During the lunch break today, following the international ceremony, Alexandra Kurland made a presentation to demonstrate clicker training with Panda, a miniature horse she is training to be a "seeing-eye" horse for her blind owner, Anne Eddie. She is using dressage techniques such as lateral movements and giving at the poll.

"Lateral flexion controls speed so Panda can guide without pulling," explained Alexandra. There are currently two working seeing-eye minis in the United States, and Alexandra regards Panda as a research project.

After today's classes were completed and prior to tonight's dinner celebration, which was held on the grounds under the tents complete with white tablecloths and bottles of wine, Bettina Drummond performed a historical enactment of the traditional testing of the private guard of the King of Versailles, part of her family's three-century mandated heritage. Dressed in the traditional three-cornered hat and black coat with gold trim bearing her family's symbol, a rose without thorns,

Bettina rode her black Lusitano mare who was equally dressed to the nines - her long mane and tail were threaded with gold and even her hooves were 'painted' gold. The pair rode to commentary that described the history of the movements, which in the 1700s included trotting backwards because the rider was not allowed to turn his back to the king. The pair also rode to music to exhibit the requirements of the horse and rider.

To demonstrate the modern dressage test that shows the evolution of dressage from the early principles, Jessica Rizzi rode Jamboree, her 2001 mount when she won the individual Gold Medal at NAYRC; the pair has been re-united for just five weeks after a nine-month separation. Jamboree is an Intermediaire I horse training the Grand Prix movements. Jessie performed an impromptu kur to show Jamboree's pirouettes, one-tempis, and extensions.

Bettina returned to the ring to demonstrate the final testing movements for the royal guard horses, which showed how the horse was trained to respond to touches on its hind end from the sword, flying lead changes that ask the horse to lift both front legs off the ground. The training made the horses battle-ready and partners in combat for the French cavalry.

Bettina and Jessica completed the demonstration with a very short pas de deux to final applause.

Highlighting the evening was the presentation of the S. Braley Gray Award, in honor of Lendon's father. Past recipients have been Margarita (Migi) Serrell and Lazelle Knocke. This year's honoree was Priscilla Endicott, for her work in promoting dressage in the United States and especially for founding the New England Dressage Association, which is currently the second largest dressage organization in the country, after the California Dressage Society.

Regarding her work in establishing dressage in the United States, Priscilla said that she felt it was important to introduce it in as wide a manner as possible including shows, clinics, judges training, and movies. Priscilla still rides, though not for competition, "just for pleasure." She has a daughter who is an event rider.

Tonight's honor was strictly a surprise for her. The invitations to make sure she would be there were a bit cryptic, she laughed, "I had no idea. All these friends are here. There are many board members here. Old friends in dressage like Migi Serrell. I'm looking around and there are people I haven't seen for 20 or 30 years walking up and saying, 'hi'. Some have been on my board. It's wonderful that they would come down and want to gather."

She remembers the early dressage shows when people were so thankful that the shows even existed. "It had to happen and we just jumped on it. It's been wonderful to be a part of it. I'm so grateful that it's been my luck to be part of this. It's not only me - it's the horses, it's the art."