Interview – Ute Raabe & Photos – Julia Rau
It is Monday afternoon at Irenenhof, Andreas Dibowski’s beautiful historic stables in Dohle, a sleepy township in Northern Germany. Rain is falling steadily, autumn chill is in the air, a huge silver horse truck is parked in the paved courtyard. Staff are going quietly about their work, a couple of horses are being groomed.
It is just one day after the 2014 European Eventing Championships in Malmo, Sweden and one could easily believe that a Gold medal winning member of the German team would take it easy for a day or two, no? Sleep in, stay inside and sit out the bad weather? Show off the latest medal to his eager students? Think again.
Balancing precariously four metres above ground level, dressed in top boots and jodhs, is the man himself, Andreas Dibowski – 47 years old and a long-standing member of the German eventing team. Andreas is using his tractor’s front loader as a boom lift, standing on the very edge of the loading shovel. No harness, no helmet, no work boots with non-slippery soles; work-safe man you better turn the other way… A barn window needs some repairs and at Irenenhof the boss mucks in himself. After driving his truck back from Malmo overnight, Dibo and team have already unpacked and re-packed again: they are off to Burghley the next morning. No rest for the wicked; and the successful.
How does an experienced Championship rider prepare for the European Eventing Season? We catch up with Andreas Dibowski;
“Before the start of the season, we sit down and work out our plan for the year. Generally speaking, there are two season highlights, one in summer and one in winter. The season plan is developed around and for these highlights. We look at what horses we have, what preliminary events and qualifications we need to ride in. There is no general rule, we need to create an individual competition plan for each horse.
In Germany, we aim to only select horses for Championships that already have some 4 Star experience. Preferably they have been competed at 3-Star level for an entire year. For a European Championship at 3-Star level, we sometimes take a younger horse, like in Malmo, but for Olympic Games and World Championships, a horse should definitely have completed a 4-Star event successfully.
Combinations that have been selected for the long-list are send to a four-day workshop. We then have a selection event, for example Luhmuhlen, and said long-list is reduced to six horses, plus two reserve combinations. Our shortlist riders and horses then participate in a training event, in which we recreate competition conditions. We have flags, we have music, public announcements, the lot. We ride our dressage tests, we jump a course, but we don’t test our horses anymore. We simply train together and prepare for the Championship. A concept that has proven very successful for the German team.”
What do you like to do before an important event?
“Before a tough Championship Event I like to ride in a little motivation event, an easy test to get the horse’s self confidence up. See, in between Badminton and Luhmuhlen or Aachen, and then Malmo there was quite a large gap. Therefore I had decided to ride my Malmo horse Butts Avedon at the Swedish Championships. Avedon had gone around the 4-Star course in Luhmuhlen, yet it was important for me that he did another smaller event before the big test, the Championship. Other riders went to England, for example Ingrid Klimke went to Hartpury with her Championship horse.
Who is riding in which event to qualify is a decision that is taken on an individual basis within the German eventing team. This is completely supported by our team coaches. Nothing is set in concrete. Personally I like to increase training levels up until three weeks to 10 days before a competition, this is when the easy motivation event comes in, then I just work on maintaining motivation and keeping my horse happy and fit. A bit like charging my horse’s batteries and then keeping them charged. I don’t need to ride in another tough test before a Championship or big event.”
How is Butts Leon going? Obviously you are taking him to Burghley, will he be your number one for WEG in 2014?
“That is wide open at the moment. Butts Leon is going well. He is 16 now, for Normandy he would be 17. Naturally any decision will depend on the wellbeing of the horse, if he is still motivated and enjoying competition life. His owners and I agree on this. Under no circumstances are we going to test him until he shows signs of strain. However, currently things are looking rather positively.
Then there is the second generation coming through, there are the 9 and 10 year olds who are just starting to get some 3-Star experience. There are my other Championship horses Fantasia and Avedon, my other good horses. I also have an exciting youngster by Heraldik xx, Hans Dampf, which I will take to Lion.”
Butts Avedon, another horse with the infamous Butt prefix. Please tell us about your relationship with the late Friedrich Butt.
“It is a beautiful story. At the beginning there was Butts Amadeus, Butt’s first home-bred. He was only four when Friedrich Butt offered me the ride. Herr Butt was so convinced of him, he praised his breeding and Amadeus’ dam which he had competed himself in horse trials. That dam became the foundation mare for Butt’s breeding success. ‘99% Thoroughbred, these are the horses of the future, this is what we need’, he said to me. Personally, I thought Amadeus was a rather ugly horse; it was certainly not love at first sight. However, Herr Butt was very passionate and he knew how to be persuasive. He convinced me to give Amadeus a shot and try him out. It was to be the beginning of a long and wonderful relationship.
In 1992 Butts Amadeus and I took out the title for eventing young horses at the Bundeschampionate. A second Butt horse followed. With Butts Andora I achieved my break-through on the international scene. We placed 11th at the European Eventing Championships in Burghley in 1997. Many horses followed, but this story is particulary special as Andora is also Avedon’s mum.
And this is where we go full circle again, Butts Avedon was the last horse still bred by Friedrich Butt himself. Avedon also took out the honours at the 2008 Bundeschampionate for 5-year-old Eventing horses, just like Butt’s first horse Amadeus.
It was a shame that Herr Butt could not live long enough to witness his horses’ greatest international success, the 2008 Hong Kong Olympics, where two of his horses (Butts Abraxxas and Butts Leon) were in the Gold medal winning German team.
It was a win-win partnership for us, for many years. Friedrich Butt was always so proud of his horses.”
Looking back at your riding career, what have been the most defining moments for you?
“Back in the days, when I started out I used to ride everything; dressage, jumping, eventing. Though, eventing was more like a hobby. Training and educating young jumping and dressage horses paid for my bills. In 1995 I made the decision to focus solely on eventing. Contrary to what everyone was recommending, I stayed in Germany instead of re-locating to Great Britain. However, I set myself a goal: If I hadn’t made it internationally by 2000, I would no longer pursue a professional eventing career any further. I had set myself a high standard. But in fact, that year was very good for me.
My most defining moment? That would be my first time in Badminton in 2000. I didn’t even want to ride at Badminton. From the beginning I just wanted to compete in Championships. However, everybody kept saying that I had to ride Badminton just once in my life.
I didn’t succeed that year, but the experience inspired me immensely, it really confirmed by career choice. It motivated me greatly and kept me going for the rest of the year. 2000 proceeded to be a good year for me; I went to the Olympic Games in Sydney and finished the season as Number 1 on the FEI World Ranking List.”
Who has been a role model, an example for you?
“That has to be Andrew Nicholson. In the past most people would have said Mark Todd first. But Mark was always more like an artist, he rode like someone from another planet, a bit like Michael Jung today. It was rather difficult to comprehend.
Yet Andrew is a ‘fleiss-reiter’, meaning he is hard-working, diligent and studious. He is a no-nonsense rider and a straightforward man. Andrew is someone I can identify with. And he has been an inspiration to me, because he is always progressing. You know, most riders have an amazing two or three seasons with a good horse or two, then they hit a flat spot, don’t advance any further. Andrew continues to develop and evolve. He has always been an absolute genius cross country, but look at his dressage and his showjumping today. In 2007 he was still great in the cross country phase, but jumping was a problem. Though looking at the past three years, 2010, 2011 and 2012, he has improved his dressage test so much and jumps a clear round, that is really impressive to see. He deservedly tops the FEI Eventing World Riders Rankings.”
Born 29 March 1966
1976 It all starts with pony Butschi.
1981 Wins his first cross country ride with pony Gamodi.
1984-87 Trains for Pferdewirt at State Riding School Hoya – first national showjumping success with Witrosia.
1988-89 Continues showjumping training in the US; first start in CCI *** Luhmühlen on Witrosia.
1991 First start at the Bundeschampionate in three disciplines: with FRH Amadeus in Eventing (Finals), Goldika in Young Riding Horses (5th place), Derby in Young Jumping Horses.
1993 First international success: 2nd place CCI** in Falsterbo/ SWE on FRH Amadeus.
1997 Started his own eventing training stables on Irenenhof Stud in Döhle.
1997 11th place European Champs in Burghley on Andora.
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, 4th with the German team; Leads the FEI World Ranking for the first time; wins CCI** in Bonn with Barolo TSF and CCI*** in Boekelo mit Ginger; first start CCI*** Badminton.
2001 5th place European Champs with the team; 2nd place Young Eventing Horse World Champs in Lion d´ Angers with FRH Serve Well.
2002 4th place CCI**** in Badminton on Ginger, 2nd place World Cup rankings.
2004 4th place with the team at Olympic Games in Athens, 13th individual.
2005 7th place European Champs, 6th in FEI World Rankings.
2006 WEG in Aachen 21st place; several wins and placings at CCI *** and CCI **** level with Butts Leon and FRH Little Lemon.
2007 2nd place CCI **** in Badminton on FRH Serve Well. New horse Fantasia places in Le Lion ´de Angers; for the second time leading the FEI World Rankings.
2008 Olympic Team Gold with Butts Leon in Hong Kong, 5th place individual; Butts Avedon and Mighty Magic place 1st and 2nd at the Bundeschampionate.
2009 Wins CICO *** Aachen on FRH Serve Well; Butts Leon places 2nd CCI **** Luhmühlen and Pau; 2nd and 9th place. on Mighty Magic and FRH Butts Avedon at Young Horse World Champs.
2010 2nd place CCI**** in Badminton on Euroridings Butts Leon; FRH Fantasia wins CCI**** in Pau; Mighty Magic and FRH Butts Avedon come 1st and 2nd in the Young Horse World Champs.
2011 Team Gold medal European Champs in Luhmuhlen.
2013 Again Team Gold at the European Champs in Malmo on Butts Avedon; 1st German Eventing Championships with Butts Leon.
‘Dibbo’ and Butt’s Avedon at Malmo…