which will be even harder to ask for this in times of a financial crisis. |
What do you wish for in 2009?
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Good health for my family, especially my mother, and my horses. |
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 Mary Phelps
USA
Equine Insurance Agent, Photographer, founder of Horsesdaily.com, Dressagedaily.com and Phelpsphotos.com |
| Most important event in your equestrian life in 2008? |
I have to say this year, it was The Nashoba Carriage Classic where I competed with my pony Master's Bonnie Buddy, and won the Novice Championship! All those years of watching everyone else sweat out the competition paid off. It was so much fun, I could not wipe the smile off of my face. |
| Most important happening, evolution or trend in the world in 2008? |
Barack Obama being elected the President of the United States. |
| Best and worst tv and radio show |
Best TV: I loved Lipstick Jungle
Best Radio: my favorite radio station ever is http://www.ridingthewave.com, our local country radio station here in south central Kentucky. The morning swap shop is a hoot, people trading calves, looking for old engines, and selling stuff cheap. Just heard of a brand new 4 horse Featherlight Trailer for $3500! |
| Best book, play, concert, movie and CD |
Book: Tami Hoag's "Alibi Man," where her character helps to solve the mystery by researching on our website horsesdaily.com.
Nesy Concert:
Just saw Lyle Lovett at the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and it was awesome! |
| What would you like to see changed in the dressage world in 2008? |
More giving back. Most of us are very blessed to be living the lives we live, and as a member of the board of directors of the Equestrian Aid Foundation, we hope to raise awareness and funds to cover the $300,000 in annual expenses we provide helping injured and sick members of the equestrian world who need out help. |
What do you wish for in 2009?
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This year we all are stepping up our work towards the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010, where America and Kentucky will have the opportunity to return the hospitality to our Euro friends who have set the example for making Equestrian Sport a world class event for everyone.
Happy Holidays to everyone, be safe and happy, and treat your horses with love and respect. |
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 Diederik van Silfhout
The Netherlands
European Young Rider Champion and winner of the 2008 FEI Young Rider World Cup Finals in Frankfurt |
| Most important event in your equestrian life in 2008? |
The European Young Rider Championships in Portugal |
| Most important happening, evolution or trend in the world in 2008? |
The recession. We live in such an insecure world. |
| Best and worst tv and radio show |
Worst TV: The Bold and The Beautiful
Best TV: Ik Hou van Holland.
Worst Radio: Radio 1
Slechste radio radio 1 .
Leuke radio
Best Radio: Radio 538 |
| Best book, play, concert, movie and CD |
I don't read much so I don't have a favourite book but the best concert was "Toppers" and the best movie "Blood Diamond". The best CD was "Best of 2008."
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| What would you like to see changed in the dressage world in 2009? |
Instead of deriding each other's riding style, I wish that people would look more positively to one other and use and respect the positive sides of certain training methods.
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What do you wish for in 2009?
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A successful year with many hightlights, but also a good health and much happiness. |
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 Wayne Channon
Great Britain
British Grand Prix rider and member of the FEI Doping and Medication Committee |
| Most important event in your equestrian life in 2008? |
The rebalancing of the FEI Dressage Committee to better represent all stakeholders in dressage. |
| Most important happening, evolution or trend in the world in 2008? |
The global financial crisis. |
| Best and worst tv and radio show |
Best TV was X-Factor and Dog Borstal.
Worst: any soap. |
| Best book, play, concert, movie and CD |
Best book: "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins and Andrew McLean’s "The Truth about Horses"
Best movie: Quantum of Solace or The Dark Knight. Both super well made. |
| What would you like to see changed in the dressage world in 2009? |
We need a better, more consistent system of judging. |
What do you wish for in 2009?
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Stability in global financial markets
That people become more aware that we are running out of oil so we have greater energy efficiency
Greater public awareness of the benefits of stem cells
Good health for my family and friends – both human and equine!
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 Cees Slings
The Netherlands
Musician, renowned kur composer and arranger |
| Most important event in your equestrian life in 2008? |
And standing there, at her horse’s side,
Was a girl who had shown me
the perfect way to ride...
Not one event specially, but I worked this year with some of the most lovely and talented dressage riders like Vicky Max Theurer, Evi Strasser and Beatriz Ferrer-Salat.
We started (and finished) new freestyles compositions and they did what they had to do with it; improving their skills in this part of dressage and winning with it. Also I enjoyed the European Young and Junior riders Championships in Portugal when young riders performed the freestyle, there's a lot of potential but also a lot to improve on this level, not only the music and music-productions but also the musical 'skills' of these riders when they perform their freestyle. |
| Most important happening, evolution or trend in the world in 2008? |
The implementation and realization of EQ-Musync ®©: a new complete measuring instrument for Freestyle dressage. It will wipe away all "grey areas" of adjudication : subjectivity versus objectivity; relation to musical taste; lack of knowledge of music and rhythm; evaluation of synchronicity and harmony between the horse and rider.
All these unquantifiables dissappear with EQ-Musync ®©(equestrian music synchronisation). |
| Best and worst tv and radio show |
Because we lived in Spain for the last 8 month's and my Spanish is still not good enough to understand much of Spanish television I missed a lot (or not), except the news perhaps because you already know what it's about, hahaha. |
| Best book, play, concert, movie and CD |
Book & Concert - We didn't have time this year to go to any concerts or read any books.
Play - War Horse, by National Theatre (UK) - based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo
Movie - (watching the DVD's on our Mac's you mean ;-) The Dark Night, No Country for Old Men, Foyle's War (the last 6 episodes)
CD('s) - New Cool Collective (Benjamin Herman) - Out of Office, Hercules & Love Affair (a project of producers Andrew Butler & Tim Goldsworthy), Santogold - Santogold |
| What would you like to see changed in the dressage world in 2009? |
A stricter control and implementation of our copyrights by organistations such as Buma-Stemra, Gema, Sabam etc. Original & commissioned works are still being released on CD's & DVD's without the authors being paid. Also the large competitions are still not paying rights - happily Gema has started to deal with this. There are several law suits pending; we will await the results. Gema & Buma-Stemra are currently following up on thousands of illegally made DVD's including the World Equestrian Games 2006. |
What do you wish for in 2009?
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To get EQ-Musync ®© further developed.. We are already a long way but we need to test
and refine further. This will cost time, expertise and money.
An improvement in the quality of adjudication in the Freestyle event. With the EQ-Musync ®©
protocol there will be a measurable result available; this will make the work of the FEI taskforce much easier and will free them up for other improvements.
I would like to fulfill a long-term wish : a composition for one of the world's best Ballerinas, Veronika Part |
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 Joop van Uytert
The Netherlands
Stallion owner of Van Uytert Stallion Station, one of the largest breeding facilities in The Netherlands. |
| Most important event in your equestrian life in 2008? |
The 2008 Olympic Games |
| Most important happening, evolution or trend in the world in 2008? |
The financial crisis |
| Best and worst tv and radio show |
There are many good and bad programmes.
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| Best book, play, concert, movie and CD |
Best Book: I read many horse magazines
Best Concert: Madonna, it was fantastic! |
| What would you like to see changed in the dressage world in 2009? |
5 judges in the dressage ring with the highest and lowest score scratched |
What do you wish for in 2009?
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A good health and much success |
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 Elisabeth Max-Theurer
Austria
Former Olympic Gold Medallist, Member of the FEI Dressage Task Force |
| Most important event in your equestrian life in 2008? |
The 2008 CHIO Aachen and CDI Stuttgart |
| Most important happening, evolution or trend in the world in 2008? |
The election of Barack Obama in the U.S.A. |
| What would you like to see changed in the dressage world in 2009? |
A better co-operationg between riders, trainers, judges and show organizers in the benefit of the horse.
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What do you wish for in 2009?
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A good health for my family and horses. |
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