Although just recently reaching the senior classes, Semmie is no stranger to the top sport having represented Germany in 11 youth European Championships from pony to U25 since 2011 and coming away with numerous medals. With her sister Sanneke also a successful young rider, her father and mother representing Germany and Netherlands and brother Sönke part of the gold medal winning German team in Rio, she is part of a dressage dynasty. In 2019 she won the FEI Rising Star award. I caught up with Semmie at Aachen where she won the 4* Grand Prix Freestyle with Farrington. We chatted about her current top horses Flannel and Farrington, being part of the Rothenberger family, daily training, finding the way, changing tact with each horse and how every horse has shaped her as a rider, the little steps along the way and growing together with each horse. We touch on Pilates, social media and more. And why does she get so worried when no one talks while she’s training?

Ingrid Klimke needs no introduction. She has represented Germany in both dressage and eventing, she is a multi-championship medal winner including Olympic team gold. We talk about her journey with Vayron, who has been with her just a year now….the little challenges and his amazing personality. We discuss the importance of her own fitness work and riding as you get older…the wisdom and patience and gratitude that she now has. Her small tour horse Diafys. Training for dressage and eventing, how it differs and how it’s the same. The joy of young horses and how she likes to start the horses and take them to the top, keeping the training fresh and interesting for the horses. How positive she is about the next generation of young, athletic riders. Reality versus perfection and looking to the positive, something she learnt from her father. And speaking of Reiner, what were his words of wisdom for Ingrid?

DInja is a Dutch dressage amazon who has already had great successes from young horse classes to championship Grand Prix. Her greatest success at the top sport was an individual bronze in both the Special and Freestyle at the World Championships in Herning in 2022 on the stallion Hermès and she followed it up with a fourth place at the Paris Olympics in 2024. This year she already won the World Breeding Championships for Young Dressage Horses with the six year old stallion Red Viper and she has also been named with Hermès on the Dutch team for the Europeans. In our chat with discuss how her journey began. Her grandfather’s influence and commitment. What it takes to ride these amazing horses. The influence of the stallion Capri Sonne Jr and why she decided to ride stallions early on. We talk about what a day is like for Dinja, why fitness work is important to her, her management of the horses, running a stable on her own and what it takes as well as what she learnt from one of her big mentors Leunus van Lieren. Dinja discusses her plans for Hermès and insights into his quirky character and why he’s a championship horse. We chat about her Paris Olympic experience and her individual bronzes at the World Championships in Herning and we meet some of her young up and coming horses such as Mauro Turfhorst and Red Viper. It’s also interesting to hear how her training and priorities in the arena have changed over the years and how she prepares for a test. And why does Dinja have a western trainer?

Last year dressage superstar Jessica von Bredow-Werndl successfully defended her Olympic gold medals both in the teams and individual competition in Paris on her champion mare Dalera. A year on, I sat down with Jessi as she compares her experiences of both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and post Olympics. What she experienced may not be what you imagined.Things can look very different from the outside. This is a very honest, heartfelt and insightful interview. We talk about the pressure of Paris, the rituals she used to get through. Jessi opens up about what strategies she learnt from Tokyo that helped her through Paris. She didn’t have the show she had hoped at Aachen this year with her new ride Diallo, but it’s about putting things in perspective, dealing with “failures” and the positives she learnt in the days afterwards. We discuss the differences between the horses, balancing life and how the death of her coach affected her and why the journey is so important.

It’s the “Aachen Series”! Today we chat to Team GB dressage superstar Becky Moody. This was her first Aachen experience and she brought her top star and current number two in the world Jagerbomb along with her young small tour mare Magic Dream JB. We talk about the highs and lows of the last 12 months post Olympics. The challenges of being at the top of the sport. How the horse sport is different from the other Olympic disciplines. We discuss her up and coming horses and how all horses are different, how much these top horses love their job and catering for all their different personalities and the difficulties of when the public don’t understand the journey of dressage. We also touch on her clear, logical training approach. And why does Jagerbomb enjoy a buddy at these shows?

Swedish dressage rider Patrik Kittel has been in the top sport for 25 years. A competitor in four Olympics and numerous World Equestrian Games and World Cup finals, Patrik rode to victory in the World Cup final this year in Riyadh. In this podcast we discuss taking on criticism and where the dressage sport is at the present moment; horse welfare and what do horses really need; bringing positivity to the sport and how we go about improving things in a methodical way; learning and not being afraid of mistakes; working hard and what it really takes to be at the top and how horse care has changed over the years. How did the whole journey start for Patrik and why did he chose dressage as his discipline? We talk about how to pick yourself up and be better and better; criticising yourself and the passion to keep improving; Touchdown’s personality; off the horse work and what Patrik learnt from his mental coach; the benefit of watching others and what he aims for in a training session. We also take a moment to remember Scandic And what did Isabell Werth say to Patrik to motivate him?

Christoph Hess is a modern day master. He studied to be a teacher at university and was a rider of competitions and at auction yards before becoming an international judge for 30 years in dressage and eventing, judging everything from young horse to Grand Prix. He worked at the German Equestrian Federation for almost 40 years being the head of training for 30 of those years and headed the Federal Performance Centre at Warendorf for over 20 years. He is currently the training ambassador for the German Equestrian Federation and coaches many eventers in dressage on their journey to the Olympics. In 2019 he was awarded the gold German Equestrian Cross for his services to the sport. He won the “Silver Horse” at CHIO Aachen this year for his social media content. Christoph is so passionate and generous with his knowledge, and one of the most inclusive and positive people I’ve ever met. He will help anyone who has an interest. In this interview, we discuss his foray into social media and how it can be used in a positive way. We talk about his philosophy of riding, how riding is different from all other sports and our responsibility as riders. We look at the scale of training, the ability to teach technique and feeling, his view of the sport at the Paris Olympics, the state of the sport at the moment and how we move forward with positivity, using old knowledge in a modern way and what should 95% of your money be spent on. And what was the key to France’s Olympic silver in Versailles?

Although Paris will be Jayden’s first Olympics, the Australian dressage rider is no stranger to the international sport. He competed in the Young Rider’s World Cup Final in 2008 on Widelo, World Young Horse Championships in 2013 on San Andreas and the World Games in 2022 on Sky Diamond. Having spent the last two years in the UK training under Carl Hester, Jayden’s Olympic dream has been realised as he becomes a member of the Australian team for Paris. In this interview, he talk about his journey with Quincy B, why he chose UK as a base,Carl’s influence, namely holding yourself to a higher standard, avoiding drama and doing the hard work. Jayden goes into depth on what to aim for at big championships. making your training system clear for the horse and moulding the training system to different horse and human personality types. Riding the ups and downs of the top sport. The skill of getting the score you know you can get under any circumstance. And what are the things you have to avoid in Carl’s arena?

Team GB’s newest dressage superstars Becky and her homebred Jagerbomb may have seemed like an overnight success story when they burst onto the international scene last year, but the truth is, Becky has been competing at the top level since she was nine. Great successes last year in Jagerbomb’s first year at Grand Prix meant the selectors sights were set firmly upon them, as they became the travelling reserve for the 2023 Europeans before a show full of PBs at the London International Horse Show in December. Becky is fun, thoughtful and insightful. We talk about learning from and finding the keys to each horse, attention to detail, balance versus energy in a horse’s training, the transition from Young Riders to Seniors, being in the slick machine that is Team GB and a rider and coach’s greatest skill, being a problem solver. And how did Becky teach her horses to write such entertaining blogs?

Even though still in his 20s, German dressage star Sönke Rothenberger has already had massive success in the competition arena. Following numerous successes in Pony and Young Rider Championships, the German has continued on in the Seniors with Team gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 World Championships as well as the 2017 and 2019 European Championships. He also received individual silver in the Special and Freestyle at the Europeans in 2017. I caught up with him at Aachen where he rode his new star Fendi in the 5*Grand Prix. Having recently beaten Dalera at the German Championships, all eyes were on the duo and although the test didn’t go quite to plan, we talked about learning from situations and changing conditions for the horse while keeping things in perspective and viewing the whole journey. Competition pressure, Cosmo’s amazing freestyle and how Cosmo and Fendi compare. The benefits of training your horse to Grand Prix rather than buying the finished product; buying foals, daily training, the honesty of family, Young Riders versus Seniors and perhaps the most important point, keeping your horse’s personality alive. Sönke has THE BEST analogies…he’s a joy to listen to. Don’t ride a pug at Aachen!

I catch up with dressage legend Carl Hester at Aachen CHIO. We get the lowdown on the Aachen stars Imhotep and Times Kismet and getting young horses to Grand Prix. Carl chats about his new partner Fame and En Vogue and hot horses in general; embracing science in the sport, the role of “Team GB”, getting those one percenters and the challenge of making the team with Charlotte and Lottie around.We reflect on the World Championships in Herning and what was Carl’s slip up?

Will Matthew is the overnight success that’s not an overnight success. Originating from Western Australia he now rides for and trains with Isabel Werth. I caught up with Will fresh from his Louisdor Qualifier win in Hagen beating his trainer Isabell. Riding in the top sport in Europe, Will is definitely the master of making unrealistic dreams come true, putting in the hard yards and making his own luck. We talk about riding smart and with compromise, learning from different systems and we deep dive into training with Isabell, the journey with Belantis and his current two Grand Prix horses.

Australian dressage rider Lyndal Oatley is based in Europe and married to Swedish team member Patrik Kittel. She has competed in two Olympics, London 2012 and Rio 2016 and has her eye on Paris 2024. She has also represented her home country at the 2014 WEG in Normandy and the 2016 World Cup Final in Gothenburg. I caught up with Lyndal just after her win at Hagen Horses and Dreams just a few weeks ago. We talk about her three Grand Prix horses, the Australian team spirit, how Europe is different and how it has challenged her. We touch on competing and not being afraid to push for more.The ups and downs of the journey and riding strategically, watching Isabell, dressage in Australia, Sandro Boy’s half pass….and why are mares are so good?

Team GB dressage rider Gareth Hughes has won over 60 national and international titles including team silver in 2014 and 2022 WEG and 2021 European Dressage Championships and was the team reserve for Tokyo Olympics. We talk about his current superstar Classic Briolinca and the success at Herning. Why did it all work out so well and how do you turn a team of champions into a champion team? We all know how enthusiastic the crowd was and Gareth gives us his perspective from the arena. What makes Lottie Fry and Charlotte so good? The importance of technique and what that actually means. Picking the right trainers. Training with Carl, the “Carl Legacy” and what is good riding? Coping with championships when you first get on a team. The combinations that have changed the sport in the modern era, how the sport has evolved and the importance of sport today. Coping when Olympic dreams are shattered. Being the fourth rider in the new Olympic format. How his motivations have changed and what the future holds.…..and vaulting! www.hughesdressage.com

Today’s interview is with the generous, genuine, insightful and pragmatic Charlotte Jorst. Although on the surface Charlotte’s life might look utopian, she has had her fair share of obstacles but she’s the sort of person who just picks herself up, dusts herself off and gets on with life. Self made, her success in business, as well as the dressage arena is quite impressive. Having founded the watch company Skakgen, it was sold in 2012 for a reported USD237M to Fossil. It was then that Charlotte’s dressage career went full-steam-ahead as she purchased some very capable horses from Europe. She also started her next business project, Kastel Denmark, the beautiful and unique sun protection clothing line born out of Charlotte’s own experience with skin cancer. With her current Grand Prix horse, Nintendo, Charlotte competed at her first Nations Cup in Rotterdam in 2015 where the US Team won Bronze. In 2016 the pair competed in the World Cup Dressage Final in Sweden, and then went on to win the US National Grand Prix Championships in 2018. In 2019, they helped the US Team win Gold at the FEI Dressage Nations Cup in Wellington. I caught up with Charlotte at Aachen where once again she was a member of the US Dressage Team. In this interview we talk about starting a business and starting in the sport of dressage; purchasing super stallion Vitalis; goal setting; the negative that turned into the positive that is Kastel. The importance of grit and hard work and the difficulty on dealing solely on talent. We touch on managing the older equine athlete; the future of her star Nintendo; cloning horses and why you’d do it; rider fitness; handling nerves; coaches; groom; coping with difficult situations and managing your rides for success.

I caught up with Cathrine during her sensational Aachen campaign just before the World Championships at Herning. She’s always so much fun to talk to. We discuss how she manages her horses and how she builds trust with them, their character and Cassidy’s “new job”. Why it’s important to always keep learning and evolving, remaining curious to new ideas, staying motivated, being able to chill at competitions and peaking in the sport. Evolving ideas and keeping curious. She talks a lot about her mental coach Rasmus Bagger and you can hear an amazing interview with him in an earlier podcast we did. He’s a total ball of energy!

Christopher needs no introduction. He’s arguably the best equestrian coach in the world. After a twenty-year gold rush with Germany, Christopher Bartle is well on the way of repeating the same success with his home country eventing riders, Team GB. Having won Gold at the last World Equestrian Games, this year Chris and his squad also took out Team Gold at the Tokyo Olympics, and then few months later achieved the same result at the European Championships in Switzerland, as well as all individual Medals. In this interview we start with a wrap up of Tokyo and what’s next for Team GB. Chris discusses looking outside of the box, motivating athletes and some of the one percenters in the equestrian sport. We look how he takes the rider on the journey of success, how failure is used as a motivator and what makes a champion. Chris explains how he creates mental self carriage in horses and riders….and what does eventing and Formula 1 have in common?

Picture this…..you’re one of the world’s top dressage rider. Tokyo is just around the corner. You are at a Nations Cup representing your team and your horse just says no. This is where Danish dressage star Cathrine Dufour found herself at Compiègne, just two months out from the Olympics when her horse Bohemian, who had been consistently scoring over 80%, decided the arena wasn’t for him and refused to enter for the Special, resulting in elimination for both her and her Danish team. That must shake the strongest of nerves. So what did Cathrine do? Went home, did some soul searching and called on her long time mental coach Rasmus Bagger who guided Cathrine back to the top of her game resulting in an individual fourth place finish at the Tokyo Games and then just a few weeks later, a team bronze an individual bronze and silver at the European Championships. Wow! I had to talk to Rasmus! He’s such an enthusiastic and generous person. His passion is totally infectious. In this chat Rasmus talks about building confidence, knowing how much of the game is mental and taking from other sports. Dancing with horses and the beauty of changing your mental interpretation of a situation. Seeking out gurus, his “Five-Three-One” Rule and why your mental state is more important than 10,000 hours. Balancing heart and head and Rasmus digs deep into focus, emotions and body language and how important it is with horses and in the ring: choosing it, showing it, feeling it, giving it. How your horse interprets you and our responsibility to our horse as well as making horses greater. And in regards goals, what’s realistic anyway?

Eight time Olympian Andrew Hoy and I had a fabulous catch up over Zoom (how good’s technology?!) just before he heads off to Tokyo. Here’s your chance to get to know one of those rarified individuals who is just uber successful; one of the elite. We learn about the influence of Andrew’s parents when he was young, the importance of having great people around you. Making mistakes. The important parts of the learning process. The undeniable importance of passion. Learning from losing and learning to focus. Making things work and being solution based. We find out how Andrew is living his last week before training camp. We debrief Luhmuhlen and talk about the phenomenon that is Vassily de Lassos and his brilliant owners and what Andrew looks for in a horse. And his take away? Controlling what you can control and not worrying about the rest.

Do you want to ride like Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl? So do I. Well….I can’t promise her fitness programme will achieved that…she does a lot of hard work on the horse as well. However, it will help you be the best rider you can. You don’t want to be the weak link in your training! In this podcast, I talk to Jessica about the fitness programme used by her and her brother Benjamin and that’s now available for you to do as well! Jessica and Benjamin are both top level dressage riders in Germany. As a senior, Jessica has been on the podium at the World Cup Finals, Aachen CHIO, the Europeans and World Equestrian Games both as a German team member and individually. She also won the German Championships last year on her mare Dalera. Jessica talks about the DressurFit system, why extra fitness training is needed for all riders, the importance of good breathing and what got her into extra fitness training in the first place. She also talks about the need for riders to keep up with the more athletic horses being bred. We also discuss handling pressure and the importance of always learning and updating your knowledge.