BY ADRIANA VAN TILBURG
PHOTOGRAPHY: FEI/BENJAMIN CLARK;

A packed auditorium listened attentively as the panelists shared their perspectives on the future of breeding and its connection to sport. This was part of the KWPN stallion approvals.With the dressage congress moderated by Dirk Willem Rosie, the discussion brought together British breeder Emma Blundell (known for Mount St John), German dressage rider Isabell Werth, renowned German breeder Christine Arns-Krogmann, and stallion owner Eugene Reesink in an engaging exchange of views.

Mentality is a decisive factor for Isabell Werth

When Isabell Werth looks back at all the Grand Prix horses she has ridden throughout her career, she does not immediately speak about spectacular movement or extravagant talent. Of course, potential is a prerequisite at that level. But the true common quality that all her top horses have shared lies much deeper.
According to Werth, the decisive factor has always been their mentality. “The most important thing,” she explains, “is that a horse is willing to perform. That they are strong in their minds. You have to feel, when you enter the arena, that the horse wants to be there, that it loves to perform and to show itself”.
She emphasizes that this inner drive cannot be created entirely by the rider. A rider can give a horse confidence, can support it, and help it shine in the ring. But there is always a significant part that must come from the horse itself; the natural desire to give everything it has, all the way down the final centre line. Rideability, elasticity and, of course, talent are essential qualities in top-level dressage. Yet the consistent, shared trait among her Grand Prix horses has always been their mindset; the willingness to perform and the mental strength to deliver when it matters most...

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