For those who may not remember
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Sad news indeed. I named one of our foals after Gifted, back in the day, and he went on to also be a nice dressage horse like his namesake, although at a much lower level.
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sad news
She was a true am who worked as a biochemist and made enormous sacrifices to follow her dream.
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She did indeed. Many years ago I rode at what had been her farm in Vermont, and it was definitely nothing fancy. Hard to imagine training for an Olympics there, but she did it!
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How sad.
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I’m very sad to hear this. I’m not a dressage rider (by temperament 
) but I loved watching her and Gifted perform.
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She was a very nice person. A horse crazy teenager, she was my favorite rider. Of course Gifted was my favorite horse. There was a clinic with several Olympic dressage rider’s prior to the Festival of Champions at USET one year. I did not know there was going to be a clinic. I had written Carol a fan letter. She invited me to ride at the clinic with my OTTB. The organizers put me at the end of the day so she could spend time with me. Of course that day my horse decided he knew nothing about dressage or even being well behaved horse under saddle. He had days like that…thats an OTTB😉. Anyway she was so great. She told me stories of her horses who did embarrassing stuff at shows. She took me in the barn to meet gifted too. I ended up having a great day.
A couple years later they had a clicking again before the FOC. I again rode with Carol. She remembered us. My horse kept his brain that day!
I will never forget how nice she was to me.
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I still have one last threadbare pair of the fabulous full-seat breeches named after her – that style was my absolute favorite for starting colts (super sticky), and I’ve always wondered if she had direct influence on the design and materials. Have held onto them for the memories, even though the fabric is probably see-through by now.
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May she RIP.
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Rip, she was the first dressage rider I knew of as a kid because Gifted became a Breyer.
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So sad. She was one of the first dressage riders I ever read about; I think I still have the Practical Horseman in which they interviewed her about Gifted and how she came to buy and start him. She was probably one of the reasons why I got into dressage. Judging by the responses here, I’m not the only one. I hope she knew how many people she inspired.
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Carol Lavell and Gifted were names that even I, a huntseat rider, knew and respected. What a wonderful life she had. May she rest in peace.
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Eternal rest grant unto her oh Lord and may perpetual light shine upon her
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She was hilariously funny. When you rode in a clinic with her, you better be ready to laugh!!
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More kind words about Lavell.
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We can use more like this!
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I still have a 1993 issue of PH with her and Gifted on the cover.
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She and Gifted were my inspiration. Ride on Carol.
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