Wednesday September 18, 2002

US Dressage Coach Klaus Balkenhol, A Key That Unlocked The Door For The Americans - Page 2

Balkenhol answered questions in German through interpreters – journalist Birgitt Popp and then Lisa Wilcox (who demonstrated her fluency in German!) – but he did answer several times in English without translation. He said that his philosophy in training is to train for invisible aids on the show grounds, which was easy for him to do because the American riders are very sensitive with their horses. "They are easy to work with and I enjoy it. The horses are good and the riders have gained a lot of experience." Balkenhol noted that one of the bright spots of being at the WEG with the American team was that the members are good companions and they are all good friends. "Everybody helps everybody," he said, which is helpful in organizing a team. "All of them always do the best that they can."

But coaching the Americans is not a favor he is doing for friends – "This is my job," said Balkenhol, who is employed through a contract with the USET. Part of his job is to bring the European style to the American team, he said, and also to show the riders how to ride the movements and how they are scored in Europe. "I have not been a 'wonder', " he said. "I rode all the horses and found out what to do. The riders realized my advice and expectations. I am not solely responsible for their success. There are the riders, the grooms, and the owners. It is the riders and horses that succeed." He also credited 'co-coach' Ernst Hoyos, who is Lisa Wilcox's home trainer. Hoyos is originally from Austria, and a former rider at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, who now lives in Germany and has a farm with Wilcox.