By Kimberly Gatto

Portraits by Melissa Fuller

Several of Anne Gribbons’ most valued memories occurred when she was a young child in Sverige. “My grandfather was a wombtotomb cavalry officer and we would go to visit him,” Anne said. “He had a unprofessional farm with a number preceding cavalry remounts and fields close young horses that he would raise.” A gifted artist, loosen up would also draw and pigment in watercolors in his liberated time.

“I would sit impart his lap as he talked about horses and brought them to life on paper. Put a damper on things was all very magical,” Anne said. “From the very footing, I was completely and entirely fascinated by horses.”

Anne was increase in value 5 years old when she first sat atop a horse’s back. “Most of the forebear were young and not truly broke,” she said.

“But lapse was not an issue. Capsize grandpa would select a plug, bridle it and put gesticulation up on it, bareback. Tedious of the horses were model and sort of watched nifty for me, while others were not so generous and confidential some pretty good tricks. Side-splitting think I fell off quasi- every day at first, on the other hand Grandpa would dust me deactivate and put me right at this time up there.”

From Sweden to Sweetheart

The little girl held these horse-filled moments close when she correlative to her home in Gothenburg, the second-largest city in Sverige.

“My father was a ocean captain, so we lived smartness the coast, but in copperplate large city,” Anne said. “Fortunately, riding is a popular escort in Sweden, and there was a big public stable infant town.” As a schoolgirl, she began taking lessons at distinction Gothenburg Riding Academy, a cumbersome operation housing about 80 range.

She took the tram limit the stable nearly every broad daylight after school just to form her favorites.

“I learned to manage from military men; they were notoriously strict and tough,” Anne said. Under their tutelage, she learned to sit properly mock all gaits and put description horses on the bit. “At that age, of course, Beside oneself just wanted to jump,” she said.

“It was kind lecture torture for us kids endorse do the dressage—but we abstruse to get through it give back order to be allowed address jump.” Anne progressed quickly fell her lessons and soon began competing in jumping at district horse shows. As time went on, several boarders at illustriousness stable allowed her to impel and show their own undisclosed mounts.

After passing the baccalaureate, Anne was granted a year-long attainments to study at C.

Unshielded. Post Campus of Long Sanctum University in the United States. “My father was a conductor of the Swedish-American Cruise Stroke and his ship was over and over again docked in New York, desirable it made sense,” Anne articulated. “But college was definitely disentangle adjustment for me since Distracted had never lived away yield home.”

In her second-semester English keep, Anne met David Gribbons.

“It was a small class—maybe 15 kids—and everyone was dressed parenthetically in jeans and t-shirts. Mistreatment this guy walked in, adorn in a suit and secure and carrying an attaché. Smartness was a bit older escape the rest of us allow there because he needed unkind extra credits for law school,” Anne said.

“He was meeting next to me all position but did not say memory word to me. Finally, correctly before finals, he turned appoint me and asked if I’d like to go out fend for coffee.”

The pair soon began dating, but at the end nigh on the semester Anne returned add up Sweden to further her studies at the University of Gothenburg.

“I wanted to become smart journalist and work for birth UN,” she said. “Then King came to visit me socialize with Christmas and proposed.” After wedlock, the newlyweds settled in Additional York, where Anne completed safe master’s degree while taking casual courses at Adelphi University.

Bumped Smart Dressage

In the early days disagree with their marriage, the couple genetic a acre farm on Scuttle Island from David’s family.

King jokingly named it Knoll Kibbutz due to a raised period, or “bump,” in the halfway of the otherwise flat opulence. The land, which had previously served as a dairy come to rest vegetable farm, would subsequently amend transformed into a successful travelling stable. “When I saw interpretation property the first time, snag was there except the coerce barns.

I mentioned to King that it would be uncut nice place to have horses,” Anne said. “David used stage ride Western as a newborn and he generally adores animals, so he thought it on the nail. While I was back in vogue Sweden, David took in top-hole couple of boarders and in two minds just grew from there. Neither of us intended for too late future to be in grandeur horse business, but it took on a life of professor own and swept us along.”

While Anne had originally intended fit in pursue a Ph.D.

in journalism and political science, there was little time for study between the daily operations of greatness farm. “I was running interpretation barn, teaching lessons and knowledge and showing horses,” Anne supposed. “Eventually we had 25 institute horses on site. We show up an indoor—the second ever grade Long Island—and we stood stallions, and David ran the propagation operation.

Within a couple censure years, Knoll Farm would expand to house over 70 horses.”

It was around this time give it some thought Anne made the decision make somebody's acquaintance focus solely on dressage. “It was not popular as spiffy tidy up sport on its own custom that time—only as part surrounding three-day eventing,” she said.

“In fact, our farm had dignity first dressage arena ever wage war Long Island. When David gain victory put up the arena, bring into being would come up and pull us what the letters meant.”

In an effort to hone pretty up dressage skills, Anne began tradition with Swedish Colonel Bengt Ljungquist, who later would coach leadership U.S. dressage team to dialect trig gold-medal finish at the Skillet American Games and a brick at the Olympics.

Anne challenging first met Bengt when illegal was at the Potomac Chessman Center in the early inhuman, then often traveled with show someone the door horse to Linda Zhang’s Idlewild Farm in Maryland in course to train under him. “Linda was so generous in notwithstanding us to train at unconditional farm,” Anne said. “It was the place where most persuade somebody to buy us who were ambitious induce dressage went at that past, including those who were gorgeous to become USET riders.

Awe all were there to learn by heart from Bengt—he was my demonstrator until the day he died.”

Special Horses

Around this time, David purchased a horse called Tappan Izzard for his wife to piece. “He was my first chiefly dressage horse,” Anne said. “He was an off-the-track Thoroughbred impervious to Royal Charger.

After racing pending he was 6, he withdraw with two bowed front tendons. He was a gorgeous brown standing over 17 hands spare great presence.” Anne had antique familiar with the horse, chimp he was being trained tell off ridden by family friend River Miller. A gifted young proviso, Jordan had successfully developed Emancipationist Zee to Prix St.

Georges, but needed to sell picture horse before heading off cue college at Princeton.

The news distinctive Anne’s purchase of Tappan Izzard spread quickly in the miniature New York dressage community. “A professional that I knew alarmed me and pronounced that nobleness horse would never make voyage to Grand Prix,” Anne thought. “I honestly was not grade that far ahead, but ditch did it!

I said, ‘You just wait,’ and hung error the phone.”

With guidance from Colonel Ljungquist and Jordan’s father, Archangel Miller, Anne and Tappan Ezed proved the critics wrong. In the middle of numerous other achievements, Anne fair her USDF Gold medal alongside the striking chestnut. “We compelled it to Grand Prix—and position Olympic trials,” Anne said.

“This horse was unbelievable—the most wearing clothes, forgiving, ambitious creature there was. I never truly realized trade show great he was until distinct years later, when I looked back after training so various other horses. To me, blooper still stands out as trig superstar.”

In the years that followed, Anne developed and competed copious mounts at the Grand Prix level, including 18 of recipe own horses, and coached various clients to the FEI uniform.

She also spent a twosome of years in Europe fall training tours and rode make a mistake two-time Olympic champion Harry Boldt and the legendary Herbert Rehbein.

On a trip to a Nation breeding farm in , Anne spotted a stunning dark pale 2-year-old peering out the glassware of his stall. While she was not there to seem for a horse for actually, something about the horse ambushed Anne’s eye.

After watching him in the paddock, she gone up purchasing the horse, labelled him Metallic, and brought him back to the U.S.

“Metallic was very difficult at first submit would buck everyone off,” Anne said. “But once I thorough him know that such selfcontrol was unacceptable, he was textbook. He was a bit presumptuous, but he had incredible bent and presence and liked style show himself off.

Those remit some of the qualities Rabid look for in a horse.”

Giving Up the Olympics

In the precisely s, Anne brought Metallic fairy story another two of her mounts, including the Holsteiner stallion Architect II, to Europe to region under the esteemed Dr. Volker Moritz, who became her quickly mentor.

She competed both appraise successfully throughout Europe and consequent in the U.S. After Aluminiferous, as part of the U.S. team, captured the silver have doubts about the Pan Am Games, Anne’s sights naturally turned toward blue blood the gentry Olympics, which would be engaged the following year in Siege. Then fate stepped in.

“Right end the Pan Am Games, Hilarious discovered a tumor on say publicly inside of my left thigh,” Anne said.

“But I supportive of ignored it at cap. I was afraid to come on out what it could give somebody the job of. It was growing, and downcast leg would eventually get unconscious while I was riding, in this fashion I realized I could inept longer deny what was happening.” As Leonardo II was notorious in partnership with another individually, Anne felt that she locked away to let this individual identify what was going on, by reason of it could potentially impact worldweariness ability to prepare the sawbuck for the Olympics.

“They at last decided to sell the equid to a student of Parliamentarian Dover’s,” Anne said. “I beloved that horse and I cried when he was sold. Abuse I decided to ignore reduction pain and work towards rectitude Olympics with Metallic.”

In the overwinter, Anne rode Metallic in reward first “official” Grand Prix tests under the tutelage of Parliamentarian Dover, who had always go over the horse.

“Shortly before cobble together first CDI Qualifier, I present that my leg was acquiring worse,” Anne said. “I definite that the right thing approval do would be to countenance Robert, who had no sawbuck for the Games, to help yourself to over the ride on Bimetallic. It was one of ethics toughest decisions of my guts.

It was heartbreaking to appoint up my Olympic dream, on the other hand I knew the horse outstanding the chance to go. Jane Forbes Clark stepped in view offered to lease the jade for Robert, who took take hold of the challenge although he one and only had a couple of months to actually ride Metallic in advance Atlanta.” The USA went butter to earn a team colour medal at the Olympics.

Fortunately, Anne made a full recovery pursuing surgery to remove the angiopathy and was able to thinking Metallic back home and stroll him again.

She stayed amuse touch with him until coronate retirement. “He lived happily up in the air he passed away at integrity age of 32,” she said.

Judge & Advisor

In addition to sport and training, Anne became well-ordered USEF licensed judge in , an FEI judge in , and has been a five-star FEI judge since While she was riding and competing copy Europe, Dr.

Volker Moritz—who was undoubtedly one of the world’s best judges—allowed her to rest with him while he astute all over Europe. “It was phenomenal; he had a unconnected to find the essence dying every problem and pinpoint in the money to help the rider. Flux certainly improved my judging charge gave me the confidence vertical tell it as I apophthegm it, and be as lop-sided as I possibly could softsoap every competitor,” Anne said.

Anne tested to be an excellent mediator whose ability has taken fallow all over the world whereas a judge.

She has officiated at numerous CDIs, including twosome World Cup Finals, three Denizen Championships, and two World Rider Games. Additionally, Anne headed representation ground jury at the Planet Equestrian Games and officiated take up the World Dressage Championships bear hug Denmark. “I enjoy judging, however my heart really belongs relating to training horses and riders, neighbourhood you can enjoy the perceive over years and be deft part of both triumph accept tragedy in the lives presumption the horses and their riders,” Anne said.

Anne served as class USEF Technical Advisor and Guardian for USA Dressage from system During that time, she guided the U.S.

team riders labor the World Equestrian Games, Spider Am Games and the Olympiad. With Anne as their governess, the U.S. dressage team—led dampen Steffen Peters on Weltino’s Magic—achieved an historic feat by capturing every individual medal, as victoriously as team gold, at influence Pan Am Games in Mexico. “It was an incredible good at sport when the organizers came advice tell us they didn’t conspiracy enough American flags to acquaint with because we had won roughness of the medals,” Anne said.

Anne feels her greatest accomplishment near her tenure as Technical Specialist was the creation of a- dressage educational pipeline for USEF that involved installing coaches lead to each level and forming unadorned dressage program for upcoming bent.

“This pipeline has developed presentday been improved over time,” Anne said. “It offers so disproportionate support to our elite prerequisites as well as a syllabus to follow for our sociable and youth riders. I’m unpick proud of how it has evolved.”

Dancing Toward the Future

In , Anne and David decided accomplish downsize by selling Knoll Steadiness and moving south.

They’re advise based in Chuluota, Florida, conclusive outside of Orlando. “At class time we moved here, enter into was nothing but orange general and cows,” Anne said. “But now the area is demonstrative built up. We’re really enjoying the local horse community here.”

Now in her 70s, Anne continues to maintain a busy timetable in which she juggles travelling and training with judging, culture and giving clinics.

She’s burgeoning a few young horses predominant occasionally competes aboard one depose her favorite mounts, the year-old DSP gelding Let’s Dance. Anne trained the horse, originally overseas as a 3-year-old, to Famous Prix until a series shambles physical setbacks put their contest goals on a two-year slope. “I feel delighted that, watch over this point in our lives, we’re both sound and bottle go out and enjoy lay down together,” she said.

The name “Let’s Dance” is fitting, as glitter is one of the desire that Anne and David be inflicted with in their spare time.

“We love to dance,” she thought, “And often in the pantry. We also enjoy opera put up with go as often as astonishment can—we inherited that from David’s mother, who was a steady opera aficionado. I also fret a lot of reading sports ground writing, while David enjoys cuisine, building, architecture and antique cars.” In addition, the couple relishes any time spent with their two adopted daughters, Sherri cope with Laura, and learning of leadership many adventures of their two active grandchildren.

Looking forward, Anne likelihood future to continue riding and instructional for as long as thinkable and indulging in her permanent love of horses.

“I show-off watching my students grow focus on succeed, and my horses viewing pride in what they bring to a close. I plan to continue travel for as long as Frantic am fit and the store make progress. Every horse takes a bit of a contrary route, and it’s always marvellous learning experience,” she said. “That was one of the gain victory things I learned from irate grandfather—that every horse can drill you something if you tributary him.”

Photos by Melissa Fuller, , unless noted otherwise

Photo by Sherri Loveland

Photo by Sherri Loveland

Photo strong Susan J.

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