FROM HOLLAND WITH LOVE: VIVIEN LIPSHUT’S ESTUPENDO

Vivien Lipshut rode at the early age of two years and had her first horse when she was 13, which she kept at Caulfield Racecourse and rode from there to her home in Caulfield. She had that horse for the next 20 years, and it was from these humble beginnings that she took a keen interest in dressage.

“They knew someone who
owned a horse called Estupendo…”

Viv’s equine involvement came to a sudden halt when motherhood beckoned, and her time was diverted to raising her two children. Once the children were older, the family moved to a property in Upper Beaconsfield and Viv started to ride again, importing several dressage horses. She rode competitively to Advanced level, but then unfortunately due to health issues she had to stop riding. 

One of her favourite imports was a horse called Royalito, who was from Belgium. The very large, impressive chestnut gelding was ridden by Dirk Dijkstra and was successful at Grand Prix. Royalito unfortunately had a problem with an eye that had to be removed, and his career was cut short. He was passed on to a young rider who started riding him from the lower levels up; it was the perfect home for him.

Always one to find a new, exciting horse, Viv had been speaking with a friend in Holland – they knew someone who owned a horse called Estupendo, who was possibly coming up for sale. He was bred and owned by Wilma Wernsen and is by the stallion Glock’s Ziësto out of a Scandic mare named Apretado. Wilma also bred Apretado, a mare that was very special to her.

THE BEST OF HANDS

For Wilma, selling this very special horse was difficult. She wasn’t sure if she wanted Esto to go all the way to Australia, where he would be out of her sight completely. There were many interested parties and Viv had to convince her that he would be in the best of hands in the best of conditions and spoiled rotten for the rest of his life. After a week of negotiations and thoughts, Viv bought Esto sight unseen, and since arriving in Australia he has had a charmed and successful time.

When Estupendo arrived here in 2022, he went straight to David McKinnon’s facility at McKinnon Sporthorses in Bowral, NSW where has lived ever since. This wonderful property is associated with Centennial Winery and boasts beautiful indoor and outdoor arenas and plenty of room. Esto settled in to work easily, but David, who is very particular about his horses and the way they are prepared, took his time with his special horse.

He explained that taking over a Grand Prix horse from a smaller lady who had been riding in a different manner was not easy in the beginning. It wasn’t about learning to ride the movements for the Grand Prix test; it was about getting into Esto’s head and beginning to feel his body work in the way Dave liked.  

NO HURRY TO COMPETE

There was no hurry to get him out to compete. Esto knew all the Grand Prix work, as he had very good basic training in the Grand Prix movements, which Dave says made his life quite easy. Piaffe and passage were a highlight, but the flying changes were a little difficult in the beginning. Dave felt it was the way he was preparing and asking, compared to Esto’s previous rider. It’s not uncommon when a new rider picks up the reins; everyone has a slightly different way of riding flying changes and it can take a while for the horse to adjust.

It was the right approach. Even though the gelding’s age (he was a 13-year-old when he arrived) could perhaps have pushed Viv and Dave into competing him at Grand Prix earlier – especially given he had a couple of starts at the level already under his belt in Holland – they felt he wasn’t strong enough to carry himself and get the big marks at Grand Prix. They wanted to make sure when he started at the level here, he was fit and strong enough to remain in self-carriage and was happy to do the work. 

“You need to be very well prepared and make sure that your horse is in the best possible way before putting yourselves up for the judges to see at Grand Prix,” muses Dave. “When it comes to competition, Esto loves to compete. He’s very brave; he’s not spooky and he doesn’t carry any hangups about the arena, except he does like to take over and do things in his special ways… although those days are becoming less and less!

“It was never a difficult transition into the Grand Prix from Medium Tour; he did it very easily.

“We fell in a bit of a hole when I was struggling with the one-tempi changes a while back… it’s a movement that is often fraught with difficulty and can really ruin one’s confidence. When you panic about them, they simply get worse as you try harder… it can become a tense mess!”

Dave reveals it was Lyndal Oatley who came to the rescue here. “Lyndal’s keen eye and ability to sort out our problems is quite amazing. So a special thanks to Lyndal, who would be up at all hours of the night helping me with video lessons from her office in Germany!”

Of course, Lyndal has been helping Dave with her mother Carol’s Grand Prix horse, Forlan, since Dave started to ride him. The improvement with this pair has been phenomenal and it is obvious that Lyndal and Dave have great confidence and foresight into the benefits of certain exercises to sort out a difficult moment. It’s not about practising the movement over and over when things fall apart; you need to analyse why and set exercises and ways to gain confidence and balance before trying again. From their ever-improving results, it is obvious how successfully these two get on. It has made all the difference.

Explaining how they problem-solved the one-tempi changes with Esto, Dave notes, “It was about self-carriage and reactions and to get him to react from the leg without leaning into the bridle. It was one million transitions. It was not about the one-tempi changes at all; it was about rebalancing and half-halts. It was about confidence to take the weight on the hind leg and lighten the forehand and become more in self-carriage. When I say one million transitions, I mean one million transitions!”

They didn’t practise the one-tempi changes as a movement, but when they eventually did return to them, Esto became better and better. “I now have more confidence in Esto’s ability to stay on the hind leg and not to panic about the changes. However, when you mess them up like I did initially, it is sometimes not so easy to get out of that mental rut! We are totally thrilled with his improvement and his ability to gain more and more marks at this level. He still has more to give,” concludes Dave.

SUCCESS AND INSPIRATION

Esto and Dave did very well at the Australian Dressage Championships this year, winning the Grand Prix Freestyle with big marks. In the Grand Prix test, it was a very second close behind Mary Hanna with her Olympic reserve horse, Ivanhoe. 

However, the highlight of Esto’s career since starting to compete in Australia for Viv and Dave has been EQUITANA, where he won the CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle. It was very exciting for everyone concerned, especially Viv, who has put her heart and soul into this horse. For Dave, competing in a Freestyle in EQUITANA’s fabulous atmosphere was a real highlight. He felt Esto gave his all and was absolutely delighted to be performing for such a big crowd; it was if he was born and bred to be on that stage. 

Of course, the pair’s Freestyle music really is a highlight. It is so in tune with Esto and the well-choreographed movements. Esto’s love for piaffe and passage certainly helps the marks, both the artistic and the harmony. He did get all the flying changes at the Nationals and at EQUITANA!

Why has this horse come ahead so much in the last six months? Dave explains: “It has been a long journey. We have taken our time to gain Esto’s confidence in me and my confidence with him, and to develop the strength within his topline and body to maintain the self-carriage to make his work in the Grand Prix easier for the both of us.”

Next on the calendar for Dave and Esto is the CDI-W World Cup Pacific League Final, held at the Victorian Dressage Festival this month. The World Cup Pacific League Final winner – decided by the results of the CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle – is granted the opportunity to compete at the World Cup Final next year in Basel, Switzerland. 

Would Viv and Dave contemplate taking Esto overseas if they were selected for the World Cup Final? “Of course, we would love the opportunity to take this horse overseas and see him compete again for everyone concerned,” says Viv. “He’s such a wonderful horse and we feel he’s really ready to step out and show himself on the international circuit now!”

First, they need to win; it will be one thrilling Freestyle, that’s for sure! EQ