Remembering Debbie Ford..........

The driving community has lost a good friend and generous supporter.  Debbie Ford was not a complicated person.  What you saw was what you got, and that was a warm and generous person with a big smile and an infectious laugh.  After Russell’s sudden death, Debbie kept involved with her late husband’s passion for the sport of driving. Lacking a bit of confidence, she took the back step and supported others to drive Russell’s big chestnut gelding, Casey.  Last year with encouragement of friends, Debbie stepped forward to take over the driver duties.  She drove Casey at Elk Creek CDE last year, and her enjoyment was obvious.  She and dear friend Helene Paxson planned to team up and compete this season.  Tragically, fate stepped in when she was diagnosed with leukemia in December.  Throughout her ordeal, longtime friend, Cindy Zirkle, said Deb  never complained nor lost her smile or her ability to laugh.  She will be missed by family, friends, and her precious pets. 

Remembering Bob Fetters…….

From the very beginning, Bob was a huge supporter of the Elk Creek CDE. He did many behind the scenes jobs like fundraising and mowing and helped his wife, Nancy, and daughter Merry compete.  He took an active interest in his friends and their horses and was always encouraging. One year Bob videotaped every competitor in a hazard and sent them all a DVD. He got the biggest kick of getting to know people and went out of his way to welcome new competitors.

Bob supported his family’s interest in horses for many years before he took an active role as a driver.  As with everything he did, Bob threw himself totally into the sport and made it his mission to become a good driver. He made big goals, worked hard to achieve them and was tough on himself.  He saw that dressage was a challenge for many drivers and applied himself to learn the skills to perform a good test, so good in fact that he earned the nickname ‘dressage boy’. Bob often joked about having great hands with ‘butterfly fingers’.

Bob often put notes on his carriage to remind him of things he wanted to work on. One of them, which he laminated and hung on his dashboard, said the following:           

Patience and Praise

Constant Halt Halts

Practice Halt and Relax

Insist on Slow Trot

Don’t give him away!

Stay straight!

Serpentine with outside rein

Easy trot then fast trot

Lengthen walk, working walk, trot

Halt from trot

Patience and Praise!!

Bob wasn’t the most patient person, but he learned it was the only thing that worked with horses. Keep these thoughts in mind as you compete – patience and praise!

We miss you, Dressage Boy!