DressageDaily: Tami Crawford and Dakota

Thursday, May 18 2000

Tami Crawford and Dakota

After dedicating her riding career to dressage since 1980, Tami (Fleming) Crawford of Franklin, TN has made it to America's top twelve. While she does not currently hold a position in the top half of the pack after the first weekend of competition at The Horse Park at Equestrian Estates, that does not for one minute diminish her excitement and appreciation for how far she. and her 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding Dakota has come.

" I am so thrilled to have made it here." beamed the married mother of two young boys. " Whatever the results, this is my Olympics, and I am relishing every moment." Crawford bought Dakota as a three-year-old in Germany from Herbert and Karin Rehbein, who own the sire, perhaps the greatest Oldenburg stallion of all time, Donnerhall. " I had seen so many wonderful horses, but none had captured my heart. When they led him into the arena, before I even saw him move, I knew he was the one."

Tami and the gorgeous liver chestnut Dakota have competed through all the levels together to get here, having the best season ever this past winter in Florida, highlighted by her appearance in the American Airlines Arena Freestyle competition in Miami in February, and winning the Winter Equestrian Festival Dressage Classic CDI-W Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle in March. She also had a super season with her young horse at second level, Markant, a Dutch Warmblood, and the Oldenburg gelding, Angelino at third level, a client's horse currently for sale.

Crawford trains in the winter with Robert Dover in Wellington, Florida, then returns to Tennessee for the summer to train and teach her students.

Related Links
"On the Scene" coverage of the USET Dressage Olympic Selection Trials
Donnerhall