TSF Eventing clinic in Kreuth (Bavaria)

Glad to be back home - the last weekend was dedicated to another clinic with the German top eventer Andreas Dibowski. Again, the site was the overwhelming "Ostbayernhalle" in Kreuth which is near Amberg / Bavaria. The site alone is worth a description of one post (however I'll shorten it). Without having figures, the large arena alone fits approximately 3000 spectators and the indoor arena is about as large as 10 average German riding arenas - in one piece naturally. Outside, there are - besides another couple of sand dressage and jumping stadiums, the race course and the famous cross-country course, about I don't know 200 (?) stalls for horses. Just to get a little bit of an imagination.
I felt quite bad prepared this year. I was injured, Tabasco did not seem to be at his best after the long pause last year. I took my Rescue drops, never knowing whether they really help or just act as a placebo. We arrived a little early on purpose, which was good in the end as the weather was nice and I used the "free time" to go climbing with Tabasco in the rolling grassland around the stables. We enjoyed that a lot, I am sure my sweet curious horse also loved to discover some new freedom around him. When you are behind the next hill, it seems end of the world. No noises but some birds and the horse, fresh countryside air, just GREAT.... and relaxing of course, certainly good for my mind.
Next day, we started with a pretty difficult gymnastics exercise in the jumping arena. At least difficult, if you are not sure how well you manage your horse after a long break. And so it was. Wherever we were supposed to go with 5 strides, we went 4 etc... dissatisfying ourselves and the coach. Needless to say there were curves and other tiny little difficulties built in. Like in the advanced section of the ADAC Fahrtraining. I went home a little stirred up and was not happy at all with our performance. Seen from another angle, Tabasco did a decent job, as he did not touch a single one of the fences!! Considering the fact that we nearly ever came in a good distance, this is remarkable! As he is remarkable. Andreas asked me whether I ride him with weights on the protection boots because his jumping technique was very very good (**proud again**). Of course I don't!
The theory session in the evening discussed our very own challenge: keeping the rhythm and getting /keeping the horse in front of you. We discussed collected gaits and saw some videos from the German championship team riding cross-country courses. It is so very clear that basic theory is not being taught or "lived" today in most of our stables. Because: it really is soo easy! If you do it right. And if no one tells you, you barely can do it right unless you're one of the very few self-educated horsepeople. Is this bare ignorance or a lack of horsemanship???
A long intensive training weekend has everywhere, but especially in such a nice region, a nice dinner in the group. Most went to bed early (wow, this time Chris and I were not among the first to go home) as the clinic began damn early the next morning.
And that was meeting point Ostbayernhalle, for the indoor cross-country jumping. After the experiences of the jumping the day before, I was again feeling insecure - and of course Andreas saw that immediately - and helped me out of that. I did not need to say a word. -- The reality was fortunately better, as I felt good from the beginning. We challenged ourselves then during the lesson - I think if this exercise had gone wrong, I'd have gotten the yell of the day - when we came to 2 fences (bushes) which were a little staggered so you did not approach them straight as usual, but keep an angle to both of them. We started the exercise with just one and somehow I decided to come in a 30° angle (I'd say normally it is about 45-60°) and --- Tabasco jumped it. Of course. He is so natural in the way he takes on his tasks, he's always waiting for the next. But again, suppose we had failed this one (nobody told us to come that steep), ...
Not much more to say, well maybe tons of things to say, about our nice groups, Tabasco's stable neighbors, leave that for another time.
We finished in the early afternoon with a short and relaxed dressage session. Interesting AFTER a pretty exhausting jumping, I was very anxious to see how Tabasco's mood would be. As dressage is not really his favorite thing. He was doing great, he was so willing and fun and relaxed as I did not have seen him for a quite long time! Definitely, he's alway good after jumping, that seems to loosen him up spiritually and physically. So in the end, we left Kreuth in a good mood and with good spirits for the coming FUN season!
And there is something new he discovered. Licorice flavored goodies by a brand called "leovet". Tabasco is not soo crazy about things as sugar and goodies, but this stuff was really something very important to let us know. Will buy more soon. Promise.

Team Tabasco proudly presents...

Endlich ist unser neues Logo soweit! Es muß jetzt nur noch auf einige Kleidungsstücke appliziert werden und los gehts...