The January Symposium was another great success in a string of wonderful events! We had participants from three continents and seven countries…all keenly interested in taking away a deeper understanding of enlightened horsemanship based in classical principles. We had wide-ranging discussions about choosing and beginning the training of a young horse, the classical description and application of Le Ramener, Le Rassembler, and lightness, and how to create positive change for horses in the face of many competing motivations in their training.

We had a very special visitor with us this time: Jolanda Ellenberger, award-winning writer and director of short films was here with her crew to film for several days. Debra and I met Jolanda in Switzerland last year at my clinic sponsored by Sandro Huerzeler near Bern. The quality of her work is wonderful, and the compassion for the horse is immediately felt. She hopes to debut the current film in Monaco next year. We’ll all be anxious to see the end product so stay tuned for details and announcements here! Here’s a small gallery of images from the Symposium. Enjoy!

Debra and I are very happy to announce that in addition to our Annual Expo trip to Brasil in May (see all the details on the tab above!), we are going to PARIS for the Exposition of the Four Classical Riding Schools at Bercy! We’ll be announcing the exact dates, but plan on ten days beginning October 1. Our trip to see the first ever performance of the Four Schools together in 2007 was a tremendous success.  We’ll return to a few of the places we visited, including Chantilly and several of the Equestrian theater productions….but we’ll have a few surprises too, including a trip to the Camargue in the South of France! We’ll be posting all the details very soon…..so keep an eye on the blog and in your email for the full itinerary.

And finally….but perhaps most important….the next symposium will be July 13, 14, & 15. As the event will be held over the Bastille Day weekend, we’ll have a decidedly French flair in everything we do! Join us for the three days of learning, fun, and fabulous food. We’ll be in the barn on Saturday night for an Equestrian Spectacle and French cuisine!  Mark your calendar and click on the tab above to reserve your spot! Bring some guests for Saturday night….and sign up early! It’s going to be a magical evening.

Amities, Dominique