Olympic Gold Medals and Learning Dressage

OK, let us say you wanted to intensively observe dressage in the best training barns in the world. How would you go about it? Most dressage facilities are private or very private. So, my idea was to write a book. I could watch, take pictures (I’m a photographer), ask questions, show respect and do my best to not be overly intrusive. I could gather a massive amount of material and share it. So, I got a book contract with a top equestrian book publisher (based on six articles that I had written for “Dressage Today” ---for this purpose. I had read a few of AP’s guides for reporting to learn about journalism). The trainers I wanted to start with lived in Germany and spoke German. I knew that people discuss their passions best in their native tongue. As it turns out, I am fluent in German. (I completed the 12th Grade with a math and Latin major, but I skipped the Latin—I hardly spoke German when I started). I conducted all the interviews in German, then translated everything into English. The interviewees then reviewed the manuscript, photos, made changes and gave final approval.

One of the interviews made me extremely nervous—Dr Schulten-Baumer. I really wanted him to be a part of the book. I heard that several writers contacted Dr. Schulten-Baumer about writing a book, but all had been dismissed after speaking with him. After the interview, I had the pleasure of sharing lunch with Ellen Schulten-Baumer.

Ellen asked, “How did you make it through the coffee break? All those before you were asked to leave the property ASAP. None could write a book.”

“I’m not sure, but I believe Klaus Balkenhol’s recommendation helped”, I answered. “But he also asked me about my plans for the book. He wanted to know about the focus, theme and goal. I thought for a moment and told him these were all his decisions. I wanted to make the book about things he thought were important.”

Soon cake arrived and we had another cup of coffee.

And “Dressage Masters, © 2006, David Collins, The Lyons Press” took one more step to becoming a reality. (Available on Kindle, Dressage Maters was chosen by Lyons Press as their best equestrian book of the year. Lyons Press submitted it as their entry for an AHP Award).

A tidbit from "Dressage Masters":

Dr. Uwe Schulten-Baumer (PhD Economics)

Trainer of many successful riders including:

Isabel Werth, who won (so far) ten Olympic medals, six of them gold. She holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by any equestrian athlete. She has won numerous other international titles. (Werth stated with Dr. Schulten-Baumer as a working student and a rider of young horses).

Nicole Uphoff, two-time Individual Olympic Gold Medalist and Team Gold Medalist. Individual WEG Gold Medalist.

Dr. Uwe Schulten-Baumer junior, Team Olympic Gold Medalist. Individual Olympic Silver medalist.

An insight into Dr. Schulten-Baumer thinking:

“Yesterday we had a horse responding poorly in his training, so I asked myself, what mistakes have I made? Where did I drift off the correct path? I always go back to the sale of training. First and foremost, the rhythm has to be there. If the rhythm is wrong, it is like trying to drive a car with a flat tire. If the rhythm is wrong, then you must find out why. Often horses with rhythm faults are lacking in “losgelassenheit” [loose/supple-allowing-ness]. And so, you begin to solve the puzzle”.

When Dr Schulten-Baumer was spotted at the Global Dressage Forum, someone promptly brought a mic and asked if he would share some wisdom. He replied that he trained dressage as a hobby after work in the evenings. (He was on the board of Thyssen). He declined to speak as a professional.