Krack C - Anky Van Grusven
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My first ever test was Elementary 22 held at Solihull Riding Club in 1982 although I apparently became obsessed with horses at a very early age after my mother took me for a ride at the local riding school when I was three years old. I had to wait until I was thirteen until I was allowed to have my first pony - just in case it was a fad! Those were the days of plastic covered browbands and nylon plaited reins - yuk.
At seventeen I really thought I could ride! - I became a working pupil at Seechem Equestrian Centre in Rowney Green, Worcestershire and successfully passed the BHSAI in January 1980. And then it all began....
Soon after, I became Headgirl at Pebworth Vale Equestrian Centre in Warwickshire. Home of British Eventing competitions.
Later, Alvechurch and Wythall, Worcestershire became the areas I covered as a freelance instructor during the 80's and 90's.
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Mrs Gill Rose - British Dressage Accredited Trainer and BD List 4 Judge became my trainer with a number of different horses from 1982 to 1998. Gill taught me so much about the Scales of Training and achieving the principles with a variety of problem horses.
She was a past student of :-
Robert Hall - British Olympic Coach
John Lassetter - International Dressage Trainer and Judge
Danny Pevsner FBHS
All three trained at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, so through her training, I also received excellent training.
Gill encouraged me to train to become a British Dressage Judge. I joined List 6 in October 1986 at the tender age of 24.
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Only Oliver in 2006 aged 24 yrs
Only Oliver
Regd SHB (GB) by Householder HIS
Black 16.2hh gelding Oliver will be 26 years old in May 2008 and owned since he was an untouched, rising three year old.
He was purchased from the Pennwood Stud -of showjumper Pennwood Forge Mill fame - I know - at least a 100 years ago !!
Broken and bought on at home, he successfully competed in Affiliated Dressage (77 points), Horse Trials, Show Jumping, Riding Horse Classes and even tried Side Saddle. He was trained to Medium level dressage.
However, previously in 1988, I sadly had to offer Oliver for sale in Horse & Hound magazine and he was much sought after as a young event horse by some well know event riders. one of which was British Eventing Senior Squad Selector Mandy Stibbe (Jeakins in those days).
I was quite terrified as Mandy put up the jumps to see Oliver in action. She wished to buy and event him on behalf of a client (think 'aiming for Badminton').
However, another viewer managed to get Oliver vetted and X-Rayed on the same day and she became his new owner. She was Tessa Blazey, Junior British Event Team member at Punchestown 1988.
Eighteen months later I was in a position to offer to buy Oliver back. So, happily he came home and has been home ever since.
He can no longer be ridden but is enjoying a happy retirement as Grandad to all the little ones at Tofferton.
To own him from untouched youngster to retired old boy has been a privilege. We have had so much fun and in his younger days we received training from
Mr Peter Roberts FBHS and Mrs Jane Holderness-Roddam - Olympic Event Team.
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Solihull Riding Club, West Midlands is now a well known venue for affiliated competitions.
However, way back in the early 1980's it was myself and two friends, Penny Burton and Janet Naylor who organised two competitions a year. We had great fun, learnt a lot and I am happy to have been part of the foundation of Solihull Riding Club's success.
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During 1999 I held a Riding Establishments Licence and ran a little riding school from home using Oliver as a schoolmaster. My son's ponies and partner's horse were also used. We were only a small school but I was most proud that I had two of my past trainer's horses with me as working liveries.
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During 2005 I attended Hartpury College, Gloucestershire studying for the BHS Intermediate Stable Manager's examination. I successfully passed in Octber 2005.
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POPOV
Popov, by Anky Van Grusven's, grand prix stallion Krack C. He is a 16.3 hh bay gelding who is very much the image of his sire. On his dam's side he is a grandson of Udaula who has been an important influence in many top dressage horses, being a daughter of Doruto.
I found Popov for sale in a dealers yard, in a underweight condition and a nervous wreck who smashed his way through his stable door and a post and railed fence when he arrived back to our home. He had been 'kept under' in a bid to make him easier to ride, yet he was still able to throw his skeletal frame around explosively through his natural nervousness.
He spent his time with me being just a horse - no pressure and living out 24/7 with fun hacking, lunging and gentle stretching work and teaching the basics of leg-yield, shoulder-in,walk half pass,travers and turn on the forehand.
I am quite sure that there are many horse owners like me, who simply love our horses and will be patient to try to overcome the horse's problems and insecurities which they been unfortunate to have imprinted on them by previous bad management or riding and build their trust in people to enable them to lead a useful, happy life again.
We don't all have thousands of pounds to go out and buy a 'made' horse.
My past experiences of having to buy unbroken or problem horses has taught me so much that cannot be learnt by books alone and I feel I have much to offer to those I am now fortunate to teach.
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My most promising pupil, Christine Waugh, has persuaded me to part with Popov and he now continues his education with her under my guidance. They suit each other extremely well - they are both tall and elegant!
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Willow Run is my Hanoverian bay gelding who was imported from Germany as a show jumper after competing to advanced level in his own country. He has never competed in British Dressage competitions so is newly registered after his assessment with Ferdi Eilberg under the BD rules regarding imported horses.
Willow is pink papered and branded being by Walzertraum out of Gracella. On his sire's side he is the great gransdon of Werther who was Hanoverian Stallion of the Year in 1992 and sire to 47 S level dressage off springs and 36 S level show jumper off springs (i.e.advanced) and on his dam's side is a great great grandson of the superb stallion Duellant.
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I consider my teaching style to be friendly, sympathetic and aimed at getting the best out of my pupil and their horse or pony, whilst giving explanations in a clear way following the Scales of Training. I encourage my pupils to ask themselves questions about their riding, their position and how they can improve their horse's way of going. All of this helps to develop a 'thinking rider' who is aware of the effect they have on their horse.
Currently, I teach a wide range of pupils from the local branch of the Pony Club, to students involved with BYRDS (British Young Riders Dressage Scheme) and British Eventing students.
I teach pupils at their own premises on their own horses.
....so I think it wasn't a fad after all - yes, I have a sense of humour which spills into my lessons too!