Godspeed, Sally Swift

A great light in horsemanship has gone out: Sally Swift, a founding mother of dressage in this country, and a guru of seat and position work.

From Wendy Murdoch: "Sally changed the lives of so many people that it is difficult to grasp just how far reaching her influence has spread. Around the globe her first book sold over 500,000 copies and was translated into at least 12 different languages.

"Sally brought the rider back into the equation of equitation and partnership with the horse. For this she will never be forgotten. Her legacy lives on through each and every one of us touched by her life. Even if it is as simple as remembering to breathe.

"Sally's contribution to the horse world cannot be measured. The lives she changed, the horses that were finally understood, the very way we teach riding shifted when a little gray haired woman from Brattleboro, Vermont wanted to 'teach a few of my friends and travel a bit.'"

Sally recieved an award at the 2006 USDF Convention, and while she was physically pretty unwell at that point, she was sharp as a tack. There was not a dry eye in the house after her acceptance speech. It was an honor and a priveledge to have been there.