Latest from Horse & Hound in Courtney-king-dye

7 horsey books to curl up with this January

Horse & Hound — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 09:55:28 +0000

Whether you’re in the market for a coffee-table picture book that you can flick through once you’ve flopped on the sofa post-riding, or fancy a good autobiography that you can get your teeth into — H&H has picked seven recent releases which are sure to perk up the dark January evenings.

1. If Horses could Talk

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Author: Gary Witheford

Published by: Racing Post Books

Price: £20

ISBN: 9781909471696

If Horses Could Talk tells the story of world-renowned natural horseman Gary Witheford in his own words. The autobiography gives an honest account of his remarkable life, from his troubled childhood shadowed by abuse to the salvation he finds through horses.

Although most famous for his work in the racing world, Gary has transformed problem horses across the disciplines. I was left in awe of Gary’s work, from “starting” — a term he prefers to breaking — a young horse within 30min, to putting zebras through their paces. This captivating and moving book is punctuated with colourful photographs and will resonate with any animal lover, with a helpful “Tack Room” glossary to assist those less acquainted with equestrian terms.

2. Focused: My Life in Pictures

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Author: Andrew Nicholson (with Catherine Austen)

Published by: Racing Post Books

Price: £20

ISBN: 9781909471580

Andrew Nicholson’s latest dabble into literature takes the reader on a fascinating personal journey of hard graft and true horsemanship, illustrated with many unseen photographs cleverly documenting his rise to the top and his life with horses. We discover the horses — and ponies — who played pivotal roles in making him the rider we know today, from his first pony to the wonderful Avebury. The kind of “autobiography” I prefer — plenty to look at and short, interesting snippets of text, peppered with Andrew’s witty anecdotes. There are some great one-liners, one of my favourites being, “No-one told me not to gallop to an upright gate — I learnt by doing it.” I think this sums up Andrew’s early years very well.

3. Walking Home: My Family and Other Rambles

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Author: Clare Balding

Published by: Viking

Price: £20

ISBN: 9780670921478

Two years after her bestselling My Animals and Other Family comes Clare Balding’s Walking Home, a book that will delight fans of her BBC Radio 4 series Ramblings. It all began in 1999 with a phone call from radio producer Lucy Lunt. Would Clare present a new series during which she would interview walkers while following various scenic footpaths around the UK? “I had no idea there were people who walked for the sake of it,” she writes. Happily for us, she accepted, and Walking Home is an account of some of the more hilarious and moving episodes, with anecdotes and personal asides woven in. Along the way we learn how in 2006 she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer; that while working with Willie Carson — with whom she had a 14-year on-air partnership — he had to stand on a box (Balding at 5ft 7in towered over the 5ft Carson). She is brilliant at conjuring imagery — “The seahorses were jumping imaginary fences, landing in a bath of North Sea foam”. This is a funny, warm and entertaining read.

4. Little Book of Cheltenham

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Author: Catherine Austen, with a foreword by Nicky Henderson

Published by: G2 Entertainment Limited

Price: £9.99

ISBN: 9781782812517

Any Cheltenham-fanatic should find space for this pocket-sized book in their downstairs loo — it will prove a handy source of trivia to impress other racing fans or fill an awkward silence. To give you a taste: did you know that Arkle’s daily feed contained six eggs and two bottles of Guinness? If you have longer to enjoy the book from cover to cover, H&H’s former racing editor Catherine Austen takes you from the very first race meeting held in 1815, to the modern masters, amateurs, women, a look behind the scenes and much more.

5. McCoy in the Frame

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Author: Edward Whitaker

Published by: Racing Post Books

Price: £20

ISBN: 9781909471702

Racing photographer Edward Whitaker captures the 19-times Champion jockey in a variety of environments, giving a behind the scenes look into his life. McCoy In The Frame is split into different eras of his career, starting off as the fresh-faced young jockey in the 1990s and culminating with a champagne-soaked 39-year-old celebrating a record 4,000th winner. The photos show his fierce determination during a race, pain and anguish during and after falls, sharing a joke with trainers and friends and more tender moments with his family. A fantastic range of striking photographs that will interest any racing fan.

6. Courtney’s Quest

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Author: Courtney King Dye

Published by: Words In The Works

Price: $17.50 (£10.80)

ISBN: 9780991036448

In 2010 American dressage rider Courtney King Dye suffered a serious head injury in a schooling fall. She was in a coma for a month, and her accident led to global promotion for safety headwear. Now competing in paradressage, this book tells Courtney’s story of life before and after her accident in an open and honest manner, and conveys her fierce determination. It recounts her life — growing up fighting with parents that didn’t believe she should focus on a career in horses, meeting her husband Jaso competing at the 2008 Olympics and her life-changing accident. Courtney writes in an engaging and moving way — aspects of the book are described in heartbreaking detail, though there are moments of humour. The book includes extracts from her journal through the years, which adds personality. It gives a revealing insight into the world of an athlete at the highest level — and how she coped when life changed.

7. Making it Happen: The Autobiography

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Author:Carl Hester

Published by: Orion

Price: £20

ISBN: 1409147673

A rip-roaring trip through Olympic rider Carl Hester’s early days on the car-free island of Sark and his rise up the global dressage ladder, culminating in team gold at London 2012. Packed full of vibrant stories, this 288-page book catalogues Carl’s life in dressage’s fast lane in his usual irreverent, impudent style. The book is revealing, insightful and witty and a must for any dressage fanatic. However, some passages are confusing as they chop and change between real names and nicknames of the huge cast involved. As one Amazon reviewer put it: “Truly wonderful story, but was there ever an editor involved?”

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Grand prix dressage rider starts long road to recovery after freak accident

Sophia Heath — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:48:40 +0000

Silva Martin — wife of eventer Boyd Martin – has been moved to a rehabilitation centre after suffering serious head injuries in freak accident while riding at her winter base in Wellington, Florida earlier this month (6 March).

Silva was flown by private jet — courtesy of one of her owners — to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital in Malvern and is still suffering serious after effects as a result of her fall.

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“Where she hit her head there is bruising and bleeding,” Boyd told H&H. “This is affecting her speech, balance and her vision.

“She is quite sharp in her mind, but unfortunately trapped by her bodily functions a little bit.

“She is obviously struggling to do normal things, but the neurosurgeons are confident that she will make a full recovery.”

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It is hoped that Silva might be able to move home in a couple weeks to continue her rehabilitation.

“Unfortunately she has got the true German grit and determination so our biggest challenge is going to be keeping her locked up,” Boyd added.

Silva was wearing a hat when she had the fall and doctors said it prevented life-threatening injuries. Silva had only started wearing protective headgear following American dressage rider Courtney King-Dye’s life-changing fall in 2010.

Courtney was schooling at home without a hat when she fell.

“With Silva being German, it was definitely not the trend to wear a helmet,” Boyd said.

“In Amercia she always admired Courtney and since her accident, she has always worn her helmet.”

Congratulations to Courtney King Dye

Horse & Hound — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 14:57:23 +0000

Olympic dressage rider Courtney King Dye, who suffered serious brain injuries when she had a fall at home in 2010, has announced she is pregnant.

She and her husband Jason Dye are expecting their 1st child in February. In a novel way of discovering the gender, they asked their doctor to write the sex of the baby in a sealed envelope. They then gave this to a local baker, who baked them a special cake. On cutting throught the cake’s white icing, they discovered pink filling, which confirmed they are expecting a girl.

Earlier this year Courtney recorded the video below to show how her recovery is progressing 3 years after her accident. She was not wearing a riding hat when she fell. She is now actively campaigns to encourage all riders to wear safety hats at all times while riding, regardless of sport, level of competence and whether they are relaxing, training or competing.

New safety top hat launched for dressage riders

Amy Mathieson — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:07:24 +0000

Dressage riders have a new incentive to ditch their famously cavalier attitude to hat safety.

Top names Matthias Rath and Emile Faurie have already committed to training in proper headgear and now a new, high-tech top hat allows riders to be stylish and safe in competition.

The hat looks like a standard top hat, but has a crash hat inside and fastens with a chin-strap. It was launched by Dutch hat manufacturers L’Hiver at a trade show at ’s-Hertogenbosch in March.

“As far as we are aware this is a world premier,” Boy de Winter from L’Hiver told H&H, adding the hats have been approved to meet EN1384 safety standards by assessors TNO and Tüv.

“We have taken our first orders and they will be available in June,” he added.

He said there has been a lot of interest, from all levels of riders, especially from the USA.

“We’ve been working on the hats for five years, but sped up due to public demand after Courtney King-Dye’s accident,” Mr de Winter said.

American dressage rider Courtney King-Dye suffered a serious brain injury on 3 March 2010 after falling hatless from a horse while schooling at home in Florida. She suffered a fractured skull and small brain bleeds and fell into a coma.

Since last month hard hats have been mandatory in all US national dressage competitions and all under-18s must wear an approved helmet at FEI competitions in the US (news, 3 February).

Adults do not have to wear safety helmets in international classes, although they are “strongly recommended” to do so by the FEI (news 1 July 2010).

Dressage riders welcomed this innovation.

“L’Hiver should be congratulated,” said H&H dressage columnist Richard Davison. “Apart from the straps, I can’t see any difference and if it improves rider safety that has got to be a good thing.”

Laura Bechtolsheimer agreed: “Safety is being taken increasingly seriously in the sport — being safe is more important than looking good.”

Fellow rider Steph Croxford had a more measured view: “In principle, it’s a great idea, but people may be put off by the chin strap and how it looks.”

Lyndsey White from safety campaign group Riders4Helmets said: “The price may limit its market to top-end competitors [the hat retails at 1,500-4,000 Euros (£1,330-£3,882)], but L’Hiver seems to have produced a top hat that incorporates safety features that is also visually pleasing, which has been an issue in the past. Any approved headgear is a positive step for the future of equestrian sport.”

The FEI and British Dressage confirmed that the hat can be worn in competition.

Find out what riders think of the new top hat in Horse & Hound magazine (7 April, 2011)

Injured dressage rider Courtney King-Dye back in the saddle

Horse & Hound — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:20:19 +0000

American dressage rider Courtney King-Dye is back on horseback after suffering a serious brain injury when she fell while schooling at home in Florida on 3 March.

She suffered a fractured skull and small brain bleeds and fell into a coma.

Mrs King-Dye, who was disqualified from the 2008 Olympics when her mount, Mythilus, tested positive in a dope test, has ridden a horse twice during therapy since being released from Kessler Institute to outpatient care on 25 June.

In a blog on her website Mrs King-Dye wrote: “The first time, I was more nervous than before I rode in the Olympic Games.

“They told me it was OK to cry — they were great — but once I was on it was like [being] home. I didn’t know if I’d be able to do what I knew I must, but I did.

“I knew, for me, I had to separate the riding as a therapy, from the love of the horse. Even though I was working on very different things, it was still work. And once I was off, I let myself love him to pieces.

“He was great. His name is ‘Dude’ and he was great. I rode so ugly I thank God that it wasn’t on one of my horses… both for me, and for him!

“But you can’t take the trainer out of the girl. It was a very hot day, so Dude kept stopping by the door. Instinct took over, and by the third time I shocked everyone (including me!) by kicking poor Dude.

“He, who is trained to ignore everything the person on his back may do, very obediently ignored my pathetic one-legged kick. I was mortified, but it caused a good laugh.”

Injured US dressage rider Courtney King-Dye now talking

Amy Mathieson — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:03:54 +0000

Injured US dressage rider Courtney King-Dye is making further inroads in her recovery and is now talking.

Last Wednesday (7 April) her husband Jason Dye reported on her website: “Courtney has been working with her speech therapist daily, she started today saying a vague ‘Hi’. By the end of the day she was saying ‘Thank you for your hard work’ to one of her nurses.

“She still has a long journey ahead of her in the physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions. However Courtney continues to amaze me with her strength, determination and positive attitude in such a life changing situation, hopefully the next update will come from her.”

Courtney was taken to hospital on Wednesday, 3 March, after the horse she was schooling slipped and fell, at home in Loxahatchee, Florida.

She suffered a fractured skull and small brain bleeds and fell into a coma.

The rider was airlifted to hospital in North Palm Beach then transferred to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey, where she awoke from the coma last month.

Dressage rider Courtney Dye awakes from coma

Amy Mathieson — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:37:41 +0000

US International dressage rider Courtney Dye (nee King) has awoken after nearly a month in a coma.

Courtney was taken to hospital on Wednesday, 3 March, after the horse she was schooling slipped and fell, at home in Loxahatchee, Florida.

She suffered a fractured skull and small brain bleeds and was airlifted to hospital in North Palm Beach.

Last week she was transferred to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey.

An update on her website on Monday night (29 March) read: “While Courtney is no longer in a coma she still needs more time to fully emerge. The head of the brain injury department has described her current phase as being at the higher end of a ‘minimally conscious state’.

“She has some awareness of her surroundings and responds inconsistently to requests.

“The recovery from a brain injury is much like training a top-level dressage horse — both take patience, determination, a highly-skilled team of people and time.”

Courtney Dye improving and breathing without ventilator

Horse & Hound — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:49:26 +0000

Although she remained in a coma, American dressage Olympian Courtney King-Dye began breathing without the help of a ventilator nine days after she fractured her skull in a fall from a horse show was schooling.

Yesterday (Sunday 14 March) Jason Dye reported on Courtney’s website: “She has made more progress with her breathing and has been off the ventilator and breathing on her own for over 36 hours. Unfortunately there is not a lot more to report from a medical standpoint, but I can tell you that I get a deep sense when I am with her that she is fighting to come back.”

Courtney’s accident happened on Wednesday 3 March, the day before the Palm Beach Dressage Derby in Loxahatchee, Florida, when she was riding without a helmet at a farm near the showgrounds.

She had asked the horse to move sideways when he tipped over and her head hit the ground, rendering her unconscious. She was air-lifted to hospital, where she has been on the receiving end of hundreds of cards and e-mails, as well as prayers — including a service at the show — wishing for her recovery.

Meanwhile, her situation has brought a recognition about protective headgear to the fore. Her 2000 Olympic teammate, Steffen Peters, began wearing a helmet while schooling, and many other riders have followed suit, with some also wearing helmets while showing at the upper levels.

U.S. Dressage Federation president George Williams, a Grand Prix rider himself, hopes there is a long-term trend in the current recognition of the need for safety.

“Certainly when someone so high profile and well-loved as Courtney has such a terrible accident, it brings a tremendous awareness to the potential dangers of riding,” he said.

“There already has been a lot of discussion about requiring helmets and I suspect there will be a lot more both within the USEF (U.S. Equestrian Federation) and USDF. Whether or not it will lead to rules requiring their use is hard to say. At this point, it’s too early to predict if helmets will become the norm in competition, especially when tail coats are worn.”

Courtney Dye in “stable coma” after schooling accident

Amy Mathieson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:37:23 +0000

US international dressage rider Courtney Dye (née King) is reported to be in a “stable coma” after falling from a young horse last week.

She was taken to hospital on Wednesday, 3 March, after the horse she was schooling slipped and fell, at home in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Courtney suffered a fractured skull and small brain bleeds and was airlifted to hospital in North Palm Beach.

Yesterday her husband, Jason Dye, posted an update on the rider’s website:

“There is no way of knowing the timeframe for recovery, however the neurosurgeons, doctors and nurses all agree the greatest strength she has is her age and high level of fitness,” he wrote.

“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. I know there has been an outpouring of support at all levels and want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for that, 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.”

It is unclear as to whether Courtney was wearing a riding hat when she fell.

A spokesman for the United States Equestrian Federation told H&H: “As this wasn’t at a USEF competition we don’t have an accident report from the fall but all reports indicate that she was not wearing a helmet. We are all thinking about and praying for Courtney and her family.”

US site The Chronicle of the Horse reported that her condition is improving and is scheduled for an MRI scan this week.

“It’s still very grave, but since the accident, there’s been nothing negative. The bleed stopped quickly. The pressure never built up on her brain. She’s responded as expected. That’s a little bit of good news,” Lendon Gray, long time trainer and mentor told the paper.

On Sunday (7 March) at Palm Beach Dressage Derby riders and fans held a prayer vigil and wore green ribbons to show their support.

Jason is offering to read messages of support from fans to Courtney. If you have a message you want read please email to: comebackcourt@gmail.com

Courtney King Dye suffers serious head injuries in fall from horse

Horse & Hound — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:28:39 +0000

American international dressage rider Courtney King-Dye suffered serious head injuries in a fall from a horse on Wednesday (3 March).

Courtney, who is currently heavily sedated in the intensive care unit of St Mary’s Hospital, Florida, was injured while schooling a client’s horse in Loxhatchee, near Wellington.

The horse slipped and fell, knocking her unconscious. She was airlifted to hospital with a skull fracture.

“We think one hind foot stepped on the other — the horse semi sat down and tipped over sideways,” Lendon Gray, long time trainer and mentor, told local papers. “She was basically under him, and her head obviously hit the ground.”

Overnight the pressure in her brain went down, but neurologists are still unsure as to when Courtney will wake up.

Courtney, who has had to have two of her top horses put down in the last six months, was disqualified from the 2008 Olympics when her mount, Mythilus, tested positive in a dope test.

This February she was awarded the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize by the Dressage Foundation, accompanied with a cheque for $25,000, designed to help riders excel at international levels.

“Courtney’s accident reminds us all how vulnerable we are around horses,” Heather Blitz, Grand Prix dressage rider, said in a press release.

“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Courtney and her family as she faces this medical challenge, and we wish her a full and speedy recovery.”

America stripped of Olympic team dressage 4th placing

Horse & Hound — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:49:47 +0000

America has lost its Olympic team dressage 4th placing following the disqualification of Mythilus for a positive dope test.

A random drug test on Mythilus carried out during the Games picked up traces of the prohibited substance Felbinac in the horse’s system.

The horse’s rider, Courtney King-Dye, claimed afterwards that Mythilus was contaminated while being treated for stress at the Hong Kong Jockey Club

But this afternoon, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) announced that its disciplinary tribunal has disqualified Courtney. Her disqualification automatically loses America its fourth place in the Olympic team dressage competition.

In its ruling, the FEI disciplinary tribunal dismissed as “speculation” Courtney King-Dye’s claims that her horse was contaminated while being treated at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

But while it dismissed their claims as speculation, the FEI tribunal said it found the evidence of the rider and US dressage team vet “credible”.

An FEI statement said: “The tribunal accepted [Courtney King-Dye] and US Equestrian Federation’s arguments that they have done almost everything in their power to ensure no rule violation shall occur”.

The disciplinary tribunal also weighed up the evidence that Felbinac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has therapeutic applications and is considered as a “doping substance”.

As a consequence, the FEI has imposed a one-month suspension on King-Dye. This has been in place since the Olympic Games, and ended yesterday (21 September). It has also fined her and imposed costs.

The FEI added that it took into consideration “the hardship already caused to Courtney King-Dye, including the fact that the US dressage team has already lost its 4th place at the Olympic Games”.