The local work:
THE DRESSAGE CHRONICLES
(Deeds Publishing)
Meticulously wrapped bridles, polo wraps applied with surgical precision, a vast collection of designer barn clogs arranged by color: this is the imagery that makes “The Dressage Chronicles” so magnetic. This first effort from well-known dressage trainer Karen McGoldrick, of Alpharetta, Ga., was released in 2011 and is still gaining traction with horse enthusiasts. As its name suggests, it centers on the higher levels of dressage, but McGoldrick’s details of a well-organized tack room and a correctly groomed horse, not to mention the skillfully-portrayed barn drama, make this a page turner for any equestrian.
The main character, Lizzie, is the type of horse enthusiast we can all identify with: eager to learn, invested in her mounts’ welfare. She takes things a step further than most riders, though, by cutting ties with her everyday life and beginning the walkabout experience with horses we all dream about. Stepping away from her ordered, “normal” life in Georgia and into the almost counter cultural atmosphere of heavyweight dressage requires a level of fortification not all of us have.
Lizzie secures a working student position with dressage star Margot Fanning in South Florida and quickly begins learning the ropes. Some people (mistakenly) think Margot’s star power has faded, but Lizzie finds quite the opposite as her new coach begins drawing out a level of skill in her that she could not have previously imagined. McGoldrick, who spent time in real life working for a dressage Olympian, brings to life an arresting portrayal of the sport at its highest echelon. (In fact, McGoldrick has experience in a number of disciplines, and this knowledge makes its way into the story in several places, including a hell-bent for leather hunt scene.)
She depicts a world with its own set of rules and celebrities, and she’ll have you clamoring for more when you reach the last page. Luckily, there is a sequel, “The Dressage Chronicles Book II: A Matter of Feel” already out and a third installment on the way.
