Straight after the Global forum I had a day to kill, so I went to Olympic Medallist Coby van Baalen's barn to help a young rider with a horse displaying problem behaviours. For years I have watched a video of Coby riding Donnerwind in her exquisite arena. Now I was drinking tea and watching some of the world's to young rider's in training - the Van Baalen's train many of the best pony, junior and young rider's in Europe - it really is the "place to go" for young aspiring talents.
I also was invited to Belgium for an overnight stay to show breeder and rider An D'hondt more of the scientific training principles she had learnt from Andrew McLean and myself at the GDF. I delighted in An's company and she marvelled at the new methods of riding and handling she was learning - including working with a beautiful 3 year old colt and a difficult loader. An's friend is Dirk Caremans - one of the world's leading equestrian photographers. I got to enjoy a lovely dinner with the both of them, and friendships have been fostered for the future.
At the Global Dressage Forum I was delighted to make the acquaintance of Alizee Froment - the beautiful French dressage rider who gave the bitless dressage demo so successfully on her magnificent Lusitano stallion Mistral du Cousoul. I asked Alizee if she knew of any Luso stallions for sale and she said she had the very one I would love - Naxos du Cousoul - a 10 year old just starting in Grand Prix. She showed me a video and I was more than impressed - a freakishly good mover - just 16hh but with a huge engine under the hood for sure! I went ahead and got his bloods tested, and headed back once again to Porto in Portugal for the vetting of the grey stallion Zico. Unfortunately the vetting was not as perfect as we had wished and under my vets advice we had to say goodbye...
Whilst in Porto I got an email from David Stickland who is a man I'd also met at the Global Forum. A Nuclear Physicist by trade, David's hobby is in statistics - dressage statistics to be exact. What this man doesn't know about who scored what, which judge was outside the standard deviation, or where your piaffe marks are tracking, simply isn't worth knowing... David invited me to Geneva to teach a clinic in Equitation Science. I had no idea where Geneva actually was, so Google came to the rescue - Switzerland - and I was there the very next day. David and his wife Lyn run Belle Ferme - a wonderful riding stable in Gex, just over the border in France. Oh my what a spot! I spent a few days there teaching in English with my third form French adjectives thrown in. There was a fantastic Jacuzzi at night, plenty of wine with every meal, and my new favourite meal - Raclette - a melted cheese dish that is YUMMY! I got to work with Lyn and her daughter Clarissa who is one of France's top pony dressage riders. And Lyn's parents Angela and Atila made me feel very welcome indeed...
After saying my goodbye's to the Belle Ferme team I headed by train to the ancient town of Nimes in the South of France - heading to see Naxos Du Cousoul. What an amazing city, but unfortunately a week of heavy flooding made for a trying time indeed! Naxos was everything Alizee said he was - sensitive and brilliant - I was yet again blown away by the talents of the Lusitano breed. Staying with the Froment family was a truely humbling experience. Not only are Alizee and her brother model siblings, their dad Jean-Marc is a globe trotting camera man who used to work for Jacques Cousteau and mum Carol is a "supermum" to three foster children aged two to sixteen. The love this family have for each other is second to none and quite outstanding. I'm heading home to New Zealand now to contemplate Naxos - the best Lusitano I think I will ever get to try...
The photos below are of Naxos, the ancient French city of Nimes and also some shots of the lovely Belle Ferme riding school in Gex, with view of the Alps and Mt Blanc! If you have time, visit the websites of Alizee Froment: www.alizeefroment.equivip.com and the Haras du Coussoul stud farm: www.vaisse.com