Flossy is well known to many on the British Dressage Forum as a teller of interesting stories and perhaps the odd joke or two. We have selected a few tales for your pleasure.
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Security solved
Security Solved
One of the things I enjoy most during the Hickstead CDI is spending some time with my old friend the one and only Mr Dan Rawlins , the master of Hickstead.
Me and Dane we go back a long long time, must be nearly 40 years when we first met in Germany while he was working under the famous Mr Teodorescu and me for the legendary R Klimke .
Dan is known to be one of those, out of the box thinkers, anything that is deemed impossible he will he will remove the “im” and it will be there the next year.
His greatest achievement is how he took a barren piece of Sussex land and turned it to one of the most famous show ground in the world.
Every year we spend some time together me moaning about the hardship of running a 4.3 horse out fit and he casually mentioning his next million pound project to make Hickstead even bigger and better.
Until our one before last meeting , when Dane was not his usual perky can do all person.
It transpired that year after year having to comply with the FEI rules and stipulations of running a CDI makes the job nearly “IM-POSSIBLE” even for the Mr can do it all.
The latest from Lausanne are the security measures that have to be undertaken by the organizers in order to qualify as an FEI show.
This to be locked ,that to be watched , CC here there and everywhere. The ratio of security personal to competitors are 3 /5 , for every three competitors there must be five fully trained, CRB’d ex SAS security guys.
Dan said that he does not object to these measures , he understand like everyone else that top dressage riders are like national treasures and must be protected, but he simply can’t afford it . As it is the show is running at a loss, where is he going to find the money for all the high tech’ equipment and the personal to operate it.
“Enjoy this Hickstead “ he said “it may be the last”.
Well this year it was the same old Dane and a bigger and better show . Seated by the bar overlooking the arena surrounded by the flags from all the nations participating in the show and there in the middle bigger than all the other flags a BLACK flag with Arabic inscriptions on it which I could read “ISSL”
I TURNED TO Dane and said “I never knew THE Islamic state joined the FEI”
“They haven’t” was his reply.
“So what is this flag?” I asked
“MY IDEA” Dan explained “ since I put this flag up I solved all my security problems, MI6 ,FBI , SAS THEY ARE ALL OVER THE SHOW ,they are watching ,filming every minute of the day and night 24/7.5 and it is all paid by the state”.
Well that’s Dane He will always find a way out of a box!!.
One of the things I enjoy most during the Hickstead CDI is spending some time with my old friend the one and only Mr Dan Rawlins , the master of Hickstead.
Me and Dane we go back a long long time, must be nearly 40 years when we first met in Germany while he was working under the famous Mr Teodorescu and me for the legendary R Klimke .
Dan is known to be one of those, out of the box thinkers, anything that is deemed impossible he will he will remove the “im” and it will be there the next year.
His greatest achievement is how he took a barren piece of Sussex land and turned it to one of the most famous show ground in the world.
Every year we spend some time together me moaning about the hardship of running a 4.3 horse out fit and he casually mentioning his next million pound project to make Hickstead even bigger and better.
Until our one before last meeting , when Dane was not his usual perky can do all person.
It transpired that year after year having to comply with the FEI rules and stipulations of running a CDI makes the job nearly “IM-POSSIBLE” even for the Mr can do it all.
The latest from Lausanne are the security measures that have to be undertaken by the organizers in order to qualify as an FEI show.
This to be locked ,that to be watched , CC here there and everywhere. The ratio of security personal to competitors are 3 /5 , for every three competitors there must be five fully trained, CRB’d ex SAS security guys.
Dan said that he does not object to these measures , he understand like everyone else that top dressage riders are like national treasures and must be protected, but he simply can’t afford it . As it is the show is running at a loss, where is he going to find the money for all the high tech’ equipment and the personal to operate it.
“Enjoy this Hickstead “ he said “it may be the last”.
Well this year it was the same old Dane and a bigger and better show . Seated by the bar overlooking the arena surrounded by the flags from all the nations participating in the show and there in the middle bigger than all the other flags a BLACK flag with Arabic inscriptions on it which I could read “ISSL”
I TURNED TO Dane and said “I never knew THE Islamic state joined the FEI”
“They haven’t” was his reply.
“So what is this flag?” I asked
“MY IDEA” Dan explained “ since I put this flag up I solved all my security problems, MI6 ,FBI , SAS THEY ARE ALL OVER THE SHOW ,they are watching ,filming every minute of the day and night 24/7.5 and it is all paid by the state”.
Well that’s Dane He will always find a way out of a box!!.