Catherine Haddad

And a little contest for the up-and-coming World Cup.

Dear Rita,

It’s St. Paddy’s Day! Yes, we celebrate that lively Irish saint’s day here in Germany as well. Is there any place in the world where you can’t find an Irish Pub?!? I’d like to be down at the local Kneipe drinking cool, green beer but alas, I still have work to do.

Dear Rita,

I can’t believe it’s the middle of March! All of a sudden I looked at my calendar and realized it’s time to start thinking ahead about spring and summer. I would like to go to Gladstone this year to compete in the U.S. Selection Trials, so I have a lot of planning to do.

Dear Rita,

This is for the people who have asked me to explain the difference between LDR and HF. LDR—low, deep, round—is a position of the neck. HF—Hyperflexion is an extreme flexion of the poll normally performed in an LDR position of the neck.

In my stable we ride BPS and HA. Riders learn to IAS on the longe line before ever taking contact with the bit. No matter what method you choose to use, you can’t get started until you IAS. Learn to sit before you learn to hold the reins.

Dear Rita,

I’m going to ‘s-Hertogenbosch at the end of the month to watch the World Cup Finals. The IDRC is meeting again at the show, the FEI is holding a forum for all dressage stakeholders, and the competition itself promises to be incredibly well fought this year. I’m excited to see it!!

Dear Rita,

There I was, riding across the threshold into Schultheis’ arena. I had clambered over his garden fence, left footprints in the rose beds, trespassed on his property on horseback, and somehow he still wanted to see me ride. Looking back on this now, I am dumbfounded.

Dear Rita,

When I was first learning to sit the trot, Reiner Klimke was coming off his big win at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Over the following years, he spent a lot of time teaching people in the United States about dressage and its benefits to the health and well being of horses. I was training with Bodo Hangen at the time, and I got to experience firsthand the physical and mental benefits of the training on the horses in his stable.

Dear Rita,

I just watched the freestyle at the Neumuenster CDI-W. Notice I said “watched,” not “competed in.” I didn’t qualify for the freestyle with Maximus, so I sat back and watched the competition today. The test actually finished a good hour ago, but after watching Totilas, I have been speechless until now.

I have seen Totilas compete live four times. The first time was last July in Hickstead. I thought I would never be more impressed by a horse. Then I saw him go in Stuttgart and in London and continued to be impressed. Today at Neumuenster, he rocked my world.

Dear Rita,

I just got home from the annual Vechta Athlete’s Banquet sponsored by our regional newspaper, Oldenburgishe Volkszeitung. Athletes from all the recognized sports in our area (over 42,000) are observed throughout the year and then given awards in three categories:

1. Women’s Individual Sports
2. Men’s Individual Sports
3. Team Sports

This year I was voted the second most successful Female Athlete of the Year.

Dear Rita,

It’s funny. Every time I start to write about Schultheis, I sit a little deeper in my chair. Hah!

Where was I now? I had sat through a morning of training at the Schultheis stable and then gone to ride my own horses...

Dear Rita,

I know you are sitting on pins and needles to hear the next episode of the Schultheis Chronicles, but I’m off on another tangent!

Dressage is a sport of ritual and routine (much of mine I learned from Schultheis), and since living in Germany for over 16 years, I am no exception to this rule. My routine begins the moment I wake up, which is a surprisingly flexible hour since I almost always adjust my day to wake up with the sun. That means 8:30 a.m. in the depth of winter and 4:30 a.m. during the longest days of summer.