Prior to Amylie and Daniella having the floor for this interview, I just wanted to say how much this means to myself and Living Equine. Thank you so much to both Amylie and Daniella for taking the time, and for letting us in to Daniella’s Equestrian Story so far. This is pinch myself material, and I hope you all enjoy reading it.
Question One: With Australia not having horse events on due to Covid 19, how have you been spending that time?
I am very lucky to have a job where I work from home. Covid actually provided me with more time to focus on the five clients horses I have here in full training.
I have noticed that this Covid shutdown has really benefited all of the horses. They have all solidified with confidence where they have been training, improved and advanced from the levels they were at, due to me being able to give them an uninterrupted routine.
Having no competitions to go to for the past few months has also benefited them. No matter the age or level of my horses, travel and competitions do increase their level of stress. It is also quite common for the horses to bring home baggage from a competition, such as a loss of sensitivity to the aids or nerves for example, and the week after I’m normally giving them lighter work and taking them back to just the basics.
Question Two: You grew up surrounded by horses, what age did you realise that you wanted to persue this as a full time career?
I’m not sure there was ever a specific time when I realised I wanted to train horses as a career. With my parents and the business at home on the property, I’ve always been immersed in horses, and it’s been my lifestyle from the very beginning.
Question Three: As a trainer, personally what is your favourite horse breed to work with and why?
I can honestly say that I don’t have a favourite breed of horse which I prefer to work with. I have worked with and trained so many different breeds over the years. Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Trakehners, Warmbloods, Clydesdales, Quaterhorses, Friesians, Ponies and more, plus every mix that you can come up with! Lol
My favourite horses are the ones that really love and crave the mental stimulation from work. The horses who really end up trusting in you, and would try to get the answer right regardless of how hard the question is that’s thrown at them.
Question Four: You recently acquired a new horse named Adrik, who’s the half brother to your dressage stallion Tjbee B. What’s his personality like, and do you have a rough outline on when we might see him out and about?
Yes I have just purchased a young 4yo, PB Friesian called Adrik. He is a half brother to my very successful Friesian stallion that the Rapson’s own, Tjibbe B.
I was in no way looking to buy a horse but when Adrik came up, I was just interested if he could possibly be at all similar to Tjibbe in quality. Adrik had so many similarities and possibly even better qualities, that I made the decision to buy him after working with him over a two week trial!
Tjibbe is a very special horse and I am so lucky to be apart of his life and journey. I think everyone should be lucky to have a horse like Tjibbe in their lifetime!
So my plan for Adrik is to make that a possibility for someone else. I want to install all the correct handling and ground work including lounging, long-reining and acceptance of frame etc for him to be ready for someone to start under saddle. Or if and when his ready to be started under saddle, and I still have the time I do now due to Covid, I will break him in and sell him going under saddle.
Tjibbe B and Daniella Dierks competing in dressage.
Question Five: Growing up riding horses and juggling school and other commitments, what were some strategies/ coping mechanisms that you implemented to help yourself cope?
I rode and competed all through primary school, but only continued riding up to year 10 of high school. I gave up riding almost completely during years 11 & 12 as it was becoming hard to find time juggling study and being able to socialise with my friends. Trying to ride during that time and age made it more of a chore and there is no point in riding if your not enjoying it!
Question Six: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Hopefully in ten years time I will have won the lotto and just have 1 or 2 of my own horses to enjoy! Lol Realistically I will be happy if I’m still doing the same as I am now, living and training horses on our beautiful property in Arcadia.
Question Seven: Best horse you have ever owned or had the opportunity to ride?
I have had the opportunity to ride some really amazing horses but by far the best was the stallion I had in training called World Royal. Worldy is the only horse that has made me question my riding abilities to really do him justice. He had more power than I knew what do with, and the most incredible mechanics in his body that made everything easy to perform. I wish I had the chance to take him as far as I possibly could but he caused a stir in Europe when I made a video of him and of course he sold to the first person in a very long line back to Germany!
Question Eight: In your barn you have a lot of memorabilia, what is one photo or thing that you cherish the most out of all the rest, and can you show us and tell us why?
Gosh we have so many memories in our stables and Riders Room, it’s very hard to pick just one that I cherish the most! We have a CentreLine Magazine wall of fame, which is wonderful to remember many of our past and current horses. There is also a beautiful photo collage of World Royal that was presented to me by Roger Fitzhardinge at the DNSW Pirouettes Party after he sold that year.
Question Nine: You went overseas recently, what was one or two things you learnt whilst working with PSI?
When I was asked if I could come to Germany for 7 weeks to help PSI (Performance Sales International) prepare and show young horses for their 40th Auction, it was a very intense and challenging time to work. Not only was it freezing cold but it was also very difficult to find a routine to slot into, with many of the top riders and trainers from around the world coming to view the horses almost everyday in the weeks leading up to the auction.
Whilst I was there I learnt very quickly that I needed to get stronger in my riding position specifically for auction riding. I helped train five of the auction horses and I needed to improve on a stable, strong lower leg. I also needed to strengthen my lower back.
Question Ten: If you could train with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
I would loved to have trained with Rosmarie Springer who sadly passed last year (2019) at the age of 98. Rosmarie was the first woman to ever compete in Dressage at the Olympics.
Clemens and Judy flew Rosmarie to Australia to give many clinics at our place over 30 years ago. I remember Rosmarie telling Judy and Clemens that as soon as I was tall enough to reach the light switches that they were going to send me to her in Germany to be educated and develop my riding career. I wonder where I would be now if I had taken that path in life?
Question Eleven: If you could switch disciplines, what would you do?
Eventing! I have always wanted to be an eventer! I grew up with movies like National Velvet and as a child when accompanying Clemens (who was Australia’s National Olympic Coach) to many overseas WEG’s was only interested in the eventing. I even caught a taxi at 5am in Rome when I was 12 or 13 years old to the Cross County grounds which was located out of the city! Lol
Judy and Clemens did everything to deter me from being an Eventer until much later when I got the chance when working for Mulawa Arabian Stud. Mulawa had bred a Warmblood Arabian who would not have been super successful at pure Dressage. So I took the opportunity and taught him to jump. I successfully competed him up to CCI1* whilst I worked there.
Feature Image and Article Images courtesy of the Dierks Family.
– Amylie May Hines Guest Blogger.