The contract for the U.S. Team Trainer position is up for renewal in November 2016. Since April 2013 Robert Dover has taken up the role as Technical Advisor but the experienced rider and trainer is not yet sure whether he will stay on for a new term.
The 59-year old Dover told Eurodressage that he is "undetermined" whether he will remain coach. He added, "we'll see where it goes," when it comes to negotiations with the United States Equestrian Federation for a new contract.
Dover's uncertainty about the extension of his contract was revealed on 2 September 2016, when he announced the re-operning of his own training facility Romance Farm in Wellington, Forida. "Preparing to re-open Romance Farm Inc. this fall, after 8 years of coaching for Canada and the U.S.A," he stated.
Officially the position is called U.S. "Chef d' Equipe/Technical Advisor", but Dover has been a clear team trainer closely involved with team selection and training of the squad listed riders at major championships and international dressage events.
Dover is a six-time Olympian (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004) and won team bronze in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004. He also won team bronze at the 1994 World Equestrian Games in The Hague.
The U.S. Dressage team last stepped on the podium at an international event in 2006 at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, where they won bronze. When Dover got hired he clearly stated that he was dreaming of a "Solid Gold future" and aimed at bringing the U.S. team back on the podium. He accomplished the first step in the mission to gold at the 2014 Rio Olympics where the U.S won team bronze again. Team U.S. also won the 2016 FEI Nations Cup series, which concluded at the CDIO Aachen in July.
Photo © Astrid Appels
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