15.10.2008 -
From a young Éleve (cadet) to an experienced Rider
From a young Éleve (cadet) to an experienced Rider
Promotions and Admissions: Éleve (cadet) Florian Zimmermann to be promoted to Assistant Rider, Assistant Rider Marius Schreiner to be promoted to Rider!
Two young men from the equestrian team have made it – they both take a big step up on their career ladders! Ernst Bachinger, Director of the Riding School, will symbolically present Florian Zimmermann with the spurs which he has earned over the past five years (Florian joined the School as an Éleve on September 8th, 2003) and which will entitle him to exchange his simple blue Éleve uniform with the classic brown tailcoat and white buckskin breeches, the black top boots and the famous bicorn hat worn by the members of the equestrian team. This uniform is a trade mark of the Spanish Riding School, each part handmade exclusively for the riders of the School.
Marius Schreiner, who in his time as Assistant Rider trained his own horse, Pluto Blanketta to performance level, will receive the coveted bicorn hat with the wide gold band identifying him as a Rider. Marius has been with the School since September 2nd, 1996 and has consequently taken 12 years to complete his training. For both young men working at the Spanish Riding School is a vocation and not just a job.
With these promotions the recruitment of new Éleves became necessary. Managing Director Elisabeth Gürtler: “To live traditions and yet be open for the signs of the times is vital for the future existence of an attractive and modern enterprise. Obviously, equal opportunities for both men and women also mean that both have the same rights and obligations.”
On September 9th, 2008 the time had come: four new candidates had their first working day at the Spanish Riding School. What was really new – two of the four candidates were for the very first time young women! The two young ladies, a 21-year old Austrian and a 17-year old British woman, were the first females in a very long time to be allowed to ride in the famous baroque Winter Riding School. The world’s most beautiful riding hall had not seen female riders since the end of the monarchy. Until approx. 100 years ago only the ladies of the Imperial Court were permitted to regularly take part in the so called Riding Festivals and Carousels which were staged in this beautiful setting.
The four new Éleves
Two boys from Vienna, aged 16 and 18 years and the two young ladies are with immediate effect Éleves of the Spanish Riding School. As all four of them were positively evaluated by both Ernst Bachinger, Director of the Riding School, and Johannes Hamminger, the Stable Master, they have all been accepted to begin their training.
They have spent the past four weeks working in the stables: grooming horses, picking out hooves, saddling and bridling up, carrying equipment back and forth, feeding, cleaning up dung and mucking out stables.
A couple of days after having started their stable duties, the first riding lessons were scheduled. One of the many traditions of the Spanish Riding School is learning to mount without stirrups – once this challenge has been mastered, the student learns the correct seat during lunge lessons – a training which will take years!
To date all the male colleagues and superiors are very pleased with the accomplishments of the four new candidates – with the two boys, Christopher Egger and Mathias Krenmayr and with the two girls, Sojourner Morrell from Great Britain and Hannah Zeitlhofer from Lower Austria.
The Individual Training Levels
Even if an Éleve is given the unique opportunity of training with the Spanish Riding School, this does not necessarily mean that he or she will automatically eventually retire as a Chief Rider. Each prospective Rider is faced with challenging requirements and must meet high personal qualifications. It takes approx. 4 – 6 years – depending on the individual’s talent and personal commitment – for an Éleve to progress to the position of an Assistant Rider.
4 - 6 years Éleve
The Éleves are the equivalent to apprentices at the Spanish Riding School. Until now young boys aged between 15 and 16 years were admitted. However, this age limit has been raised so that ideally young people wanting to join the Spanish Riding School have already either completed their school education or an apprenticeship. The training at the Spanish Riding School does not rate as a classical apprenticeship and as the drop out rate even after a successful Éleve-Training is quite high, the switch to a different job is easier, if secondary school qualifications exist or the individual can fall back on a skilled trade.
Appearance also matters: there’s more to the ideal Rider than just a love for horses and an equestrian talent. The baroque Lipizzaner, bred specifically for the High School of Classical Horsemanship, is smaller and more compact than the average dressage horse today. The ideal Lipizzaner should be no taller than 160cm (shoulder height) and the rider should match the horse in his or her proportions.
If age and personal requirements fit, it is now a question of completing the first four years of the equestrian training under the guidance of an experienced Rider and learning all about the Spanish Riding School. Working in the stables is just as important as learning to care for the saddles, bridles and all the other equipment.
After those first four years the Éleve is officially evaluated by the Director of the Riding School, Ernst Bachinger and the Riders with regard to his or her skills and also in his or her own ability to pass on to others what has been taught. A positive evaluation will enable the promotion to the position of an Assistant Rider.
4 Years Assisant Rider
An Assistant Rider is expected to train a young stallion independently and present him in a public performance. This phase also takes at least 4 years and sees the Assistant Rider working closely with the experienced Chief Riders. This is the time the acquired equestrian skills should be developed into an art form and be passed on to a horse. A journey which demands a great deal of discipline and sensitivity from a young person. Taking into account all these stages, it takes approx. 8 to 10 years to progress from an Éleve to a Rider.
The tradition of training the art of riding at the Spanish Riding School will remain unchanged: the experienced Chief Rider passing on traditions and expertise to the next generation. An excellent Rider is not only able to train horses but must also be a good teacher. This way the quality of training has been upheld for centuries.
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