Hoofbeats magazine- Hayley Beresford part1- April/May 20

hoofbeats

riding, training and horse care MAGAZINE

90 Leslie Rd Wandi 6167 Australia Phone: (08) 9397 0506 Fax: (08) 9397 0200 editorial@hoofbeats.com.au www.hoofbeats.com.au

ABN 59 592 339 450

Welcome to this Hoofbeats feature Hoofbeats magazine is an Australian riding, training, horse care magazine that covers a wide range of topics relevant to riders of all levels.

The Green Horse section - horses and the land - features property care, pasture and environmental issues, as well as practical handson suggestions.

For more informtion on the magazine or to take out a subscription, go to www.hoofbeats.com.au

www.hoofbeats.com.au Available in print (Australia and New Zealand), and worldwide as an App.

At home in Germany with Australian Dressage Olympian

HAYLEY ERESFORD B

by Celine Boennelykke and Sally-Leigh Woods

Everyone who has horses knows they involve hard work and dedication, especially when you are competing at the higher levels. But does the work and commitment differ from country to country?

No, not according to Australian-born international dressage competitor Hayley Beresford who, with partner Jule Fehl, have their own equestrian business situated near Stuttgart in southern Germany.

During a Christmas trip to Germany, Sally Leigh Woods – herself a Grand Prix competitor who has lived and worked overseas - visited Hayley and Jule to find out if training and competing horses is vastly different in Germany than it is in Australia.

Hayley, 42, spends almost every waking hour in the office, in the stables or around the six hectare property that she and Jule purchased in 2018.

Previously, both had separate equestrian businesses, however as they both had different strengths that complimented each other they formed a partnership in the business ‘Eiserner Hof’, which they have developed into a training establishment for competition and sales horses. Hayley’s impressive record of so far producing 23 Grand Prix horses helps promote the business. Her personal goals for 2020 were to produce Grand Prix horses number 24 and 25. Number 24 was ticked off with the Stef McDonald (Vic, Australia) owned Friedolin, who impressively won his debut in Munster in January 2020. The next target was to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics but the coronavirus has put an end to that goal.

“Jule mainly works, trains and competes the younger horses,” explains Hayley, who concentrates on the high level horses and at the moment has four Grand Prix horses in work; two that were competing internationally.

Training young horses from the basics to international and Grand Prix level is one of Hayley’s fortes and, alongside teaching, coaching and giving clinics, it finances her toplevel competition lifestyle.

Left: Hayley and Jaybee Alabaster (now retired).

Left centre: Jule and some of the ‘fur babies’.

Left below: Hayley and her young cousin, Maddie Cooke from WA, take a scenic ride on the property.

Right: Sambucca, owner by German veterinarian Dr Tanja Schlegel.

Above and above right: the stables and turnout paddocks at Eiserner Hof. Far right: The outdoor arena showing the stables behind.

Training any discipline requires a demanding routine, and for Hayley her mornings begin when her alarm goes off at 4.30am. She has her first coffee and deals with emails before working her way down to the stunning stable complex to feed the 26 horses at 6am. The rest of the Eiserner Hof team starts at 7am to attend their daily meeting before the horses go on the walker or to the fields, and stables are cleaned… all before breakfast at 9.00.

With 22 horses in work Jule and Hayley are kept busy.

Riding from 9.30am and continuing until all horses are worked, Hayley then starts teaching clients from 5pm. A normal day for this hard-working Australian may not end until 10pm when the last check is made on the horses. Even at this elite level, horses are still hard work.

Early equestrian background

Hayley grew up in the country town of Narrogin in Western Australia, where she was fortunate to have been born into a family who were very involved in equestrian pursuits. This gave her unlimited access to horses and she was given every opportunity to ride in a variety of disciplines. Her dad, Phillip, competed at a high level in show jumping and her mother, Jane, was well established in the dressage world. As a very young girl Hayley competed in almost every possible event; showing, dressage, show jump and eventing.

Making the most of opportunities

Her dad told her that success in horse sports is based on 10% talent and 90% opportunity. Hayley’s first horse related jobs

were with Australian dressage Olympian Mary Hanna and at Jim and Emmie Schmul’s stables, both situated in Victoria, where she got a taste of the professionalism and insight into what the industry could be.

One of the biggest opportunities Hayley had was the chance to work with World Champion German dressage rider, Isabell Werth, who has competed in the Olympics five times, winning ten medals, six of them gold.

Hayley worked alongside Isabell for five years and reached goals she had never anticipated; she feels that Isabell was instrumental in her success as a rider and trainer and she may never have reached the levels she has without those years spent with her.

The five-year-long position in Isabell’s stables actually began back in Australia when Isabell came for a clinic and Hayley’s riding caught her eye, resulting in the offer of a position beginning in 2006. At the Werth stables in Germany, Hayley spent her time breaking, training and competing horses, and it was here she discovered the Lusitano stallion, Relampago do Retiro. She took him to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing as part of the Australian Olympic Dressage team, finishing 18th in the individual event and 7th in the team event with Kristy Oatley and Heath Ryan.

This combination also made it to the Kentucky World Equestrian Games in 2010, but unfortunately Relampago do Retiro was eliminated when he pulled-up lame. Tragically, this stallion was killed in a road accident whilst travelling home from a routine vet check in 2011.

On differences between the equine industry in Australia and Europe, Hayley points out that Europe is generally on a much bigger scale than she found in Australia as there are far more professionals making a living from, and working in the industry.

Continued

April/May 2020- Page 53

Hayley Beresford continued...

“From breeding, training, sales and competitions it’s much, much bigger. Of course with that comes more competition in business but over the past 10 years I’ve been lucky to always have my stables full and have plenty of opportunities in front of me. In Australia, although everyone is very enthusiastic and always improving, equestrian is, in my opinion, considered more a hobby for many, whilst in Europe it’s a respected sport and business.

“Costs are a much-of-a-muchness as there are big costs in both Australia and Europe when competing, but you should not think you can survive from the prize money in either country. Our business revolves around the development, care and training of the horses, preparation for sales and competition, and my coaching.”

In a previous interview with Hayley, she states that being an Australian in a top-class equestrian sport hadn’t been a complication in regards to the Germans and other Europeans sending their horses for training. “German owners and riders have been extremely accepting and were impressed by the way the horses were started, the care, the dedication and the fact the horses all seemed to be calm, happy and secure in themselves,” explained Hayley.

It takes a lot of effort to get to where Hayley is today and it does not happen overnight. There will always be highs as well as lows in the sport of dressage; that never changes regardless of the country in which you are training and competing.

A couple of the lows Hayley experienced included losing her top horse and companion Relampago, and a very controversial and public non-selection to the 2012 Olympic Team.

Moving forward, Hayley and Jule have concentrated on competing and building their business, and the more they are out there winning the better it is for the business. Hayley’s personal highlight from 2019 was winning the Landeschampionate, which is the ‘State Championship for Young Horses’. Eiserner Hof have now won this event for the past three years with either Jule or Hayley in the saddle.

Epic start for 2020, before coronavirus

2020 had an epic start for the Eiserner Hof team, however the coronavirus has changed everything.

“What started as my best competition season to date in Germany - with four competitions and four victories - has been halted in its tracks.”

“Plans for every horse and owner and the entire team are really in limbo now. Coaching has stopped and we had to send our working student home to Australia.

“At the moment we are reworking our goals without competitions.

Our horses all need to continue training, continue to improve and reach the next levels. The entire industry is in the same situation.

All riders, trainers, grooms … but that basically applies for all April/May 2020 - Page 54

If you want something then get off your behind and make it happen. If you can’t afford a good trainer then go work for one and earn some coaching from them.

Rebana , one of Hayley’s own horses competing.

industries across the world. At the moment I think the world needs to work together to stay healthy to beat corona, while individually we need to maintain our self-motivation and strive to be better at what we do ... and better at who we are.”

Before the coronavirus situation Hayley’s biggest challenges for 2020 was building a general team of employees and students, as she has seen a change in the culture and equestrian work structures. When she was young, it was a great opportunity to work within a team in a big stable; “You started at the bottom and worked your way up, however those new to the industry these days are not prepared to put in the ground work.”

At Eiserner Hof Hayley has the capacity and room for students to live and work with them, but she is not going to saddle-up the horse for the junior to ride. Her best advice to young riders with dreams of elite performance, even those without financial backing, is to get themselves a decent trainer who will tell them the truth.

“It is a tough industry if you want to be the best – but then, so is any industry. If you want something then get off your behind and make it happen. If you can’t afford a good trainer then go work for one and earn some coaching from them. I haven’t met a coach yet that would turn this down. I fitted straight into the industry in Germany, particularly Isabell’s stable, because I didn’t mind cleaning the drains, riding the ferals, or grooming the oldies. I just did whatever needed to be done. I grew up in Isabell’s stable, and what I loved particularly was that hard work in Europe seems always to be rewarded. The harder you work - the luckier you get! That’s how I grew up so that’s what I expect from my team.

“My opportunities came quickly. I worked hard and I always had a dream. I still work hard and I still have many dreams. Those dreams are broken down into goals and targets and I’m so, so lucky to now have a wonderful partner and collection of horse owners and friends that identify the goals together with me.”

Hayley occasionally flies back to Australia for coaching tours and clinics and believes that the influence of European horses that have been imported and bred in the country are now making it possible for Australians to achieve their aims in the elite equestrian world, even on an international level.

You can follow Hayley on facebook by logging on to Eiserner Hof- Hayley Beresford & Jule Fehl.