Dear Rita,

Here is another top rider to add to my “Dressage for Life” line-up: Patrik Kittel, 34 years old, riding for Sweden.

Patrik grew up in Sweden where his first equestrian experience mimicked my own on the back of a Welsh cross pony. He quickly moved on to bigger horses and dallied in a bit of jumping and dressage. Competitive at an early age, Patrik competed in several junior and young rider championships before declaring his path as a professional rider.

Patrik moved to Germany to pursue his education as a rider, learning under the expert tutelage of Klaus Martin Rath and Klaus Balkenhol for several years before setting up a business as an independent and self-employed trainer in 1998. Patrik’s resume includes many international successes at the Grand Prix level, beginning in 2005 with his debut on the Swedish Dressage Team in Aachen.

Today, you will find Patrik training at Outstanding Stables on the elegant campus of the Tecklenborg Family estate in Nottuln, Germany. Coached by Sjef Janssen of the Netherlands, his most recent success is the fifth-placed finish in his first World Cup Finals at Den Bosch last month with his Solos Carex son, Scandic.

Here is what Patrik has to say about Dressage and Life during a short interview at the World Cup Final 2010. 

I’m Catherine Haddad, and I’m sayin it like it is from Vechta, Germany.

Training Tip of the Day: When you ask for a halt, does your horse stop in a balanced manner, or does he negotiate with his frame and carriage? Maintain the self-carriage in the halt!