Waiting for life to get back to normal..

2020 was supposed to be a great year with lots of big shows and Nation Cups. But instead we are slowly getting back to normal life after months of being on lockdown. Happy to start to go for training shows and getting the horses out again. Our young ones we can now start to get out to smaller training shows and to rent arenas. They are developing very nice and we have such an amazing group of young ones at the moment. In the beginning of the year Josee de Wemmel, Agnetha Z and Parfait D'Amour joined our team. They are all 3 very promising and horses that we are looking forward to develop for the bigger classes. Cornets Fire Z (6yo approved stallion by. Comme il Faut-Captain Fire) is probably one of the best young ones i have ever had. He has everything you look for in a future star, scope, careful, ride ability, good mind. It's a dream to ride him everyday and i can't wait to get him back out to the shows. Bellona Olympic Z is now 7 years old and she keeps getting better and better. She did 3 CSI shows this year and was placed and clear in all 7 year old classes. She really has a super mind and the willingness to jump clear every round she does. 

The last month i have been lucky enough to go train with Jeroen Dubbeldam two times. It has always been a dream of mine to train with Jeroen. He is one of the best riders in the world and the knowledge and system he has is something else. First time i took Cleo, Benny and Bellona to train for 2 days. A big focus of Jeroens is to get the horses 100% for the leg and to follow the lines exactly in-between the jumps. The details are so important and everything had to be perfect before we moved on to the next exercise. With a few very simple fences, poles and exercises all 3 horses improved so much and we get to work on all our weaknesses. To have ground poles also after the jumps to help the horses to reach naturally for the 2nd pole is a great exercise for horses that maybe lands a bit short after the jump.

The 2nd time i went training for Jeroen i took Diva, Cornet and Cleo. The difference from Cleo during the first training to the 2nd training was amazing. His jump was completely different and our approach to the jumps was so much easier. He responded to my leg in a completely different way which also helped his shape of jumping over the jump. We practiced a lot of shoulder in on a straight line in trott and then to go into canter before the corner, to stay on a circle and to move the backend out from the circle but to keep the front in and neck long. This is a great exercise to get the horses loose and flexible behind the saddle. Diva who always has a lot of blood and who sometimes shifts her canter between the jumps we practiced a lot to accept my leg without getting stressed running away from the leg. Also on the jump to keep her 100% straight and not to drift right or left. To be super strikt at home with all these small details makes a big different and will improve your riding in the ring. With Cornet the focus was to get him to jump into my hand and not to have the highest point of the jump too late. That i could really use my leg in the take off to get him to more round and away from the jump. 

I'm so thankful to get the opportunity to train with Jeroen and i can't wait to get back out to the shows with all these new work and improvement me and the horses have gotten. Looking forward to an exciting season whenever it might start up again!

Stay safe and take care.

Xx

Annika