Lendon Youth Dressage Festival Midwest, with Courtney King-Dye, and Emerging Dressage Athlete Program Clinic, August 5-7

Recently reported by dressagedaily.com, Hampton Green Farm will be the location of the first Lendon Youth Dressage Festival held in the Midwest.

[In addition to the Dressage Festival, it will also hold the] first regional “Section A” Clinic for the new Emerging Dressage Athlete Program, both events to be held during the weekend of August 5-7 at HGF’s Fruitport, Michigan farm. Courtney King-Dye will be a Special Guest and Judge. The regional “Setion A” Clinic on Friday and Saturday is for dressage riders under 21 who are interested in working with Lendon Gray and qualifying for the invitational “Section B” sessions in Wellington, Florida with Robert Dover and Courtney King-Dye. Interested applicants must apply on-line at www.dressage4kids.com.

The Lendon Youth Dressage Festival Midwest will be held on Sunday and is open to all riders of any discipline under 21. A mini-version of the original, the LYDF Midwest is modeled after the highly successful LYDF held every year in New York in July, which annually draws over 250 youth riders from the United States, Canada and South America and which brings aspiring equestrians together with top judges and professionals who judge them in three categories: A Written Test, Equitation and Dressage. The Prize List for the the LYDF Midwest will be posted on this site shortly and Entry Forms will be available on-line.

Since the tragic accident involving Dressage Star Courtney King-Dye, her fellow teammates such as Dressage Olympian Debbie McDonald and others have taken to wearing helmets during Dressage practice and competition.

Recently reported by hdressagedaily.com, Dressage rider Debbie McDonald experienced a bad fall earlier in the year, and credits King-Dye for her fast recovery.

Dressage Olympian Debbie McDonald took a nasty fall earlier this year and credits her recovery to fellow teammate Courtney King Dye. “After Courtney’s accident I wore the helmet in honor of her as a soldier would do for his fallen brother.” Debbie told dressagedaily. “I said from that day that I would never get on a horse without one nor would I teach anyone without one. There is never a day that I don’t think of my Teammate and friend Courtney.” Earlier this year, McDonald had a nasty fall from a young horse. “I went head first and flew about 30 in air before landing. They say that I never even got my hands out in front of me. My helmet had the base of the footing on it and the whole shell shifted.”

While a CAT scan found no bleeding and no apparent fractures, within a week McDonald who had a fusion 20 years ago noticed her neck was not right. An MRI showed that she had a few herniated discs pressing on my spinal cord and nerves. “To be honest there are so many spurs and damage that I am afraid my riding days are over.” Debbie revealed. “They will start doing injections into the disc to help relieve pressure soon.

The concussion has been difficult and it is the mental part that I am having problems with, teaching and not riding is not what I had planned for in my retirement. I do believe that things would have ended up differently if it were not for the helmet I was wearing. I have Courtney to thank for that. Yes, my life is going to change and I have a lot to think about but I am truly lucky to be here. I only hope that Courtney knows how many stories like mine have happened and because of her we will be alright. Courtney, we all love you and can’t wait to see you out there once again!

Debbie is not the first rider to start wearing a helmet due to King-Dye’s fall, as we have previously written in Grand Prix Dressage Rider To Wear Helmet – many Dressage riders have taken to wearing helmets during competition since the tragic accident.

You can learn more about Courtney King-Dye’s accident by reading: King-Dye’s Recovery Unknown After Terrible Fall

Dressage Rider Shiwon Green

A notable grand prix dressage rider Shiwon Green of New Zealand chose to wear a safety helmet during the North Island Championships at Kihikihi competition – and she plans to wear a helmet for the rest of the season.

As reported by horsetalk.co.nz, the Dressage helmet movement is growing after King-Dye’s accident.

Green’s move, which is in support of the THINK! (The Head Injury Network for Kiwis) project’s Safety Helmet Awareness Campaign, has the support of US Olympic dressage riders Courtney King-Dye and Steffen Peters.

“Courtney said ‘Absolutely! Put my name on it! Great idea!’ And Steffen followed with ‘It’s a great idea. I considered wearing a helmet during the WEG in Kentucky. If everybody does, I will certainly do the same.’ Unbelievable endorsements by our heros,” Green said this week.

Helmet wearing campaigns have been gaining momentum since the serious injury suffered by King-Dye last March, and several top riders have worn helmets in their dressage tests since. Traditionally, riders wear top hats at higher levels in dressage.

Green’s helmet has been sponsored by Stirrups Equestrian in Auckland, supporters of last June’s Head Injury Awareness Week. Stirrups offered a 20% discount on riding helmets during THINK!’s awareness week.

Green, who is an ED nurse at Waikato Hopsital, said she would be wearing a GPA Airskin helmet at the Championships, which start today, and in competition for the rest of the season. She competed in Australia late last year, and finished seventh in the freestyle at the Pacific World Cup final in December.

We hope for the safety of the riders that the Dressage competition helmet movement continues to catch on.

After a serious fall, King-Dye’s website read the following.

As you probably already know Courtney suffered a serious head injury on Wednesday afternoon March 3 while schooling one of her horses in Loxahatchee, FL . She is currently in a Coma, her condition remains stable.

As reported by horsetalk.co.nz, Dressage Olympian Courtney King-Dye remains in serious condition after a terrible fall.

Dressage Olympian Courtney King-Dye remains in a coma following a fall from a horse last week, and her husband, New Zealander Jason Dye, said yesterday that there was no way of knowing the timeframe for her recovery.

“However, the neurosurgeons, doctors and nurses all agree the greatest strength she has is her age (32) and high level of fitness. What they don’t know and I do is the unbelievable drive and determination that Courtney has, she will fight and fight and fight, no question,” Dye said.

Dye thanked the equestrian world for the outpouring of support for Courtney. “It would mean the world to Courtney and she is being reminded of it frequently in our talks. She has always loved the community aspect of the dressage world and would love to know that it is coming together for her,” he said.

King-Dye’s Facebook page has been flooded with support, and another new page, “Please Pray for Courtney King-Dye”, has many supportive comments.

Pro rider Heather Blitz, pictured above at The Palm Beach Derby, has started a helmet-wearing campaign. Many riders at the Derby traded their top hats for helmets following Courtney King-Dye’s accident.

Dye said there is huge amount of love and support coming from family and friends, and many people worldwide have been praying for Courtney. “She has Buddhist Monks performing healing services for her from Taiwan to the USA to India. Her second family and friends in New Zealand (where I am from, and Courtney loves to visit) are sending all their love and healing energy from the Southern Hemisphere.

“Though I have not seen them all I understand there are many places online that are sending her huge messages of support and healing.”

Jason Dye is filling Courtney’s room with cards and photos “so she wakes up to see the support first hand.”

If you would like to send a card, please mail to:

Courtney Dye
2442 Muir Circle
Wellington, FL 33414