Your Favorite Clinician

On January 6-7 I got to ride in a clinic with Christine Traurig, former Olympic dressage rider. I really enjoy riding under here and I always feel I learn a lot. She is able to get her point across without yelling or being mean about it. I always feel very encouraged after our clinics and ready to improve.

So, I would like to know who everyone else's favorite clinician is and why. It's always fun to hear about the great instructors in the world today and good to know who is liked and respected for future clinics!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pablo Álvarez on January 7, 2010 at 8:52am

Ups, I am not from US, but here in Spain we have many good clinicians. Next month I´m going to do a short clínic with one of the biggest dressage dames in my country, Dña.Mercedes Gonzalez-Cort, great rider and classical trainer, also excellent siddesadle rider.

I´m so excited!!!

Permalink Reply by Catherine Chamberlain on January 7, 2010 at 9:15am

Haha, I'm so sorry I completely forgot that this was an international site! Okay, let me say great instructors in the entire world! Hearing from people around the entire globe is always facinating and I love to hear about fantastic trainers elsewhere, too. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have fun! :)

Permalink Reply by Ellin McGinley Daum on January 7, 2010 at 1:52pm

My all time favorite clinician was Jean-Claude Racinet. Not only was he very patient with all levels of riders and horses, he never lost his sense of humor or yelled at anyone. He was always willing to ride your horse to feel what was happening and then teach you how to make it better. Unfortunately JCR died on April 25, 2009. I shall miss him greatly as an instructor, trainer and mentor. One of his favorite sayings about using the aids was: If I yell at you in a language you don't understand, will that help you to understand? There are so many of his teachings that I teach my own students and use in my own clinics. He will be remembered in my heart as a true gentleman with a charming French accent!

Permalink Reply by SUSIE-SOLOMON-MABE on January 7, 2010 at 10:36pm

I adore JL Lombart- He is French and lives in Montreal and he is a trerrific rider and trainer... When I would go to Canada to visit my bff Melody, I would go for 10 days a nd ride with him for 7 of those days.
He cannot come to the USA any more but I will never forget how he let my stallion be so free he danced in place and allowed him to trot so slow and so up and so easy and never went bolting forward and in one week had a passage and piaffe with him in the snaffle, and as light as a feather....
Now JL is not feeling so well and perhaps not riding , but his theory for me is ever lasting..........
susie

Permalink Reply by SUSIE-SOLOMON-MABE on January 7, 2010 at 10:39pm

during the week JL was with me my stallion, who was 13 at the time and under saddle a bit under 3 yrs, was advancing and his trot was incredible ....I miss my Ulrik so much

Permalink Reply by SUSIE-SOLOMON-MABE on January 7, 2010 at 10:45pm

Terrific- I love a good session- I do not have much opportunity these days- my big mare is preggie - with her 3rd foal and so I just gallop like a kid in the creek and swim her in water that is up to her shoulders- -even in the cold- and trot her in the orchards- not much lesson time but she is fit and huge and powerful......

Permalink Reply by Catherine Chamberlain on January 8, 2010 at 7:43am

These sound like some really great instructors, and some I had never heard of before. Thanks for the great information and lovely memories.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth J. Chilcott on January 9, 2010 at 12:56pm

Would have to put Jean Luc Cornille at the top of my list. Not only is he an incredible horseman with international experience in Dressage but also Eventing and Jumping. It is his ability to interact with riders and horses of all levels that is amazing and his knowledge of how the horse actually moves pinpointing and being able to correct incorrect or harmful movement.

Permalink Reply by Queenrider on January 8, 2010 at 3:29pm

http://www.lassetter-dressage.co.uk/
I first met John Lasseter at a clinic over 10 years ago. With his help and encouragement my mare made it to PSG. He comes to Elora, Ontario twice a year to clinic. Elora is among his many world wide stops on his twice yearly teaching tours. He is an amazing teacher.

Permalink Reply by Mered30 on January 8, 2010 at 3:33pm

My favorite is Lendon Grey. I went to one of her clinics once and was just amazed at what she had to say. Because everything she said was true.

Permalink Reply by Jan Jollymour on January 11, 2010 at 2:48pm

Wow, you guys managed to narrow it down to one - I have three! Jacqui Oldham, my long time coach and mentor (USEF and EC S Dressage Judge), Bert Rutten (Dutch Olympic and World Cup medallist), and Hub Houben, and young up and coming trainer/coach from Holland, who used to be the head trainer at Bert Rutten's. He's now got his own training/production barn in the south of Holland.

Between the three of them they cover everything, and all of them are passionate and totally committed to what they do. They put so much positive energy into coaching, and into mentoring, and they all truly love the horses. They have, between them, taken me so much farther than I ever dreamed I could go, and they continue to encourage me into new achievements. They are just the best!

Permalink Reply by Catherine Chamberlain on January 11, 2010 at 4:23pm

Thanks for the great info, guys! Lendon Grey is largely involved with the Young Riders so I've heard a lot about her, but haven't had the opportunity to learn from her yet. I'm on the west coast so I've been able to watch a lot of Steffen Peters, Sue Blinks, Elizabeth Ball, and others. When I went to the North American Junior Young Rider Championships last year in Kentucky I got to see trainers from all over the U.S., which was a great opportunity. Hopefully when I'm older I can get more experience with international instructors. Sometimes just watching their videos seems like a lesson in itself!