Full attention from the audience during the entire clinic - photo: H2R
Two days of sold out for Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Kyra Kyrklund clinic at Slangerupgaard
A total of 1.000 ticket were sold in a super short time to Friday and Saturday´s clinic with the dream team Cathrine and Kyra. The clinic was with pure golden tips and tricks combined with daily challenges, all with the goal to optimize the daily training.
Their “partnership” started for about 10 years ago, when former trainer of Cathrine and Cassidy, Rune Willum was asking Kyra to help develop the piaffe of Cassidy, as it at that point mostly looked like when pooring cold water on his feet.
The program for the day was divided into two sessions, with three horses and riders in each session, finishing with Cathrine and MSJ Freestyle as ising on the cake.
Each horse and rider with different training. Lots of statements during the day:
What, Why and How (What we are doing, why we are doing it and how we are doing it)
Cathrine tells that Kyra can give you a kind of “shell shock” to help break bad habits
Symptomes must be treated (then they never develop to “illness”
The rider must be in balance to be able to balance the horse
Try to immitate a good rider (Kyra did that with Herbert Rehbein, making people say why Rehbein was walking like Kyra).
Never get to greedy in you training
Start playing with your horse at an early stage.
If you never tasted strawberry you don´t know the taste
Important always thinking ahead
Use more seat (not in the textbook of Kyra) - you can use your weight
It´s all about getting a reaction from using any kind of aides or tools
Understand the comfort zone – stress zone – panic zone. Dynamic progress happens in the stress zone, but never cross into panic.
Cathrine was in the saddle of three horses and furthermore daily rider at Cathrines place, Jannie Dietz was riding 6 yr old Danish Warmblood gelding Grand Quest-Bell by Grand Galaxy / Don Romantic, bred by Tina and Nicolai Jepsen, owned by Cathrine in partnership with family Zinglersen, 10 yr old Danish Warmblood gold medal mare Gozzip by Sezuan / De Noir, bred by Bente Michaelsen, and owned by the rider Ida Bøllingtoft Asmussen and 11 yr old Danish Warmblood gelding Atterupgaards Cooper by Charmeur / Gribaldi, bred by Atterupgaard and owned by the rider Sara Hyrm.
First Cathrine was showing 5 yr old Danish Warmblood mare Santalina by Duke / Blue Hors Schufro Hit, daily rider Kristine Ulsø Olsen (part of team Laudrup-Dufour) owned and bred by Kristine´s parents, Tine and Torben Ulsø Olsen. For some Torben Ulsø Olsen might be a familiar name, as Torben was part of the Danish Olympic dressage team in 1984 Los Angeles. Cathrine has only been in the saddle of “Musse” for a few times, and still from starting out in pony trot to finishing top responding to one of the “trick” from the tool box, being able to lift the shoulder by light tapping with a whip in the shoulder, giving exactly the effect as Cathrine was asking for.
Cathrine was also showing 8 yr old Danish Warmblood gelding Final S DWB by Franklin / Stedinger, bred by Sara Juul and owned by Cathrine in partnership with family Zinglersen. Focusing on using the relaxation/control from counter canter toward pirouettes. He has been in the stable for about 1 year now and is one of the hopes for the future for Cathrine.
Last but not least Cathrine entered with Freestyle, telling about how to ride her in the everyday, making her own buttons, the gift of an already top zigzag “installation” and the challenges with flying changes easily becomming a kind of issue, where Cathrine has been supported by her long time mental coach Rasmus Bagger, saying “I love one time tempies” when entering the line.
A true masterclass
The clinic was a perfect blend of a full toolbox, technical precision, and true horsemanship showing why Cathrine and Kyra are among the most respected figures in the dressage world. Their combined approach left everyone inspired to bring new energy and deeper understanding to their own training.