Words Of Wisdom From The West Coast

71 tips we learned from experts at the California Dressage Society symposium.

- Lindsay Paulsen

Through the screens of our smartphones and computers, many of us watched Steffen Peters ride Legolas to a team bronze medal in Rio. Others have admired photos of Hilda Gurney and her Thoroughbred, Keen, at the 1976 Olympics or spotted her as an “S” judge at C. You’ve probably seen images of Charlotte Bredahl-Baker and her Olympic mount, Monsieur, at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and of Christine Traurig riding Etienne at the 2004 Olympics in Sydney.

It’s not unusual to see these experts performing in the ring, but it is a unique opportunity when you have the chance to hear them speak personally about the theory and technique that have made them the riders we have seen so often at the top of the sport.

At the Adequan®/California Dressage Society (CDS) 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting and “Celebrating California Symposium” in Del Mar, California, Jan. 20–22, auditors gathered to observe training sessions taught by these instructors. The participants ranged from young horses to high-performance horses, and Young Riders brimming with potential to experienced Grand Prix riders.

Charlotte-Bredahl Baker: Focus on Young Riders 

Charlotte Bredahl-Baker and Monsieur were on the 1992 Olympic bronze-medal-winning  U.S. dressage team in Barcelona, Spain. Charlotte was also on the silver-medal-winning U.S. team in 1997 at the North American Championships, riding Lugano. She trained both horses from start to Grand Prix. Charlotte is an international dressage judge (4*) and has judged all over the world. In 2014 she was named Honorary Instructor by the USDF and received the gold medal of distinction from the USEF. In 2014 she was appointed U.S. Assistant Youth Coach.