Story and photos Rebecca Ashton

Hagen Horses and Dreams is just a magical show. The first competition to kick off the outdoor season, the big names often bring their younger horses out for a run or brush the cobwebs off their top performers. Held at Hof Kasselmann, the ground is great and the property is presented in immaculate condition and the spectators can get right up close and personal to the action.

 It was also the perfect place to catch up with British team dressage rider and Kasselmann trainer, Emile Faurie. Emile has been at the top level since the early 1990s, representing his country at World, European and Olympic Championships. Not only does he continue to compete at the top level, representing Team GB in Tryon last year, he is has been training supervisor and rider at Hof Kasselmann since 2017.

When did you start your association with PSI?
In 1982! I came here as a groom and stayed for three years and I couldn’t get an extension on my visa in those days. I then went back to England, but we’ve always stayed in touch and I’ve always been bringing clients here, and been involved in in the auction with the translation, so we’ve never really not been associated. Then two years ago Ulli rang me and asked me to get more involved.

 What’s your role here now?
Well it’s a bit of everything. I’ve got five Kasselmann horses with me in England and then every ten days or so I come over here and ride a few horses and train a few riders; general involvement really. It can vary a bit when there’s shows on. This time I’ve been here two-and-a-half weeks.

 So you’re training riders here as well?

Yes. Freddy (Frederic Wandres).

 You must be thrilled with today! Freddy and Duke of Britain (Dimaggio/ Rubinstein) won the CDI4* Grand Prix for freestyle at the show.
 Really happy. The horse was actually bred in England by Sarah and Tony Pidgley. They bought the broodmare from Mr Kasselmann, and when they gave up breeding, they sold everything back to Ulli. By that stage Duke was already born and he was sold to clients. The girl who then owned him felt that she couldn’t quite take him through the levels, that he might be a bit more of a man’s horse, Ulli bought him back…

 So I think Freddy’s been riding him for about two-and-a half-years now. He won the Louisdor qualifier two years ago, and that was his first step up.

Competing in the Louisdor Final at Frankfurt Show

More on Freddy follows

 What’s Freddy like as a student?
Great. He’s a really good rider. I don’t need to teach him how to ride. I’m more a coach than a trainer. Both him and Nicole (Wego) are very, very good riders and of course, there is long term rider at Hof Kasselmann, Insa (Hansen). But obviously we all need eyes on the ground, and we all need help every now and then; we all help each other. It’s actually a nice situation here. No one feels the need to one-up on anyone. Quite often if Hartmut, who trains me, isn’t here, Insa will stand and help me. We try to work hard at having a nice team so we don’t get into yard politics.

Nicole Wego and Harrods 

 Tell us a bit about Nicole as well. I saw her on an amazing horse the other day training.
Ah yes that’s a six-year-old, an ex PSI horse and we’re aiming him for the World Breeding Championships this year. Really, really good horse. His name is Harrods (Hochadel/Rotspon).

 Is this your influence that everything has a British name?
No! I had nothing to do with it at all. I think it possibly became Harrods because we all knew what a fabulous horse he was. The ones I name always end up with slightly Italian sounding names for some reason. I have no idea why. Last year I named a few. One was Frisantos, these Italiany/Latiny names.

So how do you get naming rights?
We have a sort of think tank. Some horses immediately get a name. Others we wait until just before the catalogue has to be finalised. We all sit together in one room. It’s not that easy because you also have to go through the list of horses that are already registered.

What’s a normal day for you at Kasselmann’s?
I ride as many as there are to ride. When I’m based here for a longer time I’ll ride seven or eight through the morning then after lunch I help the riders.

The new star, Cafe Caeletta 

Do you bring the horses with you when you come?
It depends. At the moment, the mare I have, Cafe Caeletta, is competing here on Saturday. My rider at home, who is a brilliant rider, Tom Goode rides a lot of young ones, he takes them out and does a lot of competitions with them. He’s at a show today with nine. He’s quite busy!

It’s interesting, you’re here helping Germans, Chris Bartle was over here helping Germans…
I think in my case, I’ve always had horses for the Kasselmanns even when I wasn’t a trainer here. I rode Weekend Fun for two years. I think we know each other well and we have a mutual respect for each other.

 What can other establishments learn from a yard like Kasselmann’s barn?
I think the important thing is that it comes from the top. Ulli, Bianca and Francois, I mean they work. They have an incredible work ethic and then that filters down. And if you think people like Insa have been here for 32 years, Heide came when I started here in 83 and she’s still here. That says something about how the place is run. I think also the most important thing here is respect for the horses. That’s why they’re so successful.

Ulli is one of those people, he’s a genius. He can spot a good horse and Bianca even more so. The horse I’m riding here tomorrow, Bianca spotted it as a six-year-old and it was a show jumper. She has an incredible eye for a horse. She can spot a horse that will go Grand Prix out of a hundred. It’s a gift. And the woman’s trained more Grand Prix horses than a lot of professionals. People forget that. She’s trained an enormous amount of good Grand Prix horses. You don’t always see them with her because they get sold. I think just the fact that they love what they do. I mean look at the place. It’s like a paradise for horses. 

How many horses are on the property?
I think there’s about 300 under saddle. And then there’s the stud with more.

next we talk about Emile’s horses

 Tell us about the mare, Cafe Caeletta. She looks amazing.
I started riding her almost two years ago and I don’t know why because Bianca loves that horse. It’s her baby. She very generously allowed me to take over the reins. She’s green and inexperienced. She’s done 14 shows in her entire life. That’s all. She’s 10. I rode her in her second ever competition here last year in the young horse Prix St George. She was slightly overwhelmed! Saturday will be only her fourth Grand Prix.  We would like to aim her towards Tokyo Olympics.

Dono di Maggio at the WEG 

We always have a really wonderful agreement. Like Dono Di Maggio, he was one of the best horses in the world and I think he could have gone right to the top, but we had an agreement that it was until the World Championships and then he has to be sold. He’s gone to a superb rider so that’s great.

 I know it’s your job to let them go but it still must be hard?
Oh it’s heart wrenching because you love the horses. But the one thing they never do is to sell simply for the sake of selling. It has to be the right match. It’s not at all costs out. If it doesn’t work for the rider or they don’t feel the horse will go on with its future, they won’t do it and that’s why they’re different to some of the other big dealers.

 Don’t you just want to buy one and keep it?
If I had the money I would.

 So how was Tryon for you?
It was mixed. Dono di Maggio was on fantastic form beforehand. He was getting 75% and we had big hopes. He was in great form when he got there, and then he suddenly grew a think coat for some reason and it was too late to clip him. He still got just under 73% and did a credible job, but in all fairness he under performed. We were sad about that.

You’re not slowing down at all. You’re just doing more and more.
It’s fun. I absolutely love what I do. I have one of my own horses that I bought as a foal together with a friend of mine. It’s one of the best horses in the world I think, but it didn’t grow big enough. My rider Tom is smaller so he trained it to Grand Prix and has done three Grand Prix over 73%. It’s called Dior III (Gribaldi/Goodtimes). We’re waiting for our first international start now. That’s something I love doing as well, being an owner, especially with Tom because he’s a brilliant rider and one of the hardest workers I know. I’ve got an amazing team at home as well. Kelly who runs the yard and manages the whole thing has worked for me for 19 years. She knows me inside out. Tom’s worked for me for ten years. We’ve got a great team there and a great team here. It’s the only way I can balance what I do.

Tom Goode and Dior III

 How do you do it all, physically, mentally?
When I first started everybody said you’ll never be able to do it all. It won’t last because it’s too much, but it’s not, it’s really easy.

 It’s easy when you love it.
Exactly. The chance to work with the quality of horses that is here, and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with riders like Freddy, Nicole and Insa. It’s such an honour to work with people like that and the horses. I mean look at that six-year-old you saw yesterday. That’s a dream of a horse! As long as I enjoy it I’ll do it. It’s hard work and there are some days that I feel like I’m 110, but on the whole it works really well.

 So next you have the Europeans and then the Olympics. British dressage just gets stronger and stronger, doesn’t it?
We’ve got amazing horses and riders and we also have a great system. The World Class system. It’s just superb the way they’ve set up. First of all we were really lucky that we got lottery money. Then we had Will Connell, who set up the structure of a support group for the riders that is fantastic. So much so that the Americans have poached him. It’s basically who the leader is. You need a strong leader. That’s also why this place here is so successful because Ulli and Bianca are strong leaders.

 So in Britain, if we need anything, we can just pick up the phone and say I’m going to a show and I’m not so sure about this or that and they’ll sort it. That takes a lot of the pressure off. For example tomorrow, I use quite a lot of acupuncture on the mare at home because she’s a very, very nervy horse. Our team vet is here, flown over to make sure she doesn’t get out of the routine of acupuncture. We’ve got a great support team and the people who are in charge know how to deal with every rider individually because some need more support and some need to be left alone. They trust us which is great. Some riders like me and Carl, who have been doing it for a hundred years, we probably don’t need a support team call everyday but if we want it, we get it. I think that’s part of Team GB’s success.

 We’ve always had the riders we just didn’t always have the horses but we’ve learnt and we’ve trained more of our own horses at home and of course having Charlotte in your team helps! 

Of course it helps when you have Charlotte in the team…

What do you think the general public don’t understand about top competition riding?
How difficult it is! It’s our job to make it look as easy as possible on there, but anyone who’s done it knows it’s bloody difficult. And then to come again with another horse, that’s the hardest thing. It’s just really hard work.

  And jumping back to the acupuncture with the mare, what else do you do management wise with the horses?
Every horse is individual and every horse has its own little needs and wants. I’m a firm believer of not overtraining. The horses tell me how much to do. I listen to their bodies, how they feel, and I take it from there. With Caeletta, she goes quite frequently on the gallops. You have strict methods and training ideas but at the end of the day, you always have to listen to the horse’s body.

What’s a very general basis to good training for you?
Keeping it logical so that the horse understands what you ask. That’s the most important thing, that the horses have an understanding of what you want from them.

 And how do you manage yourself? Just eat vegetable and meditate five hours a day?
God no, I eat everything you put in front of me! None of that, I’m afraid. I’m too old for that. Obviously I try to stay as healthy as you can.

 But seriously, as you get older, I mean my shoulder’s hurting right now!
Yeah of course, I wake up in the morning stiff in the back, but I try to make sure I stay as healthy as possible. But I don’t go to the gym. Eight or nine horses a day keeps the doctor away!