Sabine Schut-Kery wowed the world aboard Sanceo at the Tokyo Olympics last year, where the combination clinched a historic silver medal for the U.S. dressage team and finished fifth individually in the freestyle.
Last night, without an equine partner, she wowed the crowd during Dressage at Devon, giving pointers in a masterclass to a select group of riders in a clinic that fascinated her audience as twilight descended over the historic arena on Philadelphia’s Main Line.
Silva Martin and Farouche. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
While she demonstrated star power on her own two feet, we’re looking forward to seeing her once again ride Sanceo. The 16-year-old stallion was missing from this year’s world championships after sustaining an injury in Florida that meant he couldn’t qualify for last month’s competition in Denmark.
It was, she recalled after her clinic, “so unfortunate, the timing.”
Now, “He’s coming back to work,” but “he’s not back to full work because we’re always so careful with him.”
I wondered whether he might make the FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha next April.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not going to predict anything anymore. I’m going to take it day by day. In the end, he’s going to tell me.”
What happened this year gave her a dose of reality.
“I stopped making plans,” she said.
But in terms of Omaha, Sabine added, “Hopefully, there will be enough time” to qualify. We’ll see. That would be super fun.”
It certainly would be a big draw for fans. Only two riders, Steffen Peters and Debbie McDonald, have ever won the Cup finals.
Devon’s Saturday night freestyle is the first North American qualifier for the competition in Omaha, but qualifying will continue over the winter.
The six riders in the Devon clinic performed for Sabine the day before, so she could get to know them.
“I could see a little bit and pick some of the movements that I thought would be good for each horse,” said Sabine.
“I think we have some really amazing horses coming up,” she added.
One is Farouche (Foundation X Carpalo II), who was ridden by Silva Martin earlier in the day to an impressive victory in the four-year-old Young Horse class, earning 87.600 percent with marks of nine for the trot, submissiveness and general impression. She went on to take the Young Horse Championship.
Sabine Schut-Kery appraises Silva Martin and Farouche as they work. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Commenting during the clinic sponsored by Show Plus powered by Captive One, Sabine cited the expressive Westfalen mare’s elegant trot with its suppleness and elasticity. As she looks forward to Farouche’s five-year-old season, the objective is to ask for more engagement with the mare’s hind legs, not letting her simply run forward.
Sabine had Silva perform a serpentine and some leg yields on the diagonal. There is a reason it is important to stretch forward and downward, rather than downward and forward, Sabine emphasized. Going forward opens up the back, she said.
Team veteran Olivia Lagoy-Weltz was up on the eight-year-old gelding Johnny Be Goode by Dream Boy. When the horse was tight in the new environment, Sabine said the answer was to “ride him more and more from your legs.”
Olivia Lagoy-Weltz and Johnny Be Goode. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The bend in the half-pass ended up a little too much in the reins, so the answer was to “just do a little bit leg yield and get him a little bit more on your leg.”
Making the canter pirouette bigger “so it becomes a habit and something he can rely on” avoids having him come behind the rider’s aids.
“I don’t over-collect when I get into the pirouette, carrying the hind legs forward into the collection” said Sabine, who was looking for “equal push power as carrying power.”
Olivia was pleased by the experience of being in the clinic. “I love dressage at Devon. Anything to support Dressage at Devon. It’s a great opportunity to get the horses fabulous experience and get some fabulous feedback from Sabine, who’s an amazing rider, teammate and trainer.” Olivia hopes to bring a group of her riders back next year, and perhaps compete with Johnny.
The next rider, Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel, offered a contrast to the horses that had gone previously when she presented a 12-year-old Lusitano stallion, Fantastico by Perito.
Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel on Fantastico. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Sabine pointed out while Felicitas was riding a circle that making it smaller means “you can really ride with your legs in the turn and your horse has less chance to speed up and go fast.”
The idea is “to teach the horse what it means to push through the body from the rider’s leg. I always like doing a lot of turns and bending lines.”
Turns “really help to get the horse on the leg and not so flighty from the leg.” Another piece of advice for the canter, “Be committed to the tempo.”
Alice Tarjan rode the statuesque seven-year-old Summersby II (Sezuan X Sandro Hit) who was a bit tense. Sabine put her on a 15-meter circle to relax on the leg. Then she let her stretch, but cautioned it is necessary to keep the balance even while stretching.
Alice Tarjan and Summersby II. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
It’s important to ease a horse through tension so it doesn’t become a habit, Sabine said, pointing out riders should take time for that, so they’re not putting the movements in on top of the tension.
Jim Koford was aboard Adeline, a mare he bought after seeing her advertised on Facebook. “She’s a Facebook warmblood,” he joked.
You never would have guessed she was by a Friesian stallion out of a saddlebred/paint mare.
Adeline also reflected some tension, so Sabine advised in cases like this perhaps using a short spur, which means the horse be can ridden from the leg with subtle pressure before reacting to the spur. Another suggestion: “Think ahead of the horse,” in other words, plan your ride.
Jim Koford and Adeline. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
She had Jim ride a 20-meter circle putting Adeline on a haunches-in and from there a shoulder-in to a haunches-in.
Jim called the clinic “an amazing opportunity” for schooling.
“It’s such an electric environment, and there were a lot of people there today. It was amazing to go in there and take the pressure off, let the horse take a deep breath.
“I was delighted. My mare came back to the stall so proud of herself. It was an amazing opportunity to work with Sabine and have ring familiarization in a non-pressure situation so I wasn’t over-riding. It was just what I needed and she needed,” he said of his mount,.
Jim has just started the Intermediate II with her and hopes to come back next year and compete.
Canadian rider Jaimey Irwin had quite an advanced horse in Simsalabim (Sir Donnerhall II X Akzent II) who did some nice work in piaffe and passage. Sabine discussed giving walk breaks as rewards in addition to a pat, pointing out that they can be useful in another way, too.
Jaimey Irwin and Simsalabim. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Every time I walk, I kind of think I’m in the test in the sense of making it really, really correct. The back opens up if the nose comes a little forward.”
She talked about rebalancing through a quarter-pirouette if the horse gets on its front end. “Push her sideways until she takes a little bit more weight.”
Make a decision based on what your horse feels like, not just what you’re being told to do.
Jaimey agreed with Jim about the value of the experience.
“It’s a perfect opportunity to bring in horses like mine who haven’t had a chance to compete under the lights in an atmosphere. Let them go in and find their relaxation and confidence in a situation like that and be guided by Sabine.”