Balve, June 7th 2017 – A special meeting this week in Balve (Germany) for a group of riders from YRA teams. Maria Madenova, Emma O’Dweyer, Francesca Ciriesi, Eoin McMahon, Giampiero Garofalo and Matt Garrigan arrived yesterday to experience specific training with Franke Sloothaak. Three days of intensive work on flat and jumps to well prepare the CSI Balve International of this weekend.
The training started Tuesday morning for young horses with sessions of two riders each. The purpose was to diagnose needs of each horse in order to shape a specific work for the following days. In the afternoons they exercised in bigger groups with individual session as well. “It’s not riderkraft is riderkunst” said Franke “I don’t want it strong, what is important for me is the balance and the leg position. I always try to make their basics better and it is amazing how these riders are interested in it and how they try to immediately experience the different tips” commented Franke straight after this morning training. “He goes very far into details, he is an incredible man. The thing most impressed me is the feeling he has with the horse” commented Francesca Ciriesi, “It’s amazing how in 10 minutes with Franke, the horse changes” added Giampiero Garofalo during the training.
The young Riders Academy is a program conceived for European talented young show jumpers, under the patronage of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF), with the cooperation of the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) and the support of Rolex.
Founded in 2014 by Athenaeum, a non-profit association, the program will give talented riders between the ages of 18 and 23 the chance to get six months of training and boarding at a well-known professional stable. On top of that, professional education in communication, business and economics, veterinary and legal practice related to show jumping. The objective is to develop future champions as well as potential managers of this sport.
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