© High Mountain Dressage • 2012
Born in 1973, I had to wait an additional 11 years till my parents were convinced that my love for horses was not a passing phase and so they finally agreed to pay for regular riding lessons. Thank you, guys! I still recall that very first lesson on a cold November afternoon on a chestnut mare called Piroschka. With only one lesson per week, my greed to learn was by far not fulfilled, so I helped with barn chores to earn additional riding and vaulting lessons. Some years later I was asked to substitute teach children's and beginner's group lessons and soon the training of horses followed. The stable also worked with a group of disabled people providing therapeutic riding, which was a
great experience and enrichment, both personally and professionally. Since the basic training in Germany includes Dressage and Jumping, I competed in both disciplines at first, although soon leaving the jumper world behind. However, at the age of 19 I decided to stop showing all together and focussed on training only.
After my move to Berlin, I continued training horses in Dressage for a private stable.
In 2003 during a travel across the USA I met my life partner, who was the reason to get married, move to Arizona and have two children. Thinking that I will never see an English saddle again (here in the wild west) I resigned myself to learn how to ride western-style and was ready to look for an instructor. Fortunately I was wrong.
I hung up a flyer in local feed + tack stores and vet offices hoping to be lucky and find a student or two. The signal was obvious: within three weeks the calendar was full. What a great sign. Dressage is growing even here in the remote western areas of the US so much that a group of horse friends founded the DRESSAGE DESPERADOS in October 2007 in order to offer more schooling shows and provide additional opportunities here in the Tri-City-Area for people to get their horses out, practise and learn about this sport.
In USA I have competed successfully from Training Level through I-1 and earned the USDF silver medal. Currently I feel very lucky to work with several wonderful private students as an instructor, trainer and coach. Running the barn, training horses and people, attending several shows per year and being a mother of two creates a very tight schedule but even more so a very fulfilling life.
