Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Nadine Buberl’s visit from her home in Germany to the United States for three months to see what it was like has turned into four years already and partnerships with a pair of talented  young horses that has put her at the top in America.

The 30-year-old rode Fashion Designer OLD to the United States Five-Year-old Championship then a month later swept the same division at the prestigious Dressage at Devon. On Fiderhit OLD ((Fidertanz x Sandro Hit) owned by Michael Davis, she took bronze in the championship and was reserve at Devon.

Although Nadine left her family and friends in Germany she has been embraced into a family in America that includes Performance Farms in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey in the summer and Jupiter, Florida in winter operated by Cesar Parra who with Martin Sosnoff owns Fashion Designer (Faustinus x De Niro).

Like many young Germans, Nadine began her equestrian life in vaulting followed by jumping and then dressage. She earned her Bereiter certification in 2005. Soon after attaining her Masters License with honors in 2008 she decided to visit the United States.

“I just wanted to visit the States for three months,” she said. “I really love the U.S., I love to be with the Piaffe Performance team, to go to shows.”

She kept progressing and as her success grew she got to meet more people and ride what she describes as “fantastic horses.”

“Of course, I would love to ride Grand Prix,” Nadine said, “but in the meantime I enjoy training young horses. I love young horses; it’s fantastic to see them grow up.”

Riding horses that Cesar Parra found in Europe, “I saw progress in myself, the great opportunities that Piaffe Performance gave me so I decided to stay.

“Since then, I’m very, very happy. I have fabulous horses to ride and amazing teaching and getting prepared to show the horses with every show better and better.”

The six or seven horses she rides a day not only get ridden one time, but she described the handling as like “a five star hotel–they get taken out for grass, out for a walk, go in the paddock and get bedtime cookies.”

Her skills combined with the quality of the horses she is riding come at a time when high performance dressage in the United States is undergoing a makeover with more emphasis on the pipeline of young horses through the levels to top sport rather than focusing on Grand Prix mounts for championships.

Does she plan to stay in America or return to Germany where horse sports are more a way of life.

“I’ll play it year by year,” she said.

“As long as you’re happy where you are, there is no reason to change. If you continue learning and grow as a person and as a rider there is no reason to change anything.

“I have fanastic horses to ride, a fantastic team to work with and be a part of. For me, it is one of best teams in world.”