Riding Club level rider - lessons with Olympic eventer?

9

{97702}

...
Joined
9 July 2012
Messages
14,849
Visit site
Has anyone had regular lessons with an Olympic level eventer when they themselves have been a Riding Club level rider who has aspirations only to go BE90 at most? Just curious how you found the experience :)
 
Lévrier;13210276 said:
Has anyone had regular lessons with an Olympic level eventer when they themselves have been a Riding Club level rider who has aspirations only to go BE90 at most? Just curious how you found the experience :)
Click to expand...

I think it would depend on which Olympic level rider it was. Some can do, some can teach, and some can do both. I have had lessons with high level riders, and some have been great, and others, not so great. Definitely go for it. What have you got to lose? Good luck. :) x
 
I am just really nervous about the idea :D I have a stroppy ex-racing pony TB and am - ahem - not a naturally gifted rider.... but then the eventer in question does riding club clinics etc so I guess she is used to teaching people of all levels :)
 
nikicb said:
I think it would depend on which Olympic level rider it was. Some can do, some can teach, and some can do both. I have had lessons with high level riders, and some have been great, and others, not so great. Definitely go for it. What have you got to lose? Good luck. :) x
Click to expand...

Well that is it really - what have I got to lose -just wish I didn't feel such a wimp about it!
 
Who is it? Someone might have first hand experience.

I've never had a lesson with an Olympic rider but had a few lessons with an FBHS who has gone 4*, coached national YR and Juniors and done demos at YHL when I was a mere riding school riders and it was AMAZING!

My current instructor has represented her country as a junior and young rider and competed advanced and I am very much a riding club rider.

It depends on the teaching skills of the instructor
 
If it is Lucinda Green you will really enjoy the lessons.

I had a few lessons from an Olympic dressage rider and was totally humiliated, even though my horse was competing elim and working medium.
 
Any lesson is a good thing, you always learn something. I just had one with a lady on my yard who does dressage (i think she was quite good in america) and the things i learned were amazing. I didn't get out of trot, in fact most of it was in walk, but it benefited me so much and i can't wait for my next one! I too had a bit of a "is she too good for me" moment but it quickly passed. Riding for over 20 years and i thought i had a good enough handle on things....nope!
 
Lévrier;13210276 said:
Has anyone had regular lessons with an Olympic level eventer when they themselves have been a Riding Club level rider who has aspirations only to go BE90 at most? Just curious how you found the experience :)
Click to expand...

I found it pointlessly expensive.
 
the only lesson I've had was with a certain Mr Tapner, who made it very clear he didn't like my horse and was a bit of a *insert ride word of choice here*
I've got friends who've had very positive lessons though-think it very much depends on the person and whether they can adapt their teaching to a range of levels.
 
I train regularly with Chris Burton who is an Australian Olympic eventer and worth every penny. I went to him wobbling round 90cm ode's and now we're off to Badminton Grassroots 3rd yr running. He has made a massive difference to our jumping. I have also had a lesson with vittoria panizzon and found it very good. If she's happy to teach RC clinics then don't feel bad about taking part. Not all top riders can teach but those that can are definitely worth it!
 
I had the same at a Lucinda Green clinic Sarcasm Queen - we were in a group of 4 for an XC clinic and I might as well not have been there for all the notice she took of me!
 
If you enjoy them and can afford regular lessons then why not?

I recently had a few lessons with an Olympic dressage trainer and I can count the number of dressage tests I've done over the years on one hand (I showjump). 🙂

But... I really enjoyed my lessons and came away feeling like I'd achieved something with both horses each time. It was definitely worth it - just wish he was over a bit more often as he worked wonders with my big lad in just 45 minutes.
 
I have had lessons with a few top riders and seen a few others teach over the years, I think the only way to tell if it is worth it is to go with an open mind and see if they suit you, one livery of mine was given a xc lesson many years ago by Andrew Nicholson, it was very beneficial for her and I learned plenty just being there to watch, some riders ride far better than they teach, it will sometimes be down to whether you gel as to how much you get out of it.
 
Lévrier;13210384 said:
Vittoria Pannizon
Click to expand...

Some friends have had one lesson with her........all I will say from watching a video is.....some people can ride but perhaps aren't suited to teaching.
 
Lévrier;13210422 said:
I had the same at a Lucinda Green clinic Sarcasm Queen - we were in a group of 4 for an XC clinic and I might as well not have been there for all the notice she took of me!
Click to expand...

I have a friend who said the same about her.
 
Teaching is such a personal thing, one persons amazing lesson, is someone elses nightmare! The best advice I can give is if at all possible, watch a lesson before you decide, its the most useful thing you can do.
 
I had a lesson with William Fox Pitt. I'm a BE80 at best with my little cob. I booked in for fun and, I'll admit, to say that I had :D

In some ways it was great. He was friendly, engaged and equal with his attention. I would not say that I learnt masses- a lot of it was jump that, that and that, with very few comments (if any). However, it can't be easy to teach someone like me who has no grand ambition and no real talent :D It probably wasn't worth the money but I enjoyed it and it was a great experience.
 
I've had both jumping and dressage lessons from Olympic riders. The jumping was a group lesson and yeah it was very much jump this, jump that. The dressage was a private lesson and I got masses out of it. Loved every minute :)
 
Have saw a few people on the twitter eventing page saying they had a great lesson with vittoria...you don't know unless you try! Every instructor is different and people like different things
 
Had a group lesson (4 of us) riding club riders with Ian Stark, a good few years ago. He was absolutely fabulous and very, very nice. He got us all going through some really technical grids although not high required to be ridden properly. He was also very funny and approachable, we all got the impression that he enjoyed teaching.
 
Give it a go, and if it doesn't work for you, you don't have to go back.

FWIW I had a lesson with NZ's most famous Olympic rider and for me, he wasn't a great instructor, so I wouldn't do it again. But if I hadn't gone I wouldn't have known. Besides, it was awesome to meet him!
 
I've had a lesson with an Olympic level event rider and it was rubbish, I don't think they could teach as well as they rode! I had a lesson with a danish Olympic Dr rider and OMG amazing! I can only imagine what I could achieve with that instruction reguarly. They made me feel like I could really ride and they got incredible results out of my horse and I. It was inspiring.
Normally I don't get much out of lessons generally. There have only been 3 instructors in the whole of my life who have made a marked difference in my technique and confidence. The rest have been a waste of time and money.
 
I can count on one hand the number of high level event riders I would pay for a lesson. The usual suspects are not included in that list! They have been there done it but dont have a clue about teaching, they are just doing it to create an income off the back of their success.
 
I would say it's probably best to get lessons from their coaches instead although Carl hester is supposed to be really good. I have had lessons with mark mccourt and Eric mckechnie both are really good but have or do teach Olympic teams so they should be lol.
 
I am very much a riding club level rider and was lucky enough to win a XC lesson with Harry Meade last year, there were four in the group and at the time mine was very much the greenest horse there, but I really liked him as a teacher, he sussed us all out very quickly and gave some excellent advice in a way we could understand and take away and use.... and it was lovely to meet him and I had a great time!
oh and it being free was a bonus :-)

I also recently took part in a jump clinic with Chris Burton (again a group of four) I liked his down to earth approach as well and again even though we were not the most experienced combination in the group and made mistakes, I took away lots of tips to use in every day riding to try and improve. - oh and he got on and rode my horse to demonstrate something to the group :-) !!

i would say overall I had good experiences both times, but I guess you have to be open minded about what you expect to get out of the lesson.
 
I only started riding at Prelim dressage recently and have had lessons with a Grand Prix dressage rider who rode at the Olympics. I find that at that level they have so much experience that they have creative ways of doing things that aren't 'by the book' that can help you to get results with your horse, which traditional BHS or lower-level coaches haven't yet figured out.

Additionally, I find they are obsessive about smaller details - I spent most of my lesson getting killed for my leg position and rein length! Maybe that's why some people don't find them valuable - they expect to be getting revolutionary ideas, but in reality these people are just very successful because they nailed the basics, and do so obsessively.

I found it excellent, and it's always good to get a fresh perspective :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top