You asked me about stories of Robert as a mentor and I guess what strikes me most about him and why I would choose him to lead the Uset Dressage Team is because as you get to know him, he will give you every faction of himself. His experience, his present opinion, his knowledge of the subject at hand and his choice of how something can be accomplished , always allowing for a different set of circumstances should the facts change. What he does is that he “readies” you for what is to come. He absolutely did that for me – he prepared me for the Olympic Games. There was no doubt in my mind that I could not have accomplished that bid. When Lingh went lame and was not able to navigate the trials, and actually even the selections, Robert made it possible for me to accept that disappointment in stride. He had such a major effect on how I made my way through that part of my career. He treated it normally, as unnormal as buying a horse like Lingh was, learning how to ride him, no easy feat btw, Robert took me as a messy dressage rider 4 years prior and gave me the instruction, advice and structure to get as far as I did.
Several riders have stated that our Team Coach need not be an instructor. – but I object to that shortsightedness ! If you do not need a “riding lesson” Robert knows that, but if you are trying to represent the United States, if you are attempting to find logical TOP top horse flesh to ride, if you are trying to decide what competitions to choose from in Europe, and when to advance in levels, then by God you better have someone just like George Morris in the Dressage Camp.
Robert is that person. He is a mentor extraordinaire.
CONGRATULATION TO THE CANADIANS – FANTASTIC JOB , GREAT FOR YOUR TEAM !
