The European Adventure of a Lifetime

Notes from the 2006 Olympic Dream Program

What does it take to make a dream come true? It takes hard work, dedication, and a lot of heart. The power of that dream can be the strongest motivator-building a commitment for learning and a passion for success. Thanks to the supporters of The Dressage Foundation's Olympic Dream Program, our dreams have been strengthened. It all began on a hot July day in Rosendahl, Germany.

 

Basics with Klaus Balkenhol

Our nervous anticipation was eased by the smiles and hugs of Judith Balkenhol. Judith immediately invited us to watch Klaus ride. From the horse's warming up session to the cool down, Klaus' simple yet beautiful partnership with this horse was the perfect image of what dressage is supposed to be. He made sure the horse was always relaxed and working properly from behind and over the back before any movement was executed. His timing was impeccable. His aids were invisible even without the use of spurs or awhip.

The next day Klaus took us to a local horse show where his assistant, Steffan, rode a horse at M level, which is equivalent to Third/Fourth Level in America. The show also had young horse classes so we got to see the amazing movement of the three-, four- and five-year-olds. In Germany, each rider has to qualify for his level of competition- unlike the American system in which riders can show at whatever level they want. This is why U.S. competitions get riders who are not ready to show at certain levels. Here we could see that the lower levels strengthened the correct basics in horse and rider, which led naturally to Grand Prix.

We were all fortunate to be able to watch some of American's top riders train with Klaus before heading off to the World Equestrian Games. American riders Debbie McDonald, Guenter Seidel, Heather Blitz, and Arlene "Tuny" Page showed us how they work their horses day-to-day.

A Day with Hubertus Schmidt

The third day of our trip brought us to the farm of German team rider, Hubertus Schmidt in Etteln. When we arrived, we were greeted by a man on a tractor who happened to be Hubertus himself. The working schedule was very tight, so we were instantly asked to join Hubertus in the indoor to watch some of the Grand Prix horses train.

The highlight of our visit was watching Hubertus ride his Olympic mount, Wansuela Suerte. Hubertus stressed over and over again that the "warm up should be as short as possible, but as long as needed to get the horse loose and supple." In the beginning, he suppled her in long and low work with contact. The rhythm of the trot was incredible and the transformation of the mare between the warm-up and the collected work was amazing. Her trot was like a metronome through every movement. The picture this horse and rider team created was simply harmonious.

We learned that each and every time a rider gets on a horse's back, the horse's mentality must always be considered first. Whether for a hack in the fields or a test in the show arena, the rider should be aware of what he is doing at every step. This makes obedient and consistent horses. Both Klaus and Hubertus had very similar philosophies in their training as well as in their admiration and respect for their horses.

Day Four-Ingrid Klimke

The fourth day of our European adventure led us to the great facility of Ingrid Klimke, daughter of the late Dr. Reiner Klimke. Ingrid met us with her daughter in tow. As soon as she greeted us, we knew, despite all of her great accomplishments, she was a very down-to-earth and friendly woman. She told us about all of her horses and some of their successes. Some of the more memorable horses included her Olympic event horse, Sleep Late. He was one of the nicest looking Thoroughbreds any of us had ever seen. He had a very strong back and flawless legs, despite all the pounding we knew they took. Damon Hill had already won the gold medal in the 2005 FEI Five-Year-Old Young Horse Championships and was preparing for the Six-Year-Old Championships while we were there. Later, we learned that he won it!

Unfortunately, Ingrid had hurt her back in a fall the week before our arrival, so she arranged for some of her students to ride. At first, we were disappointed, but then we realized how valuable it was to have Ingrid on the ground explaining the training of each horse step-by-step. The kindness and compassion Ingrid showed her horses was the same as she showed us throughout our visit. Above all else, her humble attitude was the most impressive. Ingrid recognized that each of her horses had certain problems, but she was always willing to work with them so they could reach their potential.

The Spanish Team

The fourth trainer on our tight itinerary was Jean Bemelmans, coach of the Spanish Team, based at Gestuet Wiesenhof near Dusseldorf. Rafael Soto, a Spanish Olympian, was very friendly and shared information about dressage in his country. The Spanish team did not exist until 1994, and the first Olympics that they attended were in 1996. The team didn't have a coach until they hired Jean Bemelmans in 1997. Rafael introduced us to his Olympic partner, Invasor, a beautiful white Andalusian stallion. Invasor had a captivating presence, even when he was just standing on the crossties. The stallion has been to the Olympics three times (1996, 2000, and 2004), the World Equestrian Games twice, and he has won more than twenty European Grand Prix competitions.

Rafael rode Invasor for us so he could show us his own methods of teaching and training horses. During his ride, he stressed that the rider should always listen to his horse and learn from him. He also wanted to make it clear that when mistakes happen, you learn from them and move on. Too often riders get caught up in what is wrong. Mistakes come, but they also go. Watching this grand horse canter around the arena was breathtaking and something that none of us will ever forget.

European Junior and Young Rider Dressage Championships

The next stop was Austria where we would watch the European Junior and Young Rider Dressage Championships from Friday July 21st to Sunday July 23rd. For the first two days we watched the Juniors and Young Riders compete in the Individual Test and on the third day we watched them compete in the freestyles. The majority of the Young Riders were much stronger in their positions than American riders.

Sharon Poulin, wife of Michael Poulin and one of our chaperones, arranged for us to sit with three of the judges, Jane Weatherwax (USA), Dr. Volker Moritz (Germany), and Jean Michel Roudier (France). It was an amazing experience to sit with some of the world's most knowledgeable dressage personalities and have them answer our questions face to face. Dr. Moritz discussed the riding in general and the value of executing every test very accurately. For example, by performing a pirouette close to the quarter line in the Prix St. Georges test, the rider shows that he used the corner to prepare and he did not need as much time to straighten.

On the second and third days of the competition, we saw the winner of both the Individual and Freestyle gold medals-Valentina Truppa from Italy. Both her rides were flawless and stunning to watch. The harmony she demonstrated with her little chestnut horse was undeniable as they floated through the air in extended trot. It was a wonderful experience to be in the atmosphere of all of these gorgeous horses and wonderful riders.

"There isn't enough time in a lifetime to learn all of what dressage has to offer," said Sarah Martin, one of our chaperones, on the first day of our trip. We all knew what she meant, but the impact of her statement never fully hit us until the very end. Once one layer of knowledge has been opened up and explored, ten more layers open up below it. Dressage is a life-long pursuit. The successes and achievements of riders such as Klaus Balkenhol, Rafael Soto, Ingrid Klimke and Hubertus Schmidt were simply a result of their dedication and hard work. Their successes took skill and heart, but they started with a dream. Dreaming big is part of the fun, and with this adventure, the dream for us grew even bigger.

Sidebar: The Process at The Spanish Riding School

Arthur Kottas, former First Chief Rider of the Spanish Riding School, explained the process that an individual goes through to be successful at the Spanish Riding School. A young man starts as a young rider and receives longe lessons every day for two to three years so a strong seat and feel is developed. After this, the young man becomes an assistant and is given a horse that must be trained to Grand Prix. Once a 61.5% at this level is earned, the young man is a Rider. If he is unable to train the horse, then he must leave the school. If a Rider is good enough then he can become Chief Rider and then First Chief Rider. The First Chief Rider is in charge of everything. He oversees all of the daily activities and selects the horses that will be used in the school. The First Chief Rider selects 8-10 horses at a time, and if any of them are not good enough, they are sold. The school has 67 stallions that are ridden daily between 7:00 a.m. and noon.


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