by dbarbier | Mar 19, 2019 | Classical Dressage Symposium, Equestrian Tourism, French Classical Dressage, Lusitanos, News, Symposium |
Photo courtesy of Marylou Lawrence
As per tradition, this coming week we will host our Saturday evening Symposium champagne reception, rider exhibition, and dinner in the barn catered by Dancing Horse Events! Saturday, March 23, Marylou Lawrence will join us for a live fado performance.
Marylou was born in Manteca California, the daughter of immigrant parents from Terceira Azores. After seven years of living in the states, her parents started their own dairy farm, keeping their culture alive through Marylou by speaking Portuguese and listening to Portuguese music, as was common among the Luso-American kids of her generation.
While she always had an interest in music, her true love for fado came through records of Amalia Rodrigues and other famous fadistas played by her mother throughout her childhood and she enrolled in choir at the age of 12. As she sang for various city and social events throughout junior high and high school, her passion for singing fado never left her mind.
Her dreams of singing were placed on hold after her marriage at the age of 18 and subsequently raising a family. With encouragement from her husband, Steve Lawrence, she decided to begin singing again at the age of 45 and has since been invited to sing in several fado events among well-known fadistas such as David S. Garcia, Zelia Freitas, Isalino Santos, and most well known Sara Pacheco.
Whether you are a devoted fado fanatic, or have never heard of the genre, we are all in for a treat.
Photo courtesy of David Grulke
Exquisite Lusitanos, fine food and wine, live entertainment, and good company…Needless to say, it is a night to be remembered. Whisk yourself away to the best Portugal has to offer…right in our backyard!
Join us! And claim your seat at the table here.
by Keron Psillas | Dec 30, 2014 | classical dressage, Classical Dressage Symposium, Inspiration, Tips |
I am very sad to note the passing of one of the best ecuyers of our time. Mr. Michel Henriquet died December 8, at home in France. Debra and I extend sincere condolences to Catherine.
Michel was not only a refined rider, he was a great teacher. He was the author of many books on French Classical dressage and was an early promoter of the Lusitano in France.
After being a student for many years of Mestre Nuno Oliveira, he went on to coach his wife, Catherine Durand, and achieved some success in using and adapting classical methods in competition.
Michel and Mestre Oliveira exchanged letters for years about l’art equestre. Those letters, along with Michel’s diaries, create a day-to-day peek into the life and practice of the great teacher and an accomplished student who would become a master. He was part of an era when many disciples were passionate about the art and exchanged letters, experiences, techniques and books. Along with Dom Diogo de Bragança, Professor Da Costa, Dr. Borba and Monsieur Baccarat (who translated the Mestre’s first book) they were the core of the students who would follow the teachings of Mestre Oliveira and take that knowledge to their students via their riding practice and the books they would write. It is, sadly, the end of an era. There are very few original students left.
Sometimes I have a great deal of nostalgia (saudades, longing) for this time.
Looking ahead, as we must and as it is all we can do, we see the art of riding becoming less physical and more mental. Riders are slowly becoming more conscious of the well-being of their partners and because of this we are making some progress in the right direction.
With gratitude for all the Masters gave us in the example of their finesse and dedication to l’art equestre, we look to the New Year with renewed commitment to the health and happiness of our equine partners. Let us always have in mind these four questions when we are working with our horses:
Are we being compassionate?
Is our practice sustainable?
Is our practice honorable?
And is our practice enlightened?
Amities, and Best Wishes for a Healthy and Happy New Year!
Dominique and Debra Barbier
by Keron Psillas | Nov 30, 2012 | Equestrian Tourism in France, Equestrian Tourism in Spain |
Friends! It was such a great trip…and we had far too much fun to put it all in one blog post, so there will be a series. Stop back often to check for updates! And while you are here, don’t forget to click on the “NEW PRODUCTS” tab above to see the great apparel that we have! Each item features our lovely logo with the Beatrice Bulteau Lusitano. AND seats are going fast for the January Symposium, so click that tab too and get registered! We are waiting to welcome you to Barbier Farm!
We began our trip in Marseilles with a fabulous seafood dinner featuring…BOUILLABAISSE! This is, after all, a BARBIER trip, so food will feature nearly as prominently as the horses.
The next day we trekked into the Camargue, the region that is the delta of the River Rhone where it empties into the Mediterranean. It is known for its abundance of natural beauty, including pink flamingos, the famed black bulls, and of course, the white Camargue horses. But this marshy river delta is an agricultural basket with a huge production of rice and salt and is home to more than 400 species of birds, and numerous fish species, both salt and freshwater. But aside from the Camargue horses and the bulls, the thing that you won’t find anywhere else on the planet is the culture of the Camargue people. Centuries of cultural influence from the Roma people, along with French and to a smaller degree, Spanish influence, has created a distinct lifestyle centered around the horses and bulls.
We had a wonderful time riding across the beaches and through the marshes. Going by horseback through this wild area gave us the opportunity to feel the rhythm of the tides, the flocks of birds, and see net-fishing by hand. We saw dwellings with the traditional thatched roof, all pointed in the direction of the famed MISTRAL winds. And we learned a great deal about the culture and natural environment from our guides.
Our base for a few nights was the stunning Mas de la Fouque hotel and spa. We’re posting the pictures so you can have a sense of the special nature of this land and its inhabitants. Even at the very southern edge of the country, practically ON the Mediterranean, our lodgings were trés chic and deliciously comfortable. We’ll be looking forward to a return!
Before we headed north, we spent a day at Manade Saint Antoine, complete with riding into the marshes to round up bulls. We separated a few bulls from the herd to have an exhibition of the Camargue style of bullfighting (More like bull-tagging…..not much like fighting…but very daring and dangerous!). Later, we all enjoyed a traditional lunch of bull stew at the Manade. Thank you, Alexandre and team for a spectacular day!
Coming next: a report from St. Remy de Provence and Avignon! Food is the small headline, Frederic Pignon and Magali Delgado are the big headline!
by Keron Psillas | Sep 27, 2011 | Brazil equestrian trips, horses for sale, Well-being of the Horse |
We have just returned from Brasil (The 3rd Annual Lusitano Festival at Aguas de Lindoia) and are preparing for the 3rd installment in our Classical Series here in Healdsburg. A few of the special things we’ll be doing this weekend include a reception featuring the latest horses from Brasil, including Capaz do Mito, and a Brasilian-themed dinner in the barn Saturday night! There is space available for auditors and a very few spots for the clinic afterward on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Contact us if you are interested. We would love to have you join us. Click on the September Symposium link ABOVE for all the details.
We have some exciting news to share: A Larapio son (our breeding stallion) is headed to the World Championships for Working Equitation in Lyon, France! Unico HS, owned by Hilda Toledo Piza, will join the best horses in the world and showcase the versatility and spectacular temperament that make the Lusitano such a joy. Congratulations to Hilda, Mariana, and Fabio. Boa sortie!
Congratulations are in order too for the team behind Xama Do Top. Xama (sire of Debra’s gorgeous filly Graphica) was Champion of Champions at the Lusitano Festival in Lindoia. Xama Do Top was bred by Tonico Pereira and is owned by Victor Oliva of Coudelaria Ihla Verde. Victor’s son João Victor rode Xama for the championship and was named Champion Rider of the festival. What an outstanding achievement for this young man! Congratulations to Tonico, Victor, João, and all the team behind this marvelous horse.
We’ve been in Brasil several times this summer and our visits are not complete without seeing Debra’s herd of babies. Yes, I said HERD. Graphica, her filly by Xama Do Top, is turning into a spectacular horse. Her movement is beyond stunning and she is very lovable and easily handled. This is easy to understand given her exceptional breeding. But all the babies (and now young horses) are bred exceptionally well. Here’s a gallery of images from “the herd” including pix of Graphica, Dynastia, Fado, Fadista, Escritoria and Esperanza.
Equestrian Brasil is a-buzz with the anticipation and excitement of preparing for the Pan Am Games. It was a long and arduous selection process with outstanding teams competing for just a few slots. Rocas do Vouga will be sending Olympic Veteran Luiza Almeida with her mount Samba and rising young star Manuel Almeida with Viheste; Coudelaria Ihla Verde will send Olympic Veteran Rogerio Clementino on Sargento Do Top; Haras Juliana sends Mauro Pereira Junior to compete with Tulum Commando SN; and Fazenda Santa Izabel returns Olympic Veteran Leandro Silva with new mount L’Acteur VDL. Boa sortie and boa viagem to all the teams headed to the Pan Am Games!
After all the fun and learning in the Symposium is over we will be back to teaching in the US and our first clinic in South Africa! Click on the Clinic Schedule tab to stay updated….and contact us if you are interested in a clinic for 2012. Dates are filling very very fast.
Amities~
DDBarbier
by Keron Psillas | Jun 25, 2011 | classical dressage, Equestrian Tourism in Portugal and Spain |
We’ve had a marvelous time in Spain, Portugal, and Bordeaux….so we wanted to share some images and a few of the highlights of the trip with you. Returning to familiar haunts in Portugal was an emotional experience for Debra and I. But taking good friends, old and new, along for the journey made it very special for us. Of course the horses are always at the top of the list of things to see. We visited the Portuguese School for Equestrian Art, right across from our Pousada (Dona Maria I) at the National Palace in Queluz. This was our first activity of the trip and it did not disappoint. Walking through the Palace Gardens to find the old riding ring was delightful….and the horses were gorgeous, putting on a lovely performance in the Portuguese tradition.
After a delicious lunch on the beach at Quincho, we journeyed to the top of the mountain above Sintra to visit the Convento dos Capuchos. It’s a mysterious place with all the cells built into the rocks of the mountain…..all cork-lined (to prevent some of the cold and moisture from seeping through), totally secluded and wonderfully peaceful. From there we made our own pilgrimage to the Manege of my Mestre, Nuno Oliveira. Over 25 years have passed since Debra and I had been there. While much has changed with a succession of owners, the heart of the place remains. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return.
We finished our first day by going into the Alfama district of Lisbon to hear some Fado. It was a perfect ending to a day filled with beauty, poetry, mystery, and emotion. Fado is all those things and more. So this was only our first day and as you can tell it was filled to overflowing with sights, sounds, smells, tastes…..a feast in every way.
We traveled to Santarem for a Portuguese bullfighting exhibition, we visited my friend Luis Valença’s home to watch his students and performers in his renowned Appassionata equestrian spectacle, we traveled to Golega to meet the esteemed breeder of some of the finest Lusitanos in the world, Mr. Manuel Coimbra. We slept in a castle at Pousada de Palmela, played on a beautiful beach in the Algarve region on our way to Jerez, watched gorgeous handmade tiles (azulejos) being created by amazing artisans in the same way that they have been produced for over 500 years.
And thanks to our amazing driver and guide, Marco Sousa, we learned much of the history of Portugal and Spain as we made our way from one stop to the next. Did you know that Lisbon experienced a terrible earthquake and subsequent Tsunami? It happened on November 1, 1755 (All Saints Day) and caused such widespread devastation and loss of life that the philosophies of leading scholars were completely altered … religious thought was forever changed. The naive belief of God as a benevolent power was irreparably changed.
In Spain we were treated to spectacular Flamenco performances on three different nights in three distinct styles, we visited the Terry and Domecq Bodegas to see how fine Sherry has been produced for several hundred years (in the very same barrels and using the very same methods). We enjoyed a performance at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art and a behind the scenes look at the training and structure of the school. We went to A Campo Abierto (The Open Fields) to watch a beautiful show illustrating the history and culture that exists around the horses and the bulls, and then went to Yeguada de Cartuja to watch a different exhibition that told the story of the Andalusian horses that were saved by the monks of Cartuja. Before that we had the opportunity to briefly visit the monastery that housed the Order.
All these activities (and many that are not listed) were knit together by fellowship and amazing meals. The quality of the food, almost always the freshest bounty of the sea, was spectacular. I think all our guests would agree that this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. The opportunity to experience a new culture as an extended family member is the best way to travel. Come with us next time and you’ll enjoy the same rich experiences.
We’re grateful that our entire trip was documented by Keron Psillas, our friend and photographer. We hope you enjoy the extensive gallery.
