On November 3, 2006, I received a phone call informing me that Dakota, Tami Crawford's Grand Prix horse, had passed away. Dakota was a fabulous dressage horse. He won numerous Regional Championships and was always in the ribbons in the Grand Prix at Dressage at Devon and on the Florida show circuit. Perhaps Dakota's greatest achievement was attending the United States Equestrian Team's Olympic Selection Trials in 2000 and 2004. He was also invited to compete in the qualifier for the Volvo World Cup. I knew Dakota as a groom knows her charges, and he was always a strong personality in the barn and in the competition arena.
Dakota, thank you for teaching me how to use my seat effectively. If it weren't for you, I would have never trained my horse as far as I did. You were not a schoolmaster, as you didn't suffer fools gladly, but you were a teacher, and most importantly, a friend. I love you, and I'll miss you.----Christy
