[rebecca yount]

I just read on Mary Lou Pitz Winn's FB page that Douglas Mankovich had died last week. I remember him from lots of dressage competitions, wanted to win everything (and did, lots of times) with his Danish horse Rugby.

Anyone know what happened? I think he had gone back to figure skating...

[Beentheredonethat]

Wow. That's a name from the past. I remember him from WAY back when at horse college. A friend of mine went to work at his farm. He can't have been that old. I remember he wasn't much older than me.

[MaisieMae]

Very sorry to hear this He was the first judge I ever scribed for, WAAY back in 1993 when I was just starting to study dressage. Great guy, very encouraging. RIP

[kiki]

Douglas Mankovich was my brother and figure skating partner.

He passed away on Friday, November 9, 2012 from a short illness.

There will be a memorial service for Douglas at a time not yet known in Lake Placid, New York during the Christmas season.

He loved his horses, musical freestyle dressage and choreography.

While he missed his horses, he became a National Judge for the US Figure Skating Association.

He also mentored young figure skaters.

We will miss his competitive spirit, his love of animals, and joy for life.

He was a great skating partner whose hand was always there, who never let me fall... May his spirit soar to uncharted destinations on the back of Pegasus....

K. M. Geller

[kiki]

Douglas Mankovich was my brother and figure skating partner.

He passed away on Friday, November 9, 2012 from a short illness.

There will be a memorial service for Douglas at a time not yet known in Lake Placid, New York during the Christmas season.

He loved his horses, musical freestyle dressage and choreography.

While he missed his horses, he became a National Judge for the US Figure Skating Association.

He also mentored young figure skaters.

We will miss his competitive spirit, his love of animals, and joy for life.

He was a great skating partner whose hand was always there, who never let me fall... May his spirit soar to uncharted destinations on the back of Pegasus....

K. M. Geller

[rebecca yount]

Thank you, Kiki, and please accept my condolences.

[kiki]

Thank you. Sorry for the multiple posts...not familiar with the mechanics of this discussion board but wanted to give the information to those that knew Douglas.

[Mike Matson]

Kiki, I still have Doug's scoresheet for a Pas de Deux he judged. Highest dressage score I've ever received - 83%! Coming from Doug who knew freestyles, both dressage and figure skating, it was quite a honor. He's dancing in the heavens now. All the best to your and your family at this time.

[mtngirl]

Sorry to hear he passed. I remember thoroughly enjoying his Freestyles, especially Doug's "Batman" freestyle with Rugby...he had such a thick mane that his groom divided it in half and braided both sides with little bats in them.

Fond memory of Doug...he was competing at Raleigh and Rugby had somehow escaped his stall and was "dumpster diving", going down the aisles and halls checking out every trash can, bucket etc. I grabbed up a halter, caught Rugby (I recognized him) and went to find his stall and found Doug and the groom looking for their horse. Doug was courteous and thankful, and muttering to himself that Rugby was undoing all his efforts of keeping him on a "good diet". Godspeed Doug. You'll be missed.

[Velvet]

Wow, I remember his name all over the USDF and even COTH, back in the day. I wanted to do what he was doing. I wanted to win at all the levels doing freestyles. He was really great and I always wondered what happened to him. He just disappeared.

So sad to hear of his passing. He will be remembered by many of us out here as someone we looked up to and I'm sure for some as a person they were jealous of...in a good way. He inspired people to achieve and do what he was doing.

[Trotsky]

I'm just catching up with this news. I was watching a freestyle video and got thinking about how he influenced freestyle in the US back when the Europeans were riding to background orchestral music. So I googled. He brought ice dancing choreography skills to freestyle when everyone was wandering around the arena to Hooked on Classics. Let the music drive the choreography, not the other way around. Choose music that fits the cadence and style of the horse. Perfectly. (What a concept. Nobody was doing that.) Use the whole arena, forget about the letters. Practice, practice, practice ... know the music and choreography so well that you can tweak the performance as the need arises to nail the transitions.

The man made me crazy on more than one occasion, but his influence on freestyle is undeniable. We were lucky to have him show us the way. RIP, Doug.