Suzanne Dansby-Phelps

A Special Invite to the 2006 Washington International Horse Show

In the fall of 2006, Suzanne and Cooper were invited to the $25,000 Dressage Invitational at the Washington International Horse Show, an honor that only three other horse and rider combinations received. Suzanne recalls that the night of the freestyle was an extremely electric environment with over 10,000 spectators.

Suzanne was the first dressage rider to enter the arena and had to warm up in a small arena full of barrel racers. She even remembers when one of the riderless horses being led around almost kicked Cooper in the head as they were getting ready to enter the arena.

“The audience was super- pumped up when they saw Cooper, he is just so big. Everyone clapped with every movement we did. We lost our rhythm in the two tempis, but I think I was more distracted than he was. We were clearly a crowd favorite as I still get e-mails from spectators who were there telling me how much they learned and how beautiful and graceful they thought our performance was. I think we need more events like this one to attract and educate the general public.”

Suzanne also recalls how she, George Williams and one of his Young Rider students, Laura Noyes, sat for over two hours at a table one evening signing autographs. Suzanne was inspired to see how many people were excited to meet the dressage riders! She also commented that there were more people waiting in the line that evening to receive autographs from the dressage riders than from the jumper riders at their table!