If you watched Animal Planet’s World Cup Finals broadcast you probably noticed that the dressage coverage amounted to a paltry few minutes and not a single ride was shown in its entirety. In response to complaints from the dressage community, Animal Planet has posted videos of the complete rides on their website. Check out Isabel Werth’s winning ride on Warum Nicht (aka “Hannes”), Catherine Haddad’s showy “Gladiator” freestyle on Maximus, and crowd favorites Courtney King and Idocus whose lovely ride earned them a standing ovation and a sixth place showing overall.

Via Swedish Warmblood Fence Talk

For all you folks on the East Coast, Jane Savoie will be doing a seminar in upstate New York to benefit the Equine Fund. Details are below. You can find out more about Jane at her website and her new blog.

April 6, 2007 — Old Chatham, NY — The Equine Fund is hosting Jane Savoie, equestrian rider, teacher, author, coach, at a full day seminar, Sunday, April 29, 2007, from 9am-4pm (indoors) at Denbesten Ranch, Valatie, N.Y. ( Exit 12 off I-90 about ½ hr. East of Albany, NY and ½ hour West of the Berkshires in Massachusetts). Jane Savoie will offer a 3-hour morning classroom session with helpful take away tools and techniques for every rider based on her book “That Winning Feeling.” In the afternoon session, Jane will work with 4 mounted pairs of riders offering detailed demonstrations and an opportunity for questions. The event will benefit The Equine Fund, an educational non-profit dedicated to raising equine awareness to prevent abuse.

Encompassing the areas of dressage, eventing and show jumping, Olympic candidate Jane Savoie offers seminar attendees a new approach to riding. “The power of positive thinking is critical to riders in all disciplines,” says Ms. Savoie. “If you can train your mind, you can shape your attitudes to achieve higher levels of skill than ever imagined. ” She calls her technique “Psychocybernetics,” the science of positive mind power which is detailed in her best selling book “That Winning Feeling.” In the seminar Jane will show participants how to replace negative perceptions with creative, constructive and practical ideas.

Tickets are also available to a fundraising dinner with Jane Savoie the evening before the seminar, Saturday, April 28th at 6:30 at the Old Chatham Country Store. At the dinner Jane talk informally with guests about her life as an equestrian. Dinner spaces are limited. A percentage of proceeds the Jane Savoie seminar and dinner will be donated to regional equine rescue and/or therapeutic riding organization and equine veterinary studies scholarship. Cost for the April 29th full-day seminar is $75 ($45 for an individual session if signing up for only one session) and the dinner is $50 per person. Advance registration is required. Discounts for large groups (more than 6) are available. Juniors (under 18) pay $40 for full day. Food concession is available on site. For mail-in registration form and more information please visit www.equinefund.org. For questions, group rates and press inquiries, please email Allison Marchese, organizer, equinefund@aol.com. If you would like to sponsor the event please email or call Allison Marchese at 518-755-6061. This program is made possible through the support from area sponsors including Rhinebeck Tack, Rhinebeck; NY; C&K Tack, Chatham, NY: The Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, Old Chatham Hunt Club and Wood Hill Veterinary Clinic, Old Chatham, NY, The Equine Clinic at Oakencroft, Ravena, NY, Nassau True Value, Nassau, NY; Kinder Farm, Kinderhook, NY. Serenity Hill, Old Chatham, NY, Preferred Country Properties, Chatham, NY, David Tractor & Turf, Chatham, NY.

Breast cancer has touched my life in more ways than I’d care to count. Both my mom and my best friend are breast cancer survivors and I recently had my own cancer scare (luckily, I’m fine). Here are some fine folks in the dressage community who are helping in the fight:

The annual Dressage for the Cure charity horse show helps to raise money for Renee’s Friends Fund - “Colorado’s horse community helping survivors cope”. Renee’s Friends recently made a breast cancer survivor’s dream come true when they gave her her first horse, and they will be giving away a Featherlight trailer to the supporter who collects the most funds through their Pledge for the Cure program. Dressage for the Cure takes place May 12, 2007 in Littleton, CO.

The Potomac Valley Dressage Association Ride For Life horse show is a benefit for the John’s Hopkins University Breast Center in Baltimore, MD. Last year’s show raised over $30,000, nearly 70 percent of which came from rider’s pledges. Well done! This year’s two-day show is June 30 - July 1. (via Jane Savoie’s blog)

The spectacular Challenge of the Americas took place just a few weeks ago on March 10 in Wellington, FL. Benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and attracting international top riders, this annual show features dressage musical freestyles and quadrilles as well as show jumping.

And here’s a great story from Dressage Daily about an adult amateur dressage rider battling cancer with dressage. Horses are an amazing kind of therapy.