Review: Robert Dover’s “The Gates To Brilliance”

 I’ve always been a big reader. It’s one of my favorite ways to pass the time. Even now, with the distractions of Netflix and audiobooks, nothing can compete with a good story in old paperback form. One of the best books I read this year was written by veteran Olympic dressage rider, Robert Dover. As a dressage convert later in life, I’m still learning so much about the discipline and its history. There are few names more well-known than Robert Dover as it relates to the sport here in America. 

Robert’s long list of accolades doesn’t just come from the dressage arena. He was also the technical advisor and chef d’Equipe for the U.S. Dressage Team and a founding member of the Equestrian AIDS Foundation. Beyond his many medals and top-level performances, he was the first openly gay Olympic athlete when he came out in 1988. There was so much about who Robert is as a person I would have never known if I hadn’t read his book.

“That Gates of Brilliance: How a Gay, Jewish, Middle-Class Kid Who Loved Horses Found Success” is an invitation to sit in the saddle as Robert takes you on the ride of his life. From his first impression of horses and the sport, to his extraordinary rise to the top levels, Robert is candidly open about his own experiences.

There are chapters where Robert writes quite vulnerably about his own struggles and setbacks, and eye-opening details about the relationships he forged. Robert is humble about his own lasting impact on the sport, but it’s clear from reading this book just what a trailblazer he is for dressage and horse sports in general. 

It’s a quick, fun read for anyone who ever wanted a ‘behind the scenes’ look at life at the elite level. The twists and turns of Robert’s journey will delight and take you aback. But most of all, it shows just how passionate Robert is about horses, and just how far that passion can take you. 

Get your copy from Horse & Rider books here.