For American shooting star dressage rider Courtney King-Dye, 2008 has been an eventful year. Not only did she qualify and compete the Dutch warmblood stallion Idocus at the 2008 World Cup Finals in 's Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, but aboard Harmony's Mythilus she also became the second best performing rider on the U.S. team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong.
Unfortunately, the Olympics got a wry aftertaste as King's Mythilus tested positive for the banned substance Felbinac, a drug which King nor her veterinarian knew of. When Mythilus arrived in Hong Kong he was treated in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Clinic for artrial fibrillation as a result of stress from his trip. USEF team veterinarian Rick Mitchell attended to the horse in close cooperation with the Veterinary Commission. King-Dye and Dr. Mitchell believe that during treatment at the clinic, he may have come in contact with Felbinac.
A shocking month followed as King had to prove her innocence to the FEI Tribunal in Lausanne, Switzerland. A bio-chemist analyzed the data and traced the amount found in Myth's system In the sampling, 14 nanograms per milliliter were found. It takes 7,500 to 100,000 nanograms per milliliter to have an effect on a rat. The FEI Tribunal found the evidence of King and the US Dressage Team Vet to be credible and believed that neither Courtney nor anyone on her behalf had knowingly administered the medication to the horse. Nevertheless, because of the zero tolerance policy, the Tribunal decided to disqualify and scratch King and Team U.S.A from the Olympic result list.
King, who is a positive thinker, faced these challenges and has moved on. "It's just so incredibly against my nature and ethics [to use prohibited medication], it's hard to swallow that some people may think that I did something wrong. Oh, well. Life goes on," she told Eurodressage. With a barn full of horses, King has a bright future ahead of her. In her busy life, she took a few moments of her time to be submitted to Eurodressage's Between Heaven and Hell interview in which we meet the person behind the rider.
Courtney, what's your favourite dish?
Courtney: Steak and artichokes.
If you were to chose a different profession, what would it be?
Courtney: I would be a traveling food and hotel critic. To travel around to different great restaurants and resorts and write up reviews!
What is the biggest intellectual joy for you?
Courtney: writing
What gives you the most artistic pleasure?
Courtney: I used to love to paint, now I guess the most artistic thing I do would simply be decorating my house.
What gives you the most physical pleasure?
Courtney: Well, that's a toss up between a great big bear hug with someone I really really love, and great sex.
What makes you cry?
Courtney: Thinking how incredibly generous horses are and all that they give to us and trust us. Or Seeing them or other animals suffer. I also cry when I get really really mad, and that makes me more mad, which makes me cry more.
What annoys you the most?
Courtney: People not getting out of the fast lane!!! Blocking up traffic for no reason! Inefficiency drives me crazy!
What does heaven look like to you?
Courtney: Rolling green fields and flowers and trees behind me, and a beautiful span of clear fresh water in front of me with a warm sun up above.
And Hell?
Courtney: a dark fiery pit of filth.
What is the most beautiful place you've ever visited?
Courtney: Strangely, I am having trouble answering this one... so many beautiful places. Perhaps Switzerland, but the vagueness of those memories may enhance that vision a little bit...
What is the ugliest place you've ever visited?
Courtney: Newark, New Jersey.
At what moment were you the happiest in your life?
Courtney: Every time I think about how lucky I am... it's a recurring moment!
When were you the saddest in your life?
Courtney: Although there have, of course, been many deeply sad moments in my life, the most profound sadness I have ever felt has occurred in dreams of excruciating loss or pain of a loved one. I have woken up with saddness so thorough it hurts. I've been very lucky to never have suffered that loss or sadness in real life.
Who would be your favourite one-night stand?
Courtney: Haven't met him yet...