San Diego, CA — The Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championships are not only a place to spot young equine talent, but also a prime venue for uncovering top up and coming international riders. Lientje Schueler, an assistant trainer to Steffen and Shannon Peters for the past seven years, has quietly been building a name for herself as a developer of quality young horses, as well as an FEI rider, trainer and instructor. While waiting for a big win to highlight her resumé, dedicated students and owners around the world have already known of her dressage savvy.
“Lientje is very talented and one of the easiest people to get along with — adjustable, even-tempered and determined. Her attitude has made the equation for our success,” explained Pinky Roberts, owner of Regalo, the five-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Rosario that was crowned the 2012 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Champion (five year old). Pinky, a self-described dressage addict, learned of Lientje through Steffen. “I was very impressed with her equitation and way with horses. We hit it off immediately… and I was sold on Lientje forever.”
Lientje and Regalo won the West Coast Selection Trials for the World Breeding Championships in Flintridge, CA in May with an 8.168, and were ecstatic to replicate their victory at Lamplight Equestrian Center, also with an 8.16 score during the final test.
“I was thrilled,” Lientje exclaimed of the national championship. “It feels great to do that with a horse that you love. It’s nice to get rewarded [by the judges] when you think you and your horse have done the best you can in the arena on that day.”
Schueler and Regalo have been partners since March of 2011, after she discovered the gelding in Germany. They quickly forged a strong partnership and finished third at the 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championships in the four-year-old division. Since then, Lientje has carefully helped Regalo develop the strength and skills needed to successfully move up the levels.
“With young horses, our goal is to teach new movements while keeping the horse supple and rideable,” she said. “A trainer must keep improving the quality of the work and gaits, not just teach a movement.” Regalo’s scores of 8.4 on submission and 8.2 on general impression in the final class at the National Championships indicate that he’s developing as a happy athlete.
Regalo will now be guided towards the skills he needs as a future FEI horse — more lateral work and flying changes. “As a six-year-old, he should learn those movements,” Lientje explained. Of course, she will let Regalo tell her when he’s ready to progress.
“There is no doubt in my mind that each horse is telling us every day how we need to approach its training that day. You must continuously heighten your senses as a trainer,” she explained of her system.
Lientje’s system has not only helped her develop Regalo, but also other quality young horses, including Chocolatt, a Bellini daughter that was bred by and owned by Roberts. Schueler and Chocolatt won the six-year-old California Dressage Society Championship Futurity in the fall of 2010. Although an injury slowed Chocolatt’s show career last year, she’s currently working Fourth Level with the goal of Prix St. Georges by the end of 2013.
“I am very lucky to have Pinky Roberts as an owner,” Lientje said. “It is wonderful that the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championships, as well as programs like the CDS Futurity, give breeders like Pinky an opportunity to promote their horses and their breeding programs.” The young horse divisions are also proving to be a great stepping-stone to the FEI ranks.
Another example of a successful young horse rising up the levels is Lucky Girl BC, a Hanoverian mare (Londonberry xWenzel I) mare, owned by Michele and Gary Cooper. In 2008, Lientje tied for the Reserve Championship at the Markel/USEF Reserve National Young Horse Championship (five-year-old) with Lucky Girl. Michele now competes the mare at Prix St. Georges.
In addition to young horses, Lientje is an accomplished FEI rider and trainer. Riding Lila Kommerstad’s Marlando, previously ridden and trained by Steffen, Lientje was the FEI High Point winner with a 73% at L.A. Winter Dressage. Schueler looks back on her rides with Marlando fondly, as it further developed her training experience at the FEI level. “I was so grateful to get the opportunity to learn from Marlando,” Lientje remembered. She has been able to use what she gleaned from him on other sales and training horses at the FEI level.
Now Lientje is helping other riders reach their competitive goals. She maintains one of the busiest clinic schedules of anyone in the business. For one stretch, she was only home one weekend in three months! But the sacrifices are well worth the effort. “It is so rewarding to see a rider and her horse achieve their goals,” Lientje says.
Michelle Markquart, Elk Mound, Wisconsin, has now worked with Lientje for several years. “The most impressive thing that Lientje has done for me is to bring me to Grand Prix and help me earn my USDF Gold Medal in less than a year,” Michelle recalled. “She found me the horse and taught me how to piaffe, passage and do changes correctly so I was able to earn scores of 63% and 64% my first time out at Grand Prix. That was amazing to me! I still have more to learn, and certainly to master in the Grand Prix test, but she continues to bring me along.”
Lientje has learned not only from the Peters, but also luminaries like Viola Abrahms and Harry Boldt in her native Germany. “I believe that the classical scale of training-rhythm, relaxation, connection, impulsion, straightness and collection– leads to ultimate suppleness when executed correctly over the days, years and shows of every horse. It sounds like a simple system to follow, but I believe it takes a lot of discipline to truly follow this system without skipping any steps,” Lientje said.
Lientje also credits Steffen for helping her understand the importance of keeping one’s standards very high throughout each ride, which often translates into the rider continuing to refine the timing of her aids. Lientje explained, “It is important to create a horse that wants to work and has fun doing its job by not over-aiding, and understanding that most of the time our leg, seat and hand aids need to be better timed, and be executed better without losing any other part of our position or aiding.” She also acknowledges Shannon’s tutelage about the biomechanics of horse and rider. “Shannon continuously makes me want to improve my body awareness,” she stated.
This attention to detail and her ability to explain it so that other riders can use it has given her a huge fan following as far away as Australia, which for Lientje is the entire point. “My goal is to be good and disciplined enough to train quality horses to their best ability, and prove how rideable they are by showing successfully at major competitions and championships,” she said.
Follow Lientje’s progress on her website www.trainandcompete.com.
Media Contact:
Christine DeHerrera
Equestrian Sports Promotions
303-263-7531
equestriansports@earthlink.net