Robert Dover and Karin Reid Offield Call on Equestrians to Tune in for America

By Lynndee Kemmet for Dressagedaily.com

Olympian Robert Dover and Karin Reid Offield used some of their time at Dressage at Devon to make a public appeal for equestrians across the U.S. to tune into The Search for America’s Next Equestrian Star in Dressage when it airs on Fox Reality Channel beginning Friday October 19 at 9AM EST during the all important television "Sweeps Week". The program will air every week in the same time slot until the Grand Finale, and the reveal of America's Next Dressage Star, November 16. The television show, created by Dover and with Reid Offield as executive producer, has been picked up by the Fox channel and all it needs now are viewers.

Important!! Order your Fox Reality Chanel Today so you don't miss one segment of this event!! "This programming decision happened so quickly," expained Offield, "that we need to spread the word immediately. If we mobilize as a community, the news stations will get the picture; they have an audience in the equestrian world, which will benefit our sport for the long term."

It may take until the 19th for your subcription to kick in, so do so today. We know most of our readers are riding or cleaning stalls by 9AM, so set those Tivos and recording devices.

Again and again, Dover said, horse people ask, ‘Why aren’t we on TV?’ To that question, Dover has responded that, “We’re getting you on TV, but here’s the catch. If you don’t watch, in great numbers, meaning that we have like four million horse owners across the country and if we get 250,000 to watch, the networks will sit up and say, ‘You know what, this is a viable niche that we should try to fill and let’s get more horse programming.’ The sad truth is, that in the past, when horse programming has been on, the numbers have not made the networks want to carry any more of it.”

Dover and Reid Offield made their plea for both viewers and sponsors during a press conference they held at Dressage at Devon. Filming for the show took place in the spring of 2005 and more than 400 people auditioned. Six finalists were chosen and those six spent a month living and training together. The television program showcases the ups and downs of that month.

“We’ve created a program that I know you are going to laugh at, cry at and everything else in between. The production value is as high as any program that you will see in any kind of reality television – American Idol or anything else,” Dover said. “It really was an amazing adventure for all of us.”

Robert Dover Hopes that the Search for America’s Next Star in Dressage is Only the First of Many Shows. Read More and see a short clip of what's to come!!

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Robert Dover Hopes that the Search for America’s Next Star in Dressage is Only the First of Many Shows

In choosing who would win the right to be an assistant trainer with him, Robert Dover said he was looking for raw talent, not necessarily riders already competing at the upper levels. The end result of filming and post production are five episodes that Dover said will hopefully air this fall. He dreams of expanding his initial concept into future episodes that include the search for stars in several equestrian disciplines, although his personal choice for next program is a search for America’s cowboy and cowgirl.

“I have a dream and I will tell you right now what that is. I want to do The Search for America’s Next Equestrian Star finding the greatest young cowboy and cowgirl in America. That is as American as apple pie. I want to see them do the whole cowboy thing,” Dover said.

But the first step in creating those future shows is to get American horse owners and fans to watch the dressage episodes and to get the sponsors to back it. The sponsors are key to making the networks believe that horse programming is profitable.

Reid Offield has taken the lead in getting sponsors and she used her press conference time to issue a call for more. “We want more sponsors. And we’d also like sponsors that already have commercials built because there isn’t much lead time before this airs,” she said. “We also have a lot of interest in Europe. So this thing will go worldwide. Everyone in Europe is interested in what we are doing in America.”

Act Now!! Still Time for Sponsorship and Advertising

For farms and other equestrian-related business, the five episodes set to air will be a prime opportunity to reach into, hopefully, millions of American households, Dover said. Those interested in being sponsors are being asked to contact:
Gary L. Langstaff- 1919 LLC
O: 212.982.6400 - NY-CO: 212.202.1943 - CO- M: 646.537.5992
gary@1919.com
www.1919.com

The rest of us need only tune in Friday, October 19 and every week at the same time for 5 weeks until November 16th for the grand finale.

“If horse people, whether it’s dressage people or jumper people, Arab people or anybody, will watch this show, I promise you that we will get more horse programming and we will produce more horse programming and we will step forward the way that golf has and tennis has to be a viable sport shown on television,” Dover said. “If riders and horse people do not watch it, then I also promise you that we will not see more horse-related programming on TV.”

HorsesDaily Has been On the Scene with The Search for America’s Next Equestrian Star since the beginning. Several of the participants learned about the show from reading DressageDaily.com. We were on the scene during taping, and know what a great show this is going to be, both from an entertainment aspect as well as educational. Read More...

Check out photos done during production at phelpsphotos.com>search by event>Search for America’s Next Equestrian Star-Dressage

Related Links
View short clip on BraveSteet Productions Website