E-Mail This Page

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Olympic Selection Trials for Dressage at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions

The Money is in and Olympians Robert Dover and Guenter Seidel Raise $120,000 for USET Foundation

Guenter Seidel and Robert Dover may not be in the running for the Olympic Team this year, but they made a huge contribution, simply by taking their shirts off. It all started when Debbie McDonald was auctioning off a portrait session with Elma Garcia (on left), who created the beautiful and dramatic images of USET riders for the USET Foundation.

When Guenter had his photo session with Aragon, it began with a white tuxedo shirt, but Garcia was quick to note his Olympic tattoos on his left arm. She then changed him into a black T-shirt where the tattoo was visible.

Then the coaxing began, and then Robert Dover stepped in to up the anty. Jessica Ransehousen began to unbutton Guenter's shirt, then Dover joined in to show his tattoo as well.

The quiet and humble Seidel was embarrassed by the whole thing, but the crowd went wild over the buff bodies of the American Dressage Olympic heroes. Dover has long been an advocate of working out for himself and his students, and always manages to find a gym wherever he is in the world. But Seidel's six pack abs come from surfing on the California coast.

America's Olympic Dressage Team can thank former Olympians Robert Dover and Guenter Seidel for helping raise not $80,000, but $120,000 to help send the team to Hong Kong.

At the USET Foundation's 'A Salute to Hong Kong' fundraiser held Saturday evening during the final weekend of the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions, three bidders each paid $40,000 to lure the two riders into removing their shirts to show the five Olympic rings tattooed on their bodies.

It was initially believed that two people bid $40,000 for a portrait session with photographer Elma Garcia, but it turns out that three actually offered $40,000.

And Garcia has graciously agreed to give all three bidders a portrait session, which brings the total donation to USET to $120,000. Seidel and Dover had offered to show their tattoos as away to increase the bids. It certainly worked.

The auction raised approximately $250,000 in just under and hour for the USET Foundation to fund the expensive trip for the dressage team to the Olympic Games.

More news coming as we wait for the team and alternates to be officially announced...