Monday March 22, 2004

Robert Dover And FBW Kennedy Win Grand Prix Freestyle, CDI*** At WEF

Wrapping up the Zada Enterprises LLC WEF Dressage Classic CDI at the 32nd annual Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, Robert Dover aboard FBW Kennedy owned by Jane Forbes Clark won the Grand Prix Freestyle, CDI***. The duo topped a field of 12 horses. Dover claimed victory with 77.550%. Canada’s Shannon Dueck of Wellington aboard Korona placed second with 72.025%. Cheri Reiber of Toronto, Ontario, placed third scoring 70.375% with her G Tudor. The class was a Qualifying Competition for the 2004 USET Grand Prix Championship/Olympic Selection Trials.

“It’s rare when you’re riding a horse that while you’re going around you’re thinking – this is amazing! The fun that he has with it and the feeling that I’m on just a wonderful, wonderful, animal,” said Dover about his Freestyle with Kennedy. The duo was performing the kur in competition for the first time. Dover choreographed his kur two months ago, but only received his music two days ago, allowing one practice session with it yesterday. Dover worked with Holland-based Hot Neon via phone and email to construct the music. “It is only 65% finished. They’re just geniuses,” said Dover. “The music came together enough just to perform today, but now they’ll get the video and they’ll tweak it and perfect it. Between now and June, we’ll finish it.”

Dover called the piece “Kennedy’s Melodies” because it’s a string of melodies from the 1920s and ‘30s including Charleston music and tunes like Steam Heat, Hernando’s Hideaway, and Bye Bye Blackbird. Dover notes that FBW Kennedy’s personality reminds him of President John F. Kennedy and ‘cool’ music suits him. “Most horses go to the dressage arena and they ask, why? Kennedy goes down the centerline and says, why not? It’s just like President Kennedy’s famous saying, ‘People ask why, and I ask why not’. That’s really the way he is as a horse. He honestly believes so much in his abilities that it brings out this incredible feeling in the rider that anything is possible.”