Interviews by Chris Hector and Birgit Popp and Photos by Roz Neave and Kit Houghton
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the German dressage scene is their ability to produce new and wonderful horses out of no-where. At Aachen this year, three young woman riders – Heike Kemmer, Isabell Werth and Monica Theodorescu -produced some of the most stunning horses, to show the extraordinary depth of talent the Germans have. Three elegant and beautiful riders- riding striking and super talented chestnuts…
HEIKE KEMMER
Just starting into his FEI career for Heike Kemmer is Borsalino. A son of the late, and much lamented Bolero, Borsalino contested the lower FEI ranks at Aachen – in the Prix St George and the Intermediates, but he certainly showed that it will not be long before he is up there against the best in the world, since he seems to be the dressage horse with everything…
“I started riding Borsalino four years ago,” says Heike Kemmer, “We bought him when he was two and a half. We have a farm in Hanover, and the people on the farm broke him, and I started riding him two years later. We bought him at the Hengst auction in Hanover when he was two and a half.
The influential sire, Bolero
Were you specially looking for a horse by Bolero?
“At the time, no, but now we are looking for Boleros because we like him so much, we hope we can find another one as good as him. We have a good young one, I have a three year old one and I think he has the same quality like Borsalino.”
After he was broken in, you did all the work with Borsalino?
“Yes, I did all the work. Sometimes Mr Rehbein at the Gronwohld Hof helps me, and Mr Stecken who worked many years ago with Gabriela Grillo, now he helps me.”
Is Borsalino the most talented horse you have ridden?
“He is good to ride but he is very intelligent. I think he knows he is such a good looking horse. Everyone sees him, even in the practice area, there can be many horses but they all look at Borsalino.”
Did he always have that wonderful trot?
“Since I first saw him at two and a half years, that was the reason my father bought the horse, he had such good movement, such a good trot.”
Is he starting the higher movements?
“Yes, we started last year with the piaffe and passage, he is quite happy, and can do all those things. Now we have to try and ride one movement after another to go into the Grand Prix – hopefully next year we can do the Grand Prix. He likes it, he likes this work. He likes to make piaffe and passage, he is growing up when he is going piaffc and passage.”
Have you always wanted to be a dressage rider?
“Oh … my father wanted to make me a dressage rider, he thought jumping was not for girls, it was too dangerous for girls. So I came this way to dressage but it was not planned. But he said I must be a good dressage rider because I was growing up with good horses. We found every time good horses, so one step at a time I come closer to being a good rider.”
Nicole Uphoff and Grand Gilbert
Is it a big rivalry with Nicole Uphoff’s Grand Gilbert – with both horses competing at the same level, and so few marks separating them in the results…
“In so many competitions, the horses are so close to each other. Grand Gilbert is also such a nice horse, like Borsalino I think. They have a different style but very similar movements. Grand Gilbert has a very nice trot and canter. Borsalino wants to work, he wants to make no mistakes.”
What is your ambition?
“My ambition is to make the German team one year, but I cannot say which year because it is very difficult in Germany, we have so many good riders they can make two teams and still be good teams. For this year I want to be very near to being in the team.”
And Heike achieved her ambition and won many medals. Her most successful partner was another ‘B’ line product, Bonaparte, a grandson of Bolero, by Bon Bonaparte from Consul Akzent 11 mare. She currently trains and supports young riders.
The German Gold Medal Team at the Beijing Games in 2008 – Nadine Cappelmann, Heike Kemmer and Isabell Werth
And Heike and Monica Theodorescu, passing on the German legacy as trainers as trainers at Aachen in 2017
ISABELL WERTH
Another of the bright new stars is Isabell Werth, another supremely elegant and tactful rider, and another who is staking a very strong claim for a place in the German team with her senior horse, Gigolo. She also has a striking horse in the mare, Fabienne, who is also on the way up. Isabell combines her studies and her riding.
Isabell and Fabienne, World Cup winners
Are you more a student or more a full-time rider?
“I am a student but I ride more, and when I have time, I go to university. At the moment there is enough time for the university so it goes quite well, but the main thing is to ride – then to study, because I don’t know how long I can ride in this way so I want to try riding for a little longer.”
Have you always been a dressage rider?
Isabell laughs… “At first I rode what horses we had. Whether they go jumping or eventing … I did eventing at A level, in the German Juniors. Later I got the opportunity to ride dressage with Dr Schulten-Baumer. Madras was the first horse, then Weingart, Fabienne and Gigolo. It was very very good.”
Both Madras and Weingart were experienced Grand Prix horses when you started with them, but what of Fabienne and Gigolo?
“Both Gigolo and Fabienne I started for the first time in Grand Prix. I have had Gigolo since he was six years old. When he came he was between L and M level, but nobody thought he would go up in such a short time. Fabienne is a little bit more difficult in mentality, so needs a longer time than Gigolo, she needs more time to get routine, and develop more experience in competitions.”
But she is very beautiful…
“Some Germans say she is the most beautiful horse. She is a lady, she goes with great spirit. She is very beautiful.”
But difficult to ride?
“It’s difficult to say. Not difficult to ride, she is more difficult in her head.”
And difficult in the presentations? (I’m referring here to some fairly spectacular explosions on the main arena at Aachen, and at once provoke another wild pearl of laughter from Isabell…)
“Very difficult for her… for her to see a lot of people is more difficult.”
Here we are talking about the old Aachen dressage arena which was surrounded with bushes and the occasional rabbit hopped out during tests, often pursued by Jack Russell terriers – it was a long time ago…
And Jack Russell terriers hunting rabbits on the side of the arena at Aachen, is that a problem?
“It’s not a problem for her… for her to see a lot of people is more difficult.”
Isabell and Gigolo, and her trainer, Dr Schulten-Baumer
And Gigolo?
“He’s nice, and so happy to go – sometimes too happy to go! He’s a little bit crazy then and he learns so much, and so fast. Then sometimes he is so happy he is a little bit crazy and he runs away. He enjoys to go and that is the reason he goes so quickly to the top.”
To win the Special at Dortmund earlier this year, was that the best win?
“Yes, for an international event it was also the best. But it was very important also to win the Ladies Championship in Münster – and it was very important that he wins twice, not just one lucky day and Rembrandt was so bad, but to win twice over Rembrandt meant so much.”
Why do you ride in an Australian saddle – in a Wintec?
“At first it was not planned, but now I think it is very comfortable. Very light for the horse, very easy to ride in the saddle and it is very comfortable for me. I think it is the optimum saddle.”
Have your family always had horses?
“Always, we have a farm at home and we breed horses. Rheinlander horses…”
Your ambition?
“To make the German team but we must see how the horses go.”
Is there more pressure now that you have won some very big events?
“Sometimes the people expect more but there are so many German riders who can go in a team, it’s difficult to make it there.”
And the rest is history… Isabell has won many medals, both Individual and Team for Germany. This one is on home territory, back at Aachen at the WEG in Aachen in 2006 with Nadine Cappelmann, Heike Kemmer and Hubertus Schmidt
MONICA THEODORESCU
Monica Theodorescu is no new face in German dressage, but her horse Grunnox certainly is. The striking chestnut with the silver mane has burst upon the dressage world like a meteor, and while he missed selection this time for the European Championships, there can be little doubt that the combination will represent Germany at an international level before too long…
Seeing Grunnox working in the warm up arena unplaited, THM remarked to Monica that she shouldn’t plait him for the test.. “I wouldn’t if I thought he would get more points.”
Despite the fact that the horse had a less than ideal track to the dressage ring, Monica always had faith in him:
“Considering his history, it is really fascinating how successful Grunnox is now. But, I knew he could do well… Actually I did not discover him myself. He was discovered for me by Ulli Kasselmann, who is Paul Schockemöhle’s partner.”
What attracted you to Grunnox?
“His basic paces, his extensions, his energy, his aura, his expression.”
What sort of personality is he?
“He is very anxious. It took me a long time and much patience until he relied on me. He is very concentrated in me, and he seems to be thankful that I take care of him. He is very lovely in the barn, not cheeky. He is a very sensible horse, but he learns very quickly and is very ambitious to give always his best and to do everything right. His greatest strengths are his will to cooperate, his extensions and that he has no failing in any movement. He is doing the piaffe as well as the passage or the canter pirouettes. Only sometimes in the one tempi flying changes, he still has problems. I believe he just feels uncertain – in his anxiety to do everything right he asks himself if he can do it, and is afraid he can’t.”
It seems that Grunnox is happier in the Special than the Grand Prix?
“Yes, that is true, but with me it’s the same. He has an excellent trot tour, and likes the transitions from extended trot to passage. His drive and energy become more obvious. In the Grand Prix it is just counting faults – in the Special it is easier to collect some plus points if you have made a mistake.”
Monica and Ganimedes, World Cup winners
It has been a mixed year for you without Ganimedes, and to miss out on Team selection for the European Champs, but you have had some fabulous performances…
“I had a good feeling at Aachen in the Special. I knew it was possible for him to forget his anxiety and give his best performance.
Even without Ganimedes, Monica is going to be a force to be reckoned with Grunnox, and along with Isabell and Heike, she’ll be making sure that German dressage retains its cherished position at the top of the world’s standings.
This article first appeared in the October 1991 issue of THM.
Post Script: And as we all know now, Monica as German Team coach has be very successful keeping the German Dressage Team at the top… Gold to the German Team at the Rio Olympics: Isabell Werth, Dorothee Schneider, Sonke Rothenberger and Kristina Bröring Spehe
Discussing the test with Isabell
