About me

My riding training began when I was about 12 years old in a rural riding club near Neustadt an der Weinstraße on school horses and with my first “own” horse.

The first horse I bought in Hungary, with which I completed my first formative training stay as a holiday intern with Herbert Rehbein in Grönwohld near Hamburg, was called Kabar (translated as "sea eagle"). He was an extremely good-natured, loyal horse who was able to spend his retirement well into old age. I was accepted into the state junior squad with him - my first starts in rural S-dressage gave me great joy and awakened my ambition even further.

During my time in the German army, I went to the German army sports school in Warendorf , where I was taught by Siegfried Peilicke and Holger Schmezer. Both supported and challenged me and my horses. I completed my apprenticeship immediately afterwards at the historically venerable former state stud farm Schloss Wickrath under the very structured, classical instruction of Paul Beck, to whom I am still grateful for this structure as a recurring foundation and often remember his words.

Thanks to my successes at the time with my surprisingly successful, specially trained young Grand Prix horse Rubicon, which I discovered at a school, I managed to make the journey from rural successes to championship appearances and Nations Cup appearances at home and abroad. A very successful time with Michael Faßbender followed, including a German championship title.

All these great successes and my membership in the B squad brought me to the attention of Dr. Uwe Schulten-Baumer. Even though a difficult period of adjustment and rethinking followed, he was the one who turned my entire concept of riding on its head. He brought the psychological component to the fore, made me sensitive to this aspect and shaped me into a completely different dressage trainer than I would have otherwise become.