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| 24 | Volume 1, No. 2
A HT A BROA D
| 24 | Volume 1, No. 2
WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD
WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD C a t h a r i n e S c h o u k e n s -T a m s i n SCHOUKENS TR AINING CENTER M ALDEGEM, BELGIUM with Jeff Wallace
Where would you say you “grew up”? I am still growing up every single day, but to answer the question formally; I was born in Bruges and grew up like a normal child in a little town called Koekelare, about 45 minutes from the farm in Maldegem. Please tell us a little about the family life of young, elementary school-aged Cathy. My parents had a Coach Company and were very busy, so the first seven years of my life I was raised with my grandmother who was very Catholic and strict. At that time I did not like it that much, but now I am grateful, as I believe she “brought” me my morals and standards. From seven years of age I was raised further with my parents. My dad was a very intelligent but special personality. He unfortunately died at age 59 in 2003 and there are still so many things I would like to discuss with him as only now am I ready for it. My mom is a very loving, caring and amazing, beautiful woman. She is our biggest fan and never misses a show when near, nor a presentation. I love her very much and regret I cannot spend more time with her. I was a normal child I guess, I played with dolls and loved animals. I used to dress up my cats and take them for walks in the stroller. I had lots of friends but I hated school with a passion! Who was the first Arabian horse you ever laid eyes on and what was the experience like? Our neighbor Dr. Rik (still one of my best male friends) was/is a GP and had Arabian horses. I used to go there every day and also did the foal watches when the mare was due and under camera surveillance. I don’t know how many times I watched the “Black Beauty” movie during those nights! The first Arabian I thus met was a chestnut mare born in 1983 called ES Samit. Rik bought her at Jadem Arabians; she was a Numizmat daughter.
As a very knowledgeable and respected woman in this business, please tell us how you came to acquire your skills and experience. First of all, thank you for the compliment! As I told you, I hated school so I never really got a diploma/degree. I dropped out of school whenever I could (in Belgium we have a compulsory attendance at school till 18). I started working at my parents’ company in the office; I worked in a transport company; the ornamental fish business and its clients; in a travel agency; at the ticket desk in an airport; in a department store, so I basically gained my skills through experience. Always in administration and accounting. Getting older, I did regret the fact that I had no degrees, so I decided that I had to try to be the “best” in something, as I believe anyone should, no matter what! I became a striver and a perfectionist. My vice is my virtue … and I like to use a quote by Albert Einstein, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Tell us what your annual exotic holiday getaway with Tom does for you both professionally and personally. Well, I look forward to that week already every year from the moment we leave our vacation resort till the next year. I cry every time when it’s over. We enjoy it so much, and we then transform into the most lazy, relaxed people on earth. We need that week to remember and cherish the “way we were” personally and it recharges the batteries to go back, full on, professionally. Working together isn’t always that easy, as we are together 24/7, but we learned to manage that. Tom is my best friend, my buddy and a very good husband for me. We know each other very well. He would be freakin’ perfect if only he would love dancing! We are both very different and yet similar in many ways. I think that the multiple things we have in common got us to
Photo at left: Cathy with her favorite horse SA Misha Apal.
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where we are today. When the going gets tough the tough get going! Who have your mentors been in the Arabian horse business? I don’t “do” a lot with the horses other than loving and petting them, so from my aspect of the business, the administration point of view, the organizing skills, I can definitely say Martine Van Hee and Ingrid Bleifuss. I respect them a lot and have learned a lot from them. Being an integral part of Schoukens Training Center on a daily basis, please give us a snapshot into your daily life on the job. I usually wake up between 7 and 8 am, depending on how busy the day ahead is and what is all in “my head.” Sometimes I work at night and on the weekend when it’s really quiet and I can do a lot! I get up, make coffee and check the mail. If it’s really busy and a lot is going on in the morning, you can sometimes still find me in pajamas at 11 am behind the computer because I forgot the time—that can be really embarrassing. I try to cross off as much on my
endless to-do list as possible in a day. Last year my assistant, Kim, took over a lot of my work so I could focus on the many phone calls and client visits. So I mail, I call, I brief, I comfort and I try to entertain! You have an amazing collection of young and passionate grooms. Tell us what they mean to you and your business. They are really a little bit like my children. And sometimes they also behave like that and I sometimes behave like a mom. I am strict but also loving, I hope. With your diverse client base ranging from singlehorse owners to those who stable their entire herds with you and who hail from all corners of the world, how do you navigate the differences that come from such diversity? That is not so difficult to answer, as I always stay professional and treat all people the same way. Some are more demanding, some are easy, some are friends; you adapt yourself to the wishes of the client, because I “work” for them. We all have our place in life and I know mine very well and am very happy with where I
Photo by April Visel
Cathy with the Great Stuart Vesty.
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WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD
Photo by Henrike Horman
Cathy, her son, Jesse Swaenepoel, and mom, at the 2013 West Coast Cup.
belong. So it sometimes happens that I can also be very demanding when I am a “client” for something.
sometimes—and I guess His Highness knows me a bit by now.
Share the feelings you instantly had when Ward purchased Georgia and you knew she was coming to Schoukens. I knew before the sale that Ward had the green light from His Highness Prince Abdulaziz to bid on her with the promise she could come and live with us. That’s why the auction itself was very stressful for me, but my first emotion was relief, and after, pure happiness. I was so excited, that I sent a text message to His Highness saying, “You are my hero.” I am not actually sure if that was appropriate, but it was totally me—I can be quite impulsive
Tell us about the Polish pasture that has evolved at your place. Yes, it is amazing! Every time we have a visitor, we do a farm tour, and I am amazed to see the Pride of Maldegem, really still, every time. The best is when we have people visiting that love the Polish horses. To witness the excitement on their faces, their expressions and emotions is priceless.
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How has the Arabian horse enriched your life? The horses, the business, they made me into the person I am today. Sometimes I feel like it is all a
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Cathy and Tom
bit too much; it’s all about the horses and I don’t have enough time to see my friends anymore or visit my mom as often as I would like to. I have a rich emotional and spiritual mind to do things for which there is no time. I was not born with the Arabian horse in my veins, but I did get addicted to it and think I could not live without it. What is it like to see your husband and brotherin-law reap the benefits of their hard work when winning great prizes for your wonderful clients? A lot of times I say, ‘man, we are lucky,’ but I realize that a good dose of luck does not happen without hard work! We are still modest after every win and, hopefully, stay modest forever. As a mother, what does it mean to have your son working with you at Schoukens? Amazing! First I was scared about it, because it would be a different
kind of relationship, but it worked out very well! He is very stubborn and also strives to do the best like me, but I can handle it, as sometimes it is like looking in the mirror … What is your favorite part about foaling out mares? The moment he or she is completely out, breathing and the mare makes those special sounds like she only does then—that is pure and genuine love! Tell us about the first horse you bred or co-bred that you were really proud of. First one, Nyara JC, and then her daughter SA Misha Apal. I was there when both were born, but Misha continuously was a part of my life in many different ways. It’s actually like faith. She is my favorite horse of all times; I have no words to describe how I feel about this horse.
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WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD
You are known for caring deeply for the horses and people. What do you think makes you that way? Mainly my education, my morals and standards; my belief that everything happens for a reason and my positive attitude, which allows everyone to have a bad day once in awhile. Also my hope, faith and love. Name a handful of Arabian mares alive today that make you weak in the knees. SA Misha Apal, because she carries a piece of my heart; CR Jasmeenah, because she is such a special individual; Najdah Al Zobair, because of her beauty; El Dorada, because of her charisma; MA Bint Azadik, because she is a warrior, and Bint Saida Al Nasser, for all the reasons mentioned before. I also have “Georgia on my mind.”
Photo by Melanie Groger
Cathy and her dog Amy Jo at the Berlin Show.
If you could resurrect any two horses, who would they be and why? Pianissima, because she went too early to Heaven, and El Shaklan! What is your favorite horse destination to travel to? Poland and Brazil. Please tell us some of your favorite moments during your recent open house at Schoukens Training Center. For sure, the presentation of Georgia, turned loose without anyone knowing about it, was a magical moment because it was unplanned. Eden C, putting on his “one man” show; what a stallion! And, the parade with all the champions led around by every single one of “the children”, and I have a lot of children, so there were a lot of champions. I only realized then, how extremely proud I should be!
Photo by April Visel
Cathy hugging Adel Abdelrazik.
Is there anything else you’d like to share? I love quotes and most of the time, they express the things that keep me personally occupied, so I will share my favorites. My first quote and personal mantra, which I have tattooed on my right foot so I can see it every single day is in Latin: Dum Vivimus, Vivamus, meaning “While we live, let us enjoy life.” I try to pursue this every day. Also, the following: “Where you invest your love, you invest your life.” “What you become depends on what you can overcome.” “The best things in life, aren’t things.” “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” n
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Photo by April Visel
Cathy and Tom
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