ROAD
TO
THE
Horse WEG
world
Luck
of the
Irish Tom MacGuinness is aiming to compete at WEG, against the beautiful backdrop of Mont St Michel, with only a year’s experience in endurance
Photos courtesy of Tom MacGuinness
T
om MacGuinness has never been one to shy away from a challenge. From starting equestrian rug and clothing manufacturer Horseware Ireland from the ground up, to qualifying for the World Equestrian Games (WEG), having only taken up endurance riding a year prior, he embodies determination and perseverance. His road to WEG started when he was on a polo pony buying trip in Uruguay. His vet, Sebastian Brun, is one of the top endurance trainers in South America, so Tom pitched him what he says was his “crazy idea” to go to the games in Normandy – even though he had never tried or competed in endurance. After a few local races in Argentina, he well and truly caught the endurance bug and bought two top horses – grey gelding Horseware LR Artista and bay mare Horseware LR Kim (see photos far right). Tom has quickly become passionate about
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his new sport of endurance, saying: “If you had told me a year and a half ago, ‘You’re going out to ride 20 or 30km’, I would’ve said, ‘You’re mad’. Then I went to Uruguay and saw their mentality about long-distance riding – that’s their tradition. “Where I train, on these dirt roads in Uruguay, the guys who pass me have two or three horses cantering along – it’s a whole way of life. To go 30-40km is nothing for them.”
Team training
Tom’s training regime is structured around his busy work schedule at Horseware Ireland. He tries to go to the gym and ride as much as he can. Before his race in Uruguay in November, he had been travelling in China for a month, but still finished in third place. He credits his success to his team. His horses are predominately based in Uruguay, so he relies on his grooms to do the majority of his horses’ conditioning work. He says: “We train them with the polo ponies. They’ll go out in sets, and I’ll ride one and lead three.” It’s often his groom who does the long-distance training work at home.
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with his Left and below: Tom y gelding gre s, rse endurance ho Kim re ma y ba d an Arista
“They’re good horses and I’ve got the team in place, all I have to do is stay on and try to ride as lightly as possible!”” possible!
All about endurance
Endurance races range in distance. The elite level races Tom competes in can range up to 160km (100 miles), with horses covering around 20km an hour. The race consists of several phases between 20 and 40km in length, with a break and vet check between each phase. Before the horse starts each phase, his heart rate must fall to 64bpm (in FEI competition). The race starts and ends with a vet check and trot-up.
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PART FIVE In this feature... ➤ 10 top dressage tips ➤ Turnout and
Perfect
Words: Alison Bridge. Photos: Bob Atkins
10 Carl, Charlotte and Barolo entertain and educate the crowds at The Dressage Convention 30 HORSE &RIDER
In the saddle
warm-up advice ➤ Perfect your riding technique ➤ Improve your horse
The Dressage Convention Improve your horse, your riding and your dressage score with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin
W
hatever our level or discipline, we can learn so much from the way great riders train their horses. Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin have produced some of the most successful dressage horses Britain has ever seen, and here
are 10 of their brilliant training ideas from their lecture demo at The Dressage Convention. Star of the show was chestnut seven-year-old Barolo. Team Hester have high hopes for him. “He’s going to be a beautiful mover – he’s got a lot of scope and is very expressive,” said Carl.
1
Turn him out
When he first came to Carl’s yard, Barolo was very nervous of other horses and also quite difficult – he managed to dislodge a few riders when he was worked in company. Carl is a great believer in turning horses out and felt this would cure the new arrival of his fear. “We turned Barolo out with a few other horses,” he said. “He leant against the fence for three weeks, terrified anyone was going to come near him. But now he’s fine, very friendly with other horses and we’re really pleased with his temperament.” Barolo is still turned out 24/7, depending on the weather and time of year. He’s brought in, worked, then turned out again. He’s hacked out regularly twice a week with lots of hill work which is important for strengthening. A naturally big, loose mover, Barolo has talent and ability. “He just needs the time to become strong enough in Prix St Georges,” said Carl.
2
Warm-up and ‘warm-out’
Do you walk a few laps of the school on a long rein before and after a schooling session? That’s nowhere near enough, according to Carl. “At home, one of our riders will prepare a horse with a 15 to 20-minute hack, then do a 15-minute warm-up in the school – we’ve taught them how to do this. Then Charlotte or I will sit on the horse for 25 minutes’ training, then they have one more hack to stretch and cool down,” he said. “That last bit of the ‘warm out’, as we call it, is very important so that the horse’s muscles relax and the lactic acid goes out of them.” So don’t think that the minute you’ve walked one round on a long rein, you’re finished. As Carl said: “That’s not going to be helpful for the horse, physically or mentally.”
Our trainer Carl Hester MBE is, “the greatest dressage rider and horseman in the world,” says Charlotte Dujardin. He was a member of the British dressage team that won gold at London 2012, and bronze at the European Championships in Denmark, last year. carlhester.co.uk
Our rider Charlotte Dujardin OBE has won five gold medals, in the British team in the European Championships in Rotterdam, 2011; team and individual medals at London 2012; and two golds at the European Championships in Denmark, last year. charlottedujardin. co.uk
Our horse Barolo, by Oldenburg Breitling, is a seven-yearold gelding owned by Carl, Charlotte and Anne Cohn. He’s being prepared for Prix St Georges dressage and is coming along well after quite a difficult start. HORSE&RIDER 31
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as art
Riding
‘
Andreas Hausberger, First Chief Rider at the Spanish Riding School, talks about his journey and love of horses
A
s First Chief Rider of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, I am one of 49 since the 16th century. I feel honoured to be part of the Spanish Riding School. I am a link in a chain where I have to pass on my knowledge to the next generation of riders.
As told to Céleste Wilkins. Photos: Spanish Riding School
Horses always there
The first time I mounted a horse was at the age of seven. I grew up around horses, on my parents’ stud farm, but I wasn’t allowed to ride before then as my parents thought it was too dangerous. One day my younger brother, who is also a professional rider now, and I decided we wanted to mount a horse in the paddock. We picked one out of the herd, moved her to the fence and just jumped on. I kicked the mare forward as that’s what I thought to do instinctively, and she just walked – she was so good. The horses were so familiar with us because we grew up around them. Later, my father told me she wasn’t broken in – we didn’t realise that you had to break horses in to ride! My parents realised we were interested in horses so they hired an instructor. He was unbelievable. He was experienced enough to teach us the right things from the start, so there was nothing to correct afterwards. He didn’t know anything about piaffe and passage, but he guided us and made us want to learn. He fed us with horsemanship and taught us feeling – this approach was a big plus when I entered the Spanish Riding School.
Body language
If you can read horses’ body language and think like them, that’s one of the biggest attributes of a good rider. Very few do, and it’s something that 40 HORSE &RIDER
grows with experience – that comes from being around horses. It’s very important to just be around horses. That’s why we put all of our Élèves (youngest pupils) in the stables first. Nobody is allowed to only ride at the school, everyone has to spend a couple of years in the stables with the horses first, learning their behaviour and needs. We don’t just have riders at the Spanish Riding School, everyone knows how to care for horses as well.
Learning on the lunge
The most important thing to the Spanish Riding School is the rider’s seat. If you can’t sit correctly, you will never be able to ride correctly. Once the Élève graduates from the stables to riding, he spends at least two years on the lunge – even up to four. If the instructor then deems that the rider is talented enough to do a normal lesson alongside his lunge training, they put him on a fully trained schoolmaster. The horse teaches the Élève, with supervision from the instructor of course. This approach has worked for hundreds of years.
Long-term commitment
The Élève must give up any riding outside the Spanish Riding School. This means all his riding is under the supervision of a head rider at the Spanish Riding School and he doesn’t develop bad habits. When the Élève is talented and committed enough, he is given his uniform. Prior to that point, he wears a grey uniform. The traditional uniform with the tail coat, top boots, deerskin trousers and bicorn hat is so special – you can’t just come to the school and wear it. It might take up to five continued on page 42
The Spanish Riding School of Vienna’s First Chief Rider, Andreas Hausberger
In the saddle
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It’s like a ballet or an opera – the riders and horses are artists, when we perform we are presenting art
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Teaching the Levade
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British y u B Looking for your next horse? There’s more reason than ever to opt for British-bred say Jenny Viner and H&R’s Céleste Wilkins
I
t’s an exciting time for British breeding, with British-bred horses winning medals at the London 2012 Olympics and 2013 European Championships. You may be surprised to know that triple Olympic eventing medallist Miners Frolic, Olympic team showjumping medallist Tripple X III and European team gold medallists Billy Congo and Half Moon Delphi are all Britishbred horses. Jan Rogers, Head of Equine Development at the British Equestrian Federation (BEF), says: “The rejuvenation of the British-bred horse is no accident. With more informed breeders entering the market, more pedigree and performance information available, and young horse programmes offering support and recognition, British-bred horses are coming to the fore.” British-bred horses aren’t just excelling at the elite level, many are perfect for all levels of competition – there are many benefits to buying a British-bred horse.
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GREAT BRITISH SUCCESS STORIES Tripple X III
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The BEF is excited about the future of British breeding. Jan says: “We are at such an exciting stage in the development of British-bred horses. We are increasingly finding that breeders are breeding a wide range of quality British-bred horses that are suitable for the ever-increasing number of people wishing to take part in horse sports. We are finding that the BEF Futurity premium is reassuring purchasers that a particular horse may be suitable for them. “Buying a British-bred horse also increases the chances that the purchaser will have some knowledge of the horse’s background. This will not always be the case, but many breeders will be keen to keep in touch with any horses they have bred and subsequently sold, and be happy to answer questions about the horse.”
Photo: Ken Krause
Exciting developments
We are increasingly finding that breeders are breeding a wide range of quality Britishbred horses Jan Rogers
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British-bred Tripple X III is a horsey household name for his impressive achievements in showjumping. He was bred by his rider, Ben Maher, and is jointly owned by Ben and the Quainton Stud, a top British breeding facility.
Half Moon Delphi
The expressive grey mare excels in dressage under her rider, Michael Eilberg. She was bred in Dorset by Jon and Julie Deverill of the Half Moon Stud. ‘Delphi’ has won many competitions up to Grand Prix at home and abroad. While her competition career is far from over, the stud looks to the future – she has two young full-sisters waiting in the wings.
Management know-how
Photos: Kevin The Woodlan Sparrow, der Stud
Michael Eilberg on Half Moon Delphi (left) and Woodlander Farouche (below)
Ben Maher and his superstar, British-bred Tripple X III
The Billy Stud
The Billy Stud is a partnership between top showjumper William Funnell, his wife – top eventer, Pippa Funnell – and Irish horse importer, Donal Barnwell. Their philosophy for producing top horses stems from crossing top Irish bloodlines with top European stallions. Their stock has had success at all levels in a variety of disciplines, including Billy Congo in the European Championships for showjumping and several Billy horses in international eventing, including Billy Shannon, Billy Bounce and Billy Landretti.
The Woodlander Stud
Arguably the most well-known product of the Woodlander Stud breeding programme is Woodlander Farouche, back-to-back winner of the World Championships for Young Horses in
Defining British-bred
The BEF defines British-bred as a horse who was either foaled in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, or abroad to a dam normally living in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man or Channel Islands that had been temporarily exported for the purpose of mating only. Neither the stud book of origin of the dam, nor the stud book of origin, or the place of domicile of the sire, are considered as relevant factors in determining whether a foal is British-bred. Verden as a five and six-year-old. The breeding programme is a true British success story. Proprietor Lynne Crowden is a huge proponent of British breeding – working to promote it through the governing bodies and through hosting stallion training and viewing days at the yard.
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n i t s e B
show
Get top marks this season with stunning competition looks, sure to catch the judge’s eye
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Gear guide
Opposite page: Kate wears Shires clothing: Sloane showjumping jacket in black £79.99, brocade riding stock in white £9.99, shortsleeved stock shirt in white £19.99, Chelsea Performance breeches in white £59.99 and Norfolk leather field boots in black £149.99 Far left: Amy wears Equetech clothing: Medley In-vent competition jacket in navy £93.95, Fusion competition shirt in pink/white £41.95 and Snaffle breeches in white £83.50. Model’s own boots Left: Lea wears Pikeur clothing: Radina jacket in black £141, competition shirt with ruffle neck in white £49.99 and Kaskaja Premium Collection breeches in white £139. Model’s own boots
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