Three German championships in one day. That does not happen every day.
It was Helen Langehanenberg who turned this hat-trick. She and her partner Sebastian Heinze qualified ten horses for the German championships of young horses, the “Bundeschapionate”.
The outcome: Three champions – Silberaster, Fürst Khevenhüller and Cara Mia – numerous finalists, not a single horse without a ribbon. Jan Tönjes from Germany’s ST GEORG magazine visited the two of them prior to the championships and watched the training of their horses.
For a start, Helen on a horse looks different. A poker face is a must when Helen Langehanenberg takes up the reins. Is it arrogance? Another snappy dressage snob?
None of that. No talk of tight-lips, of arrogance and the least of snappishness. Concentration is the magic word “I always look like that when I am riding” says Helen Langehanenberg and laughs. A wide laugh. Sparkling white teeth appear. Her bright blue eyes seem to be twice the size when her laugh makes the concentration-wrinkle from her forehead vanish.
And all of a sudden her hair-style does not make her look that strict anymore. A cheeky blonde streak has escaped and is enjoying an independence that its pals, being combed back tightly and held by hairclips – can only dream of.
One says about dog owners that over the years spent together they become more and more like their quadruped friends. Especially when it comes down to their hair-style. One doesn’t have to think in an overly complicated manner to see the connection between Helen Langehanenberg’s hair and being a rider. The precise parting is the frame, the principles of equitation. The cheeky streak of hair shows that within this frame there is a certain leeway. And if you add the perkily wrinkled nose, when Helen Langehanenberg looks up into the grey Westfalian sky over Havixbeck, then you know: Dressage of the old school may as well be young and not dusty at all. But enough of the hair splitting pop psychology and on to the horses.
The countdown is on. Eight days to go before the Bundeschampionate starts.
Ten horses and ponies across all age groups have been qualified by Helen Langehanenberg and her partner Sebastian ‘Seb’ Heinze. There are champions amongst them – not only regional- but also national champion Silberaster is one of them. The black mare has been stabled with Helen and Seb since May. The entire country is waiting for ‘Asti’s appearance after last year’s controversial appearance when the Sandro Hit daughter ran riot and lashed out with her front legs, aiming for her former rider.
Silberaster at the Bundeschampionate…
Still, Helen is keeping up the optimism: “That won’t happen this year.” The twenty-five year old has practiced. First a local competition, then the regional Oldenburg championships with thousands of spectators – ‘Asti’ behaved on both occasions.
The training of the mare is unspectacular: lengthening and shortening the strides in trot and canter. Sometimes the poll is the highest point and then again the rider loosens the reins and allows the horse to stretch. Those watching the daily routine at the yard Westrup, with its red bricks framed by timber will see those moments over and over again – when youngster Asti is being trained as well as ‘Resi’ – Responsible, the Rohdiamant daughter which came third in the finals of the Nürnberger Burgpokal last year.
Responsible at home…
“That’s good,” Sebastian Heinze appeared at the arena. Asti and Helen are concentrating hard. The trio is beaming with optimism. “At the beginning,” remembers Helen, “leading her was not quite simple, but she just had to learn it.” Needs must – after all the horses are going out in the field every day and also spend time in the sand paddock.
Leadership personality
“Asti loves going out in the field” Helen rolls her eyes. “She certainly will find the biggest muddy puddle and will manage to get as much mud and dirty water between herself and the rug.” I am a horse and I am allowed to behave like one – when I let myself be lead.
Helen did not expect that kind of behaviour of the mare in Warendorf this year – last year she reared spectacularly while standing in the line. “I think she remembered what had happened in the previous year. Presenting her in hand was not a problem at all during the other competitions. During the award ceremony she was yet again all calm.”
“And”, she adds with a twinkle in her eye, “she does not have to compete in any more classes where the young horses have to be shown in hand.”
The spectacular thing about the to-be Bundeschampions, runner-ups or finalists and their training on this day is the ‘unspectacularity’. Although the Westfalian sky is still grey, the horses are shining. Circle after circle increases the sparkle. No one is waiting for that ultimate self-carriage on a loose rein but at the same time, there is no training of the ultimate extended trot at top speed.
Tension and relaxation – sometimes that means taking more weight on the reins, it means making sure the horses are in front of the leg. And it also means that the nose has to repeatedly come in front of the vertical, even if the horses temporarily come on the forehand. Important is, that the horse reacts when the rider says “get on with the show”.
Not For Sale – pony star…
The pony gelding Not for sale, who became the runner-up Bundeschampion ten days later, is the only one who takes a bit longer to warm up, become supple and go forward into the bit. He is lively and eager to start. His excuse: he is only three years old. His stable neighbour Cara Mia will outperform him at the championships. The daughter of FS Champion de Luxe, who saw the light of day in Münster, will leave the arena as the Bundeschampion of the four year old ponies.
It is not the first title for Helen with a four-legged friend who measures less than 1.48m.
The preparation for the Bundeschampionat at the yard Heinze/ Langehanenberg are framed by two pillars: suppleness (Losgelassenheit) and fitness. Varying the training is important. A routine of loose jumping, lunging, horse-walker, quiet hacking in the woods and going out in the field are an addition to the work under the saddle. The horses are ridden in the training arena about three or four times a week. While Helen and Sebastian are explaining their training philosophy, they repeatedly have to raise their voices. The next horses to be trained are being lead past them.
You cannot imagine everyday life without the rhythmical four-beat of the clattering iron. “Walking is always good for the horses, you can never do too much of it before you start working.” That only works with a good team. It is a fit. A couple of grooms get the horses ready and a friend is taking a few days off to coordinate the “venture Warendorf” – not a simple logistic task with ten horses.
Helen and Sebastian are a duo. One is watching the other while they are riding. “You need to have him more in front of you”, one can hear. And: “poll up, that’s it!” The basis of their combined work are the experiences gained from various trainers and their individual training-methods, acquired before they met each other.
Sebastian and Rotwelsch at the Bundeschampionate
Sebastian has been educated by Hans-Jürgen Armbrust, then rode for Heike Kemmer and then changed to Michael Klimke. Once a week he drives to Olympic gold medallist Monica Theodorescu. Seb has also competed up to Grand Prix level, just like Helen.
Helen was educated by Ingrid Klimke. Her ‘Resi’ (Responsible) is still stabled at Ingrid’s yard, “because of their Grand Prix sized indoor arena.” Only the foundations suggest that they are not that far off from their “own” 20 by 60 metre arena. Klimke and Stecken as a base, refined with a good helping of Balkenhol, that’s Helen’s recipie for success. Yet again you see this twinkle in her blue eyes when she talks of Klimke or Balkenhol.
“Klaus Balkenhol is sensational. Just fantastic how he helps me and Resi with the passage and piaffe.” Exactly how fantastic it is we can see with our own eyes. Resi is like a diesel-engined dressage horse. At the beginning the mare trots along in a low-key manner, but once she has reached operating temperature, you start wondering what this eight year old horse will look like in two or three year’s time. A tickle runs down ones spine.
She is lacking some more strength but apart from that she already has everything that makes a dressage enthusiast’s heart beat faster, especially that bomb-proof walk. Her sire Rohdiamant sends his regards, collected pirouettes, well established flying changes, flowing half-passes and textbook transitions between piaffe and passage.
Some movements are carried out as a basic learning exercise, others are already at a high standard.
The previous weekend the mare entered an Intermediaire II class for the first time – and promptly won. Resi is a competition horse to the core. The Diesel becomes a Ferrari. We will see much more of the two of them as Helen is part owner of the mare, together with her breeders, the Dahlen family.
Each new day anew they are all delighted at the progress of this new dream-team. It’s not hard to understand.
Jan Tönjes (Translated by Annalene Becker)
PERSONAL Born on the 21st of May 1982. Started riding at the age of ten.
CAREER Helen took part in the German championships with her first pony Flummi, did an apprenticeship at Ingrid Klimke’s yard and at the same time started to achieve her first success at Grand Prix level. After the apprenticeship she did a three month internship with Klaus Balkenhol. In 2004 she was finalist at the World championships for Young Dressage horses with Farwick’s Fallaby, In 2005, taking over the ride for the injured Ingrid Klimke on Damon Hill, Helen was winner of the championships of five year old dressage horses.
2007: Three Bundeschampions in one day.
PERSONAL Born on the 3rd of March 1980 in Schleiz/ Thuringia. After school he did an apprenticeship to become a “Pferdewirt”, 2000 community service in Münster, where he met Helen Langehanenberg.
CAREER Apprenticeship with Hans-Jürgen Armbrust in Soltau. After community service hired by Heike Kemmer, first rides at German championships, 2003 change to the yard of Michael Klimke, 2004 “Pferdewirtschaftsmeister” exam, from 2005 rider at the auctions in Münster-Handorf. Sebastian Heinze is successful up to Grand Prix level.