Words and images by Rebecca Ashton
Therese Nilshagen, the 35-year-old Swedish WEG dressage team member , trains with Klaus Balkenhol, and is the head rider at the Dressage Horse Performance Centre Lodbergen in Germany. She is at home both in the Grand Prix arena, and the young horse classes. Having overcome a disappointing Rio Olympics where her ride, the stallion Dante Weltino (Danone I/ Welt Hit II), showed unevenness in the inspection, which forced the pair to withdraw, they were stars at last year’s Europeans. Then a few days later, Therese was at the Bundeschampionate winning the hotly contested Five-Year-Old Championship on the chestnut stallion Dominy (Diamond Hit/ Pour Plaisir).
I caught up with Therese at Aachen this year, their last show before WEG.
Where did the horses all start for you?
At a riding school having riding lessons once a week. Then when I was 16 I could start to help at the stables, and then I could ride more, because my parents could not afford for me to ride more than once a week. Then I could start competing the ponies there. I started at a very low level, but for me it was fine.
After finishing high school, I started to help Louise Nathorst. (Former Swedish team member and Medal winner)
I was helping her once a week in exchange for a lesson, but I never ever had a horse of my own at this time. Then a friend of mine knew of someone in Germany who needed help, so in February 2003 I moved to Germany and based with Falk Rosenbauer. He was the one who trained Desperados to Grand Prix level. I stayed with him at Grönwohldhof for seven or eight years. That was a very good time. Ok, in the beginning I did not ride so much, but when I started to learn more, I could.
I got better and better so then in the end I started riding the stallions at stallion shows and in competition. After a while we knew that the owner of Grönwohldhof wanted to sell, so then I thought of doing something very different and I went to Kasselmann stables for one and a half years. That was also a very, very good experience. Then I got the opportunity to go to Lodbergen.
I thought, ok there are only young horses, because the oldest one was Dante Weltino at five years old, but if there’s an opportunity that I can keep the horses then that would be really, really nice. In the end it was definitely worth it because everything came even better than what I thought.
But it was pure, hard work for you?
Yes. I don’t come from a rich family and my parents were actually against that I come to Germany because working with horses…it’s only being a slave! That’s what they thought. But now of course they’re proud and happy, but it has been very, very hard work. But it doesn’t kill you. I think I’m a good example that you, ok I had good luck that I came to good stables, but if you are working hard, you can come far. You have to want it yourself because no one else is going to want it for you.
Why did you want it so badly? What was it about dressage?
I was just fascinated by the horses, and then you know with the dressage, you realise you have so much more to learn. It takes a lot of years so you have to have a lot of patience. I think that I was also fascinated by seeing very good riders, and thinking one day I would also like to be like that.
Who’s a rider that you’ve really looked up to?
For sure my trainer Klaus Balkenhol, he is a very big role model but there are many of them…Carl Hester, there are many, many good ones.
How long have you been training with him now?
A little bit more than three years. I felt that Dante had huge potential, so I was thinking I needed the best help I could get, because you have a responsibility. I thought Klaus Balkenhol would be the dream so I got his number and I was really nervous about calling him and he was like,“Ok, we can have a look.”He liked what he saw and he said we can do something.
more follows
What is about Klaus? Why do you think he’s been so good for so long and you can tell that he really loves the horses and his training seems to be very kind…
I think that if he had a life before, he probably was a horse! He has a really, really good feeling about how to work a horse, and how much. He knows this is the moment to push a little bit and he knows when is the moment you cannot push. I think he has a very, very good talent for that. He’s very fair to horses and I also like how he is as a person. I can call him and ask a very stupid question and he will always give me a good answer. I am very, very pleased for the opportunity.
Most of the time he comes to me then it’s possible to ride one or two horses more, otherwise I go to him.
Take Dante Weltino for instance, how do you go about his daily training?
I’m actually riding him about six times a week but not really ‘dressage training’. I don’t make too much at home. Of course I’m riding but not for one hour asking for more and more. I try to do just gymnastic work then shortly before a competition I ask more.
For example, if I make a pirouette, I do one, not ten. If one day I’ll train the pirouettes, then I won’t train the piaffe/passage. I always try to make sure that the horse will not get overtired. I also always do a lot of walk in between so the muscles stay relaxed and oxygenated.
next we meet Therese’s Bundeschampionat winner
Do you still have Dominy? I love that horse!
Yes! He’s in a very good way. I will not take him to the Bundeschampionate, because I think, well if you won one year..
I will come back to the big ring with him as a seven-year-old. But he makes M level and he’s also won at many shows.
What are those two horses’ personalities like?
Dominy is a little more easy as a young horse, because Dante was a little bit more difficult, but Dominy has a special way. We’re going to soon try and see the piaffe/ passage and I really hope that he will be a good horse for the future, but I love riding him everyday.
Weltino is a friendly macho. He knows that he is the best horse, but he also likes the big arena. He really picks up in the big atmosphere. He knows he’s there to perform. This is also the way I try to train him. I try to build up his self-confidence so that he really feels good.
I’m not the biggest person and it’s really important that horses want to work with you. I have no chance if I’m against the horse, and it’s also not what I want.
How do you achieve that. Can you give us some examples?
Just really try to make the horses understand when they do something good, try that they feel really good about it, so that every time they want to do it well. I mean you can’t pat them all day, they also have to know when it’s time to work, but keep it fair.
Do you think you’re a natural rider or have you had to overcome a lot? I mean, everyone has to work hard!
Everyone has to work a lot for sure. I think I have normal talent. Not overly talented but some kind of talent, I guess. I think I’m good at communicating with the horses and that they feel fine with me.
Do you do other work to improve your riding?
I go to a fitness studio two or three times a week and make some training. I don’t want to be a muscle man, but to keep myself balanced and strong in the core. We also get access to a sports psychologist from Sweden, and we get to meet with him a few times a year.
What is your routine at competition?
Tomorrow in the morning I will make some short work because I ride in the afternoon. I will try to concentrate on myself and then try to make a good warm up so you go into the test with a good feeling.
Do you get nervous?
Yes. Especially the first day I do.
Is it hard with one horse with all this free time, trying to stay busy?
Yes. I’m not the one you will find talking a lot. I prefer a little bit to be on my own before the competition. But I’m not very, very nervous. I think I’m just normal nervous!
One bit of advice for other riders to be the best they can be?
Keep working hard and keep the respect for the horses. And have a good trainer! That’s very important.
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