Meet Andreas Hausberger, a Chief Rider at the Spanish Riding School, and trainer of the Multi Olympic and European Championships, Medal winner, Jessica von Bredow Werndl, plus the Under 25 Euro Medal winners, Semmieke Rothenberger, and Raphael Netz:
“Look at someone like Jessie von Bredow Werndl, who I’ve been helping for 15 years. She knows very well what lightness and collection is. Let me tell you, the basic is the seat, and she sits beautifully.”
“ It is not a straight way up. Sometimes it goes downhill. One day you think, ‘Wow! I’ve got it!’ and you’re close to tears because it felt so nice. The next day you think, ‘Oh my god! I’m sitting on a different horse!’ and the feeling is gone and everything goes wrong. But in this situation, don’t overdo things, continue your work, be patient and be consistent. Have someone on the ground to say, this is right or that is wrong, and in the long term and then you’ll produce a wonderful horse; a wonderful, international horse which can do anything.
image Michael Razepa
What is your main focus?
“Mainly on piaffe, passage and canter pirouettes…and seat and position of the rider. One of my stronger points is to work with young people and kids. Jessica was early 20s when we started.
Semmieke Rothenberger, Freestyle winner, and part of the German Gold Medal U 25 team at the Euros image FEI Lukas Kowalski
Raphael Netz and Elastico, Gold German team member and Grand Prix winner at the Euros. image FEI Lukas Kowalski
Semmie Rothenberger is multiple young European Champion. Also I’ve worked with Raphael Netz, the number one U25 rider at the moment, who is based at the Werndls.
Why do you do you stick with the younger ones?
“I tell you why. Those young riders are like rough diamonds. You can cut and polish them and make them beautiful. You can form those riders much easier than an older rider who has this and that problem. It is much, much harder to get rid of a problem than learn it the right way from the start.”
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