Cowboy Dressage Gaining in Popularity in US and Overseas
Eitan Beth Halachmy with his beautiful Morgan stallion, Photo courtesy of Eitan Beth Halachmy.
“Guide Each Horse to its Personal Optimum:” Cowboy Dressage Comes to 2015 AMERICANA For the First Time
American Trainer Eitan Beth Halachmy presents Cowboy Dressage at Europe’s Premier Western Event
2015 is the year of first presentations at AMERICANA. Europe’s premier western event is the perfect platform for the latest trends in Western Riding. One of them is Cowboy Dressage – which will be presented by Eitan Beth Halachmy himself – the international mentor and master of this special discipline. Eitan supports H.P. Kind and his Cowboy Dressage of Germany team at Augsburg.
Cowboy Dressage: The Best of Two Worlds
Cowboy Dressage combines the advantages of Western Horsemanship with classical Dressage, but it’s definitely not simply Dressage in a western saddle and bridle.
“If you want to understand Cowboy Dressage, you must know the philosophy behind this discipline,” says H.P. Kind who promotes Cowboy Dressage in Germany and (together with Tessa Baumann) is the only trainer in Germany recommended by Eitan Beth Halachmy. “One should always remember that you cannot press your horse into a certain way of training, but that training has to be adapted to the needs of the horse. Each horse is an individual, and aspects of training that are considered as ‘correct’ may not fit one horse while the other is working perfectly with it. Also, we haven’t all got a highly talented horse for the discipline we want to ride in. About 90 percent of the riders have got an average horse. Cowboy Dressage wants to give those 90 percent the chance of training their horses to their individual optimum – with time, gentleness and lots of fun.”
The American Mentor of Cowboy Dressage in Augsburg
The origins of Cowboy Dressage go back to the time when Eitan Beth Halachmy was a horse-crazy kid in Israel. When he was studying veterinary medicine at Vienna University, he got the chance to work as a student in the Spanish Riding School. There he came to know and appreciate the art of training the famous white Lipizzan horses with classic Dressage. But he also had a dream of becoming a cowboy in the US. So, a man from Israel, trained in classic Dressage went to the States to become a cowboy.
During the following years, Eitan came to know the American show industry, winning countless national and international Championships. In the early 90s, he became famous showing his beautiful, outstanding Morgan stallion Holiday Compadre. In 1994, this turned into the training concept of Cowboy Dressage. Eitan‘s presentations became legend, like those at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 World Equestrian Games at Kentucky or at the 2006 CHIO in Aachen. Together with the Texan NRHA legend Jack Brainard, Eitan founded the Western Dressage Association as a Show and Competition Platform. However, this turned into English riding in Western outfit, and so Eitan turned away from it. Only a few years ago, the training concept of Cowboy Dressage completed the show platform Cowboy Dressage – the Competition. Cowboy Dressage as a show discipline quickly gained acceptance by great American horsemen like the famous internationally renowned vet Dr. Robert Miller, who is specialized in Natural Horsemanship.
Prospering Show Scene in the U.S.
In the U.S.A., Cowboy Dressage is well known, and there is a prospering show scene already. The numbers of exhibitors and entries during the annual Cowboy Dressage Competition finals in California are increasing fast, coming close to the 1,000 mark. This is due to the fact that there are lots of possibilities and classes for showing high class show horses as well as leisure horses. Numerous other states are organizing big shows on a regular basis. H.P. Kind and Tessa Baumann are busy promoting Cowboy Dressage in Europe. Austria, Great Britain, and Denmark already have Cowboy Dressage representatives.
During AMERICANA, Cowboy Dressage will be shown via a mixture of presentations, an open 5-day-clinic, show off during the Thursday evening show and entertainment. On Thursday night, H. P. Kind and Eitan Beth Halachmy will ride Cowboy Dressage in the big Augsburg arena. Afterwards, visitors will have a chance to ask them questions.
“We will surprise the visitors with the legerté typical of Cowboy Dressage as the descendant of a working style of riding,” explains H.P.Kind. “Eitan and Debbie-Beth Halachmy add the perfect finishing touch to our Cowboy Dressage of Germany Team, and we are so proud and happy to have them there. Horses of various breeds will show the way of training, the competition rules, and especially the fact that every western discipline can profit from this method. It is especially important for us, that visitors can watch how horses improve during the 5-day clinic.”
AMERICANA – The No. 1 of International Western Events and Fairs
“For me, there is nothing like AMERICANA when it comes to international western events,” says H.P. Kind. “Its atmosphere is simply unique. No other event has come even close to it as much as they try to show western riding. AMERICANA perfectly reflects our philosophy of relaxed western riding and lifestyle. For us, the representatives of Cowboy Dressage, there could be no better platform – and we also have got the perfect neighbors there, our Working Equitation friends in hall 2. I’m sure we will have a great time.”
Run for Evening Shows
The evening shows of the last AMERICANA were almost fully booked – and this should be the same again this year. Actually, at the moment, a lot more tickets have been sold already for 2015 AMERICANA than for 2013 AMERICANA at the same time. Visitors who would like to see the evening shows should hurry now. All the AMERICANA tickets can be ordered online (www.americana.de).
For further information please contact:
AFAG Messen und Ausstellungen GmbH, Winfried Forster
phone +49 (0) 821 – 5 89 82 – 385 I fax +49 (0) 821 – 5 89 82– 389
