Amongst the great Portuguese riders and breeders it's been my privilege to know, Fernando d'Andrade and Nuno Oliveira are sadly no longer with us. Happily Luis Valenca, David Ribeiro Telles - who was particularly close to my late husband - Philipe Gracioso, Joao Trigueiros, Teresa Schonborn of the Cadaval Stud, Dr Guilherme Borba, chef d'equipe of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art and Manuel Sabino Duarte, a wonderful horseman and ex-bullfighter, are still good friends. We have shared each others' homes and we have ridden together..... with friends like those, you absorb so much - the stories, the laughs, the shared tears. Classical riding is as much about life as anything else.

I met the German Olympic star, Nicole Uphoff in Portugal on several occasions. The first time was at Golega when she came looking for me to autograph my book - I found this very flattering! Later, Nicole came to England and gave a demonstration and clinic for our Classical Riding Club, and a couple of years ago, she kindly wrote the Foreword to my latest book, Dressage in Lightness.

Dr Reiner Klimke

The late Dr Reiner Klimke was another German friend. We shared a platform together on two different occasions at Equitana, USA and just before his totally unexpected death he asked me to send the Classical Riding Club dressage rules. He was fascinated by the approach we were taking, particularly since he was concerned as to how world competitive dressage was evolving. It was such a tragedy for us all in the Classical Dressage world to lose him

Back to Top

Eden Hall, Kelso, Roxburghshire TD5 7QD, Scotland, UK.
Fax: ++44(0)1890-830667

Website Design 2002 by Scothorse