Story – Christopher Hector : Photos – Christiane Slawik
One of the wonderful stallions at Bonhomme – Cadeau Noir (Christ / De Niro)
Simone Pearce is one of my favourite people. I just love it when someone makes it on their own raw talent without heaps of money backing them. It was, as always, fun to catch up with her at Aachen not long after she had moved to one of Germany’s showcase studs, Gestüt Bonhomme.
Do you often pinch yourself and say, what’s happening, where is this roller coaster going?
Simone has a great laugh, and it is never far away…
“I do, only the other day I was saying to someone, I’ve been at Bonhomme for quite a while now, and they said, how long? Oh five weeks! It’s just crazy.”
Marcaná (Millennium / Lord Loxley)
The move to Bonhomme came out of the blue?
“It did and it didn’t, from a personal perspective I knew that I wanted to change for a while, it was just the right time. I really want to be somewhere where the sport is the focus and at Bonhomme that’s how it is. For me, it’s a dream job.”
It was such a tragedy that the stud leader, Rebecca Gutman died so unexpectedly, she was really a visionary, and still so young…
“She was a beautiful horse person, it’s so tragic for the stable and the breeding community. But there has been a manager here for the last nine years and he takes over, so it really won’t change the structure of the company, now going forward he takes a bigger role.”
What is the atmosphere like at Bonhomme it must be very different from your time at Helgstrand, with so many horses, so many for sale?
“I think I’ve been in Europe twelve years now and it has always felt like a bit of a struggle, a struggle to keep your place, a struggle to keep horses. A struggle to manage the daily traffic, it’s the first time in my whole career, when I feel like peaceful, like I have so much time with the horses. Everybody is supporting what is best for the horses, what’s best for me, and it’s really the mentality. It’s a dream for me, because I’ve dreamt my whole life of having people who support me, and who support the horses. I feel like I’ve been a little bit of a battler in the past.”
And now you can go to bed knowing that the horse will still be there next day, not sold…
“Exactly, I can dream easy.”
Tell me a little about the horses you are riding at Bonhomme?
“I think I’ve got twelve horses in training, and also I teach the girls who ride the younger ones, and I ride the older ones. I’ve got four really good Grand Prix horses. We’ve got Fiderdance (Fidertanz / Don Schufro / Sandro Hit), he’s the senior in the group, and then Grey Flanell (Gribaldi / Clavecimbel / Ferro), this is my love, I think the horse is absolutely fantastic.
Fiderdance
What’s going to be his starry act?
“You never know what’s going to happen, but I think this is a super interesting horse, a horse for Paris! He’s got unbelievable piaffe / passage and the quality is really good. I’m trying to take my time with him and not bring him out too quickly. I want to get everything in shape, but I think that one is super interesting.”
“Then I’ve got Cadeau Noir (Christ / De Niro / Calypso II), he’s also really really nice, it’s taking a little time getting to know the horses because it’s a bit difference in style between the previous rider and myself, I guess the goal is the same, but I have a bit more of my own style of riding, it’s a little bit lighter, so I am just taking time so it all fits together before I go out.”
Morricone
“Then of course we’ve got Morricone (Millenium / Rubin Royal / De Niro / Rubinstein), who is very much his daddy’s son (Simone rode Millennium when she was at Sprehe) I just know the Millennium family like the back of my hand. So it feels so easy going from Millennium to Morricone. Morricone is really really lovely, super quality, that’s your style of horse.”
What about the really expensive one that provoked all the furore when Schockemöhle and Helgstrand said that the auctioneer had ignored their bid which was higher…
“Confess Color (Cadeau Noir / Licosto / Damsey / Lauries Crusador xx), he’s only five.”
He looks very special moving…
“He’s unreal, he is by Cadeau Noir, so that’s another family link there, and he is fantastic , the quality of the horses at Bonhomme is so good.”
There’s been an awful lot of dressage princesses with their mothers running behind them waving cheque books who have come to Europe, and they’ve all gone back home with not a lot to show for it, how did you manage it, with really no backing?
Forever Rock (Franziskus / Rock Forever)
“Work, I started cleaning stables in Holland, not riding at all and just with a dream that one day, if I stuck it out, I might make it. I feel, A – lucky, because it takes luck to be in the right place at the right time, meet the right people.”
But you keep being in the right place at the right time so many times, that’s not luck…
“Maybe it’s also because I see it as a business. Without financial backing from my parents, I have to be clever, take the opportunities which open doors for me, and I have to be bold, and live big, and be brave. I’m really one for life is short, go for it, give it all you’ve got.”
Bonhomme is near Berlin, that’s a bit of a party city…
“It suits me very well, the fashion capital of Germany, it’s like MY home! The vibe is super international and friendly, I love that side of it.”
Long term goals…
“It’s really interesting at Bonhomme, because not only do I have their horses, but I am also taking horses in training, I have the possibility to take any horse I want in training there, that opens lots of doors, also in terms of connections in Australia. I would love to get more involved with Australian dressage as well. I would like to go home and do some clinics, aside from the sport, I like to be close to my family.”
Fidelity (Fiderdance / Sandro Hit)
“At Bonhomme we are full guns blazing to do all the big sport and get as good as possible. The people behind Bonhomme have the same attitude, life is short, go for it. It fits me perfectly.”
Share a Clinic in Australia with Simone here:
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Great article Aussie Sim.
Great article! I love Grey Flannel too! I have been watching him for the last 12 months ! Lucky Simone but also such a brave and talented rider!