Michael Byatt
In the occasion of his recent visit to Italy we had the great pleasure of interviewing Michael Byatt, a veritable living legend in the Pure Bred Arabian world. Wanting to express very synthetically this concept, we could use the phrase "if you don't know at least Michael Byatt's name, you don't know Arabian horses at all".
Non vogliamo fare una cronistoria delle esperienze passate, ci vorrebbe davvero molto tempo per descrivere tutto quel che riguarda il lavoro di Michael dagli esordi ai giorni nostri - non per una questione anagrafica ma di quantità e importanza ovviamente - anche perché noi siamo sempre più interessati al futuro che al passato che è li, ben scritto, nella memoria e nell'esperienza di ognuno di noi, ma piuttosto sapere qualcosa in più di Michael oggi. Lasceremo a lui raccontare qualcosa di significativo che ricorda più volentieri. Senza dubbio Michael ha lasciato la sua impronta nei quattro angoli del pianeta, come handler, come allevatore, come scopritore di talenti, come insegnante a quanti negli anni si sono recati da lui ad imparare o perfezionare quanto sapevano sulla gestione dei cavalli arabi e a cercare di carpirne i segreti... Ma in realtà il segreto di Michael è l'innato feeling che ha sempre avuto con i PSA e, purtroppo, questo non lo si può imparare. Un professionista a tuttotondo che ha cambiato in modo radicale l'essere "cavallo arabo". Michael è senz'altro l'uomo che ha meglio interpretato l'industria del cavallo arabo, nell'accezione più positiva del termine, perché Michael trasuda passione per il suo lavoro e guardandolo negli occhi capisci perché sia riuscito ad ottenere così tanto
This is not the right place to detail all his experiences, it would take too long to describe everything connected to Michael's job, from his debut to today - and not because of the length of time, clearly, but because of its quantity and importance - also because we are always more interested in the future than in the past, since this last will stay where it is, solidly inscribed in the memory and in the experience of each one of us, but we would rather get to learn something more about today's Michael. We shall let him tell you some of his most significant memories, those he remembers most willingly. Without a doubt, Michael left his imprint in every corner of the world, as a handler, as a breeder, as a talent scout, as the teacher for all those who in the course of the years have gone to him to learn or perfect their knowledge of Arabian horses management, trying to learn his secret... In reality however Michael's secret is the innate feeling he has always had with the Pure Bred Arabian and, unfortunately, this is something one cannot learn. A through-and-through professional who has radically changed the way of being "Arabian Horse". Michael is undoubtedly the man who has best interpreted the Arabian Horse industry, in the best and most positive meaning of the word, exactly because Michael literally oozes passion for his job, and
dai soggetti che, arrivati da lui semplicemente "cavalli" sono poi diventati delle icone nei ring di mezzo mondo. AHJ: bene Michael, per tanto tempo ho cercato di farti un'intervista, finalmente ci sono riuscita e credimi è per me fonte di immensa gioia e per questo ti ringrazio. Qualche accenno sul tuo passato professionale, quali sono i momenti che ricordi con maggior piacere? MB: La mia storia con i cavalli è nata dal puro e semplice amore che ho per questi meravigliosi compagni di vita. Quando ho cominciato non sapevo nulla di come si partecipa ad uno show, anzi non sapevo nemmeno che esistesse una cosa chiamata show ring. Semplicemente mi piacevano moltissimo i cavalli. Sono cresciuto ad Albuquerque, nel Nuovo Messico, e da bambino andavo a cavalcare coi miei amici su e giù lungo il fiume Rio Grande. Partivamo all'alba, a mezzogiorno legavamo i cavalli a qualche albero mentre pranzavamo al sacco, poi cavalcavamo divertendoci fino a casa. I cavalli mangiavano l'erba sulle sponde del fiume e ne bevevano l'acqua. E' stata un'epoca meravigliosa. Qualche tempo dopo feci conoscenza con il cavallo arabo grazie alla mia vicina, e mentore, Ethel Ortenburger e da allora niente fu più lo stesso. Lei mi portava a delle piccole mostre, alla domenica, dove c'erano molti ragazzi che si divertivano con i cavalli sia per hobby che come sport. Gli show erano faccende di un solo giorno, dove i nostri genitori potevano spendere qualcosa come 20 dollari per l'intera giornata dello show, pranzo incluso! Ci godevamo il cameratismo e l'amicizia che si creava con gli altri ragazzi e la nostra passione per i cavalli che coinvolgeva tutta la famiglia. Il mio
arabianhorsejournal.com
when you gaze into his eyes you suddenly understand why and how he was able to wring so much from subjects that, "simply horses" when they arrived into his hands, have later become icons in rings the world over.
AHJ: Well, Michael, I have been trying to get an interview from you for a long time, I have finally managed it, and believe you me this is a great joy for me, I give you my heartfelt thanks. Tell us something about your professional history, which moments do you remember with the greatest pleasure?
MB: My history with horses was born purely out of love for horses. I began with horses not knowing about showing or even that there was such a thing as the show ring. I just loved horses. I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and as a child I rode with my friends up and down the Rio Grande River. We started at sunrise, tied our horses to trees at midday while we ate our lunch, then rode and played games all the way home. The horses would eat the grass from the river bank and drink the water. It was an amazing time. Later, I was exposed to Arabian horses through my neighbor and mentor Ethel Ortenburger and I never looked back. She took me to small shows on Sundays, where there were lots of kids enjoying horses as a hobby and a sport. The shows were one day affairs where our parents might spend 20.00 dollars for the entire day of showing, lunch included! We enjoyed the camaraderie and friendship with other kids and our love for horses in a very family friendly way. My mentor Ethel was first and foremost a teacher of integrity and respect for our horses. She insisted we do everything. There were no grooms taking care of anything. She had a rule, for 8 hours of work we could have 1 hour of lessons. It taught all of us about horses and the priorities of horsemen. She also wanted us to know every detail about how to use all the equipment for horses. She would take a complicated double bridle apart, put all the pieces in a pile in the middle of the floor, and we had to put it together before we could put it on a horse. As time went on, I sought out the most accomplished trainers in the business and followed them on the show circuit just to imitate them. I watched everything. I adapted things that worked for me and learned through experimenting on how to do things. My early days were 100% devoted to being a performance trainer. My first important success was winning a National Championship in Western Pleasure. Then
2015
Interview with
2015
Interview with Michael Byatt
112 | 113