“I’m very fortunate,” says Lottie Fry. She moved to the Netherlands in 2014 to coach with the van Olsts and has lived there ever since. Anne van Olst is a five-time Olympian and Lottie’s coach and mentor, and the operation focuses on stallions at stud, dressage, coaching, youngstock and shopping for and promoting horses. Lottie’s luck is within the horses she rides.
She explains that Anne’s husband, Gertjan van Olst, “is breeding horses on a regular basis, and at all times making an attempt to enhance”. There are at the moment 27 much-garlanded stallions on the Van Olst web site together with family names akin to Everdale and Glamourdale.
Lottie provides: “One of many high attributes that Gertjan’s in search of is sweet character. It’s crucial, proper from the start, particularly for stallions, as a result of they should steadiness the breeding and the game – and it’s very troublesome until they’ve good character.”
Lottie Fry rides Nalegro within the Dressage Unwrapped demo on the 2022 London Worldwide, whereas her coach Anne van Olst (left) and commentator Lee McKenzie look on. Credit score: Peter Nixon
What precisely is “good character”? It means “they love their job”, Lottie explains. “I like it while you get on a horse and so they wish to please and wish to do the job for you. It makes my job simpler! They’re very straightforward to coach, and the breeding offspring now we have are so gifted as younger horses.”
“It’s crucial to take each horse as a person, they’re all barely completely different, there’ll by no means be two the identical, so we hold an open thoughts and prepare them every as they must be skilled. Some take longer, we go at their velocity,” provides Lottie.
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale with the van Olsts throughout a coaching session on the 2022 World Dressage Championships. Credit score: Peter Nixon
That good character has to incorporate a sure stage-craft to carry out properly in dressage, they should “have that showmanship; the stallion aspect makes it very thrilling”.
No shortcuts to constructing a partnership
It’s important to be attentive to their characters from the start, Lottie says: “When you begin to work, you see how the horses react on the bottom round you, how they’re within the steady, in the event that they’re nervous or assured and also you construct them as much as create a partnership. The higher they know you and them, the extra doubtless it’s going to go properly.”
There’s no shortcut to constructing rapport, Lottie factors out: “It comes with time, it’s the identical as people, some belief rather a lot simpler than others, however while you achieve the belief, they’ll do something for you.”
Lottie Fry at residence with Glamourdale on the van Olsts’ stables. Credit score: Liz Neville Images
Living proof is Glamourdale, Lottie’s Olympic staff and particular person bronze medallist. The bond is tangible and he or she says: “I’ve been driving him since he was six. To start with, I used to be very younger as properly and we grew collectively. I at all times trusted him from the beginning and he me as properly.
“I keep in mind pondering the primary time I sat on him, I don’t suppose I’ve ever ridden something this wonderful, it was an unbelievable feeling. While you’re actually optimistic about horses they get very optimistic about their work and revel in it.”
“While you canter it’s like flying,” Lottie Fry on Glamourdale
What was that feeling? “He’s so highly effective while you canter it’s like flying, however he’s additionally elastic and supple on the identical time, and it’s uncommon to be so highly effective and chic; he’s the proper dressage horse,” says Lottie.
Glamourdale exhibiting off his trademark prolonged canter underneath Lottie Fry on their option to securing particular person Olympic bronze at Paris 2024. Credit score: Peter Nixon
Coaching takes place 4 instances per week, periods are properly deliberate and “daily is a bit of completely different – we by no means work on the identical issues, so I take what I have to work on, and deal with that extra particularly. We don’t do all the pieces daily – I’d by no means do the entire grand prix in a single session,” explains Lottie.
At residence, Glamourdale is engaged with everybody. “For those who come into the steady and say, ‘hello’, he instantly replies! He’s tremendous chatty and he loves getting treats. He’s the king, so why shouldn’t he? If another person will get a deal with, he has to have one as properly, even when they’ve simply labored, he has to have one as properly, only for being Glammy!”.
Lottie Fry praises Everdale after finishing their check on the Tokyo Olympics. Credit score: Peter Nixon
The horses all get pleasure from their freedoms, however, to place it mildly: “It’s not straightforward with breeding stallions. Something that strikes unsupervised they suppose could be for breeding. We’ve particular particular person paddocks for stallions, with correct fences; the geldings and mares are out within the fields.”
It’s not a coaching precept as such, however Lottie and the staff by no means lose sight of the truth that the horses are their very own entities, and “not daily is an ideal day, as with us. While you work with animals, endurance and positivity are crucial.”
Lottie Fry – the fundamentals are key
If periods aren’t progressing, Lottie goes again to fundamentals, and says that they spend 90% of the time engaged on fundamentals: stroll, trot, canter, straight strains, transitions. “They’re all wanted within the motion finally, and if the fundamentals are good, it’s a lot simpler”.
Holidays are integrated into the schedule, notably after a significant competitors – after we speak, Glammy is having a simple few weeks after the Paris Olympics, “stretching, hacking, chilling” and will probably be slowly constructed again for the winter season and breeding once more.
Glamourdale takes in his environment throughout enviornment familiarisation on the 2022 London Worldwide Horse Present. Credit score: Peter Nixon
The important thing to conserving these star athletes pleased in coaching is making the work pleasing, which implies selection. This consists of hacking, a water treadmill, and grass turnout. There’s additionally common physio, mild remedy and “lots of consideration”.
“They be ok with themselves,” Lottie says.
After a number of weeks off, “Glammy desires to work. He’s fairly contemporary and he positively misses the work. It’s a very nice factor, he will get excited to begin coaching,” Lottie says, including, “He’s a really pleased pony.”
Describing a 16.3hh breeding stallion as a “pleased pony” reveals the profound stage of affection wherein this horse is held.
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale on their option to successful gold within the particular on the 2022 World Championships. Credit score: Peter Nixon
You might also be all in favour of studying…
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Steve Dawe
Credit score: Aubenhausen GbR
Credit score: Peter Nixon
