by Keron Psillas | Nov 30, 2013 | classical dressage, Equestrian Tourism in Portugal and Spain, Inspiration |
A little quiet time after the Holiday gives me time to write the last post about my trip to Portugal in September.
The days were filled with visiting the breeding farms and trainers and filled, too, with good food. But I had a special afternoon at Senhor Manuel Veiga’s Quinta da Broa. They were putting the finishing touches on a spectacular new picadeiro. It is constructed in the old foundation out of native and local materials. It is absolutely stunning. Parabens Quinta da Broa!
But the extra special thing was getting to see an original copy of Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere’s Ecole de Cavalerie. I’ve seen framed prints from the book and have read the reprints, but it was amazing to hold the original and leaf through page after page of the marvelous etchings.
I also learned that my old friend and dear friend of my Mestre, Nuno Oliveira, Dom Diogo de Bragança, had compiled a library of hundreds of the best and most rare books on the equestrian art. I hope that someone will recognize the value of keeping that library intact. It is a treasure beyond measuring for lovers of true horsemanship and classical dressage.
Thoughts turn to the future now. We are looking forward to celebrating a Holiday filled with family, with friends, and our horses. We’ll be developing the lecture series for the Symposium in February (click the link above to register now and get a great rate at the Dry Creek Inn!). Wishing you and yours a holiday filled with an abundance of love and compassion.
Amities~ DDBarbier
by Keron Psillas | Nov 30, 2013 | classical dressage, Equestrian Tourism in Portugal and Spain, Uncategorized |
OOPS! Thought this was posted from Brasil!!! Well, better late than never. Time travel with me back to late September and then October….
As I am a little late in getting another blog post up about the trip in Portugal, I will combine some news from Portugal and the Lusitano Expo in Sao Paulo, Brasil. First, Portugal:
I had an excellent day visiting with Senhors Carlos and Rodrigo Torres at Coudelaria Torres Vaz Freire in the Alentejo, near Alter de Chao. I went especially to see the mares as I had been told that it was a marvelous group of females, and that there were many Larapio grandbabies and great-grandbabies. Raja, their Larapio son (MAC), has created a herd of tremendous quality in a very short time. It was super to see such strength, functionality and refinement all through the group of 15 or so babies. Congratulations to Senhor Torres!
And now we are in Brasil. We spent last weekend at the International Lusitano Expo in Sao Paulo at the Clube Hipica Santa Amaro. Seeing all the horses was great, but seeing all our friends was even better. The camaraderie amongst the breeders and their families is very special. It was exciting to see all the young riders performing so well (The Almeida family, the Oliva family, Gabrielle Fisher, and the Avila sons). These kids are all under 22 and riding PSG through Grand Prix at a CDI*** event. Congratulations!!!
And….check out our new t-shirts and Iphone covers from our dear friend Beatrice Bulteau. It’s always wonderful to catch up with Beatrice and see the beautiful things she is working on. This year was even more fun because these things can arrive for the Holidays!!! Click on the “new products” tab at the top of the page. They won’t last long…there are limited quantities.
by Keron Psillas | Oct 23, 2013 | classical dressage, Inspiration, Tips |
We are so excited to let you know that there is an exclusive excerpt from The Alchemy of Lightness in the October issue of Dressage Today! So go grab the magazine….and then order your book! They will be available, right here on the blog, beginning November 1! You can pre-order yours by clicking the title tab on top of this page. Thank you!
by Keron Psillas | Sep 27, 2013 | classical dressage, Equestrian Tourism in Portugal and Spain, horses for sale |
Dominique has returned from a brief tour in Portugal….filled with old friends, great horses, even better food, and lots of fun. Dominique visited Keron Psillas, who now lives in Portugal for a lot of the year. Catching up with Mestre Luis Valença and his family was the first excursion and then we visited Senhor Manuel Braga, Senhor Manuel Veiga, and Senhor Manuel Coimbra. Each of these gentleman is renowned for their breeding of fine Lusitanos and the horses we saw were evidence of their breeding excellence. We saw Carlos Oliveira’s horses, renowned ‘apresentador’ from Portugal, whom we first met in Brasil a number of years ago. It was a pleasure to spend time together.
Enjoy the photos….back in several days with the next report.
by Keron Psillas | Sep 8, 2013 | classical dressage, Classical Dressage Symposium |
Long overdue, but here it is! We had another informative, engaging Symposium over the Bastille Day weekend here at Barbier Farms. Participants from all over the US and Canada enjoyed provocative lectures and great riding demonstrations and lessons.
Dominique offered several lectures with themes from his new book (to be released November 1...here’s the link) The Alchemy of Lightness: What Happens Between Horse and Rider on a Molecular Level. We also enjoyed a fantastic champagne reception with several marvelous riding exhibitions and capped the evening off with a delicious catered dinner in the stables.
Enjoy the gallery of images…and then sign up for the February Symposium! The dates are set (February 7, 8, & 9), the links are up (see the tab above) and the hotel rates are in place! And remember, a Symposium registration makes a great Holiday gift for your barn-buddy!
