German dressage trainer Johann Hinnemann sent Eurodressage a statement on his dissociate position in relation to the press release sent out by the German Federation of Professional Riders (BBR) on 21 February 2012. BBR expressed its disappointment in Matthias Rath's Trainer Choice.
Hinnemann submitted the following statement to Eurodressage:
As a (until now) member of the German Federation of Professional Riders (BBR) I want to dissociate myself clearly from the style and manner of the press release in which our Dutch rider colleague Sjef Janssen was defamed as a notorious animal abuser. It is unsportsmanlike and not forward looking.
Those who present Sjef Janssen as the "inventor of the rollkur" and reduce him to that level,
- have no clue of the history of equestrianism. Before 1900 emperor Wilhelm already had a cavalry riding master, Paul Plinzner, who tried to establish a so called "System of Horse Gymanstics" which has been passed on in time as "plinznern"
- have not seriously looked into Sjef Janssen's very successful work in daily training and on show grounds, nor personally exchanged ideas about training methods. I have never seen the spokesperson of the BBR at any international warm-up ring in this world.
- are also repressing that in recent times many different, renowned and highly decorated German Olympic horses (dressage and show jumping) could have been seen with intensively rolled necks, which weren't trained by Janssen. The modern English term for that is "stretching".
The discussion was definitely necessary and took place at the highest eschelons of the FEI. Now it's called "Hyperflexion" and is allowed as "LDR" (Long, Deep, Round) in a much reduced, moderate and agression-free form. With major success: riding behaviour in the warm-up arena has improved considerably and has really become worth looking at.
That is what BBR should commit itself to: for more openness and public display as well as control in the daily training work, as well as for more support of professional riders in their training, development and participation.
We should calmly observe when a young German rider is seeking advice and help from a foreign professional colleague. Fortunately for equestrianism in its entirety, this is what riders from different nations have successfully done for years by importing German professional riders, and they still do today. That's what we need to work on.
Johann Hinnemann
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
German Federation of Professional Riders: Rath's Trainer Choice "Unacceptable"
Dutch Dressage Reorganized