It is with much sadness that Bettina Drummond reports the passing of Jean Peigne. He passed away peacefully after a long fight with Alzheimer’s disease. Peigne was well known, not only for his horsemanship, but also for the quality of the horses he bred.

“He was a sensitive, sparse man. I am honored that he often said I was a spiritual daughter to him,” Bettina said. “I first me Jean Peigne when he came to see my tribute for Maitre Oliveira on the famous stallion Levante. Retired in France, I performed one last time the demonstration ride I had always presented for special guests in Portugal and Jean and his son were spectators. Jean was moved to tears and invited me to visit his stud farm in Le Cellier close to the Loire. At the time, I had not replaced my defunct Lusitanos and only had my Thoroughbred Fidelio and one PRE to ride.”

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Horseman John Craven came into my life through Donna Coughlin and her horse Oberon aka “Obi.” Donna had sought out my help with Obi and that connected me to John, who, as you’ll note in his bio below, had a deep respect for Nuno Oliveira. I enjoyed the times I spent with John sharing and comparing riding techniques and styles of teaching. He was part of a spontaneous network and one of the many threads that inspired me to weave them all together into the idea that has become APAHA.

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Thank you to Just-E-Nuf Acres for being my winter season host. We have a long history of cooperation. Our first co-op stallion is Formoso JPF (Oso), bred for me by John and Sharon Campbell. Oso’s sire is Ingred Lin’s Quemacho. The dam is Bettina Drummond’s Love Menezes, which was bred by fellow Oliveira student Dany Lahaye out of her wonderful sire Duché. It was a rare treat for me to school such a good young stallion in the indoor ring, coached out thirty years ago with Maitre Oliveira. Under his watchful gaze, many ideas were formed at Just-E-Nuf acres and I was proud to train Oso this winter following the precepts Oliveira inculcated within me.

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A great American horseman was lost to us when Mark Russell died in June from injuries acquired during a riding accident. Mark, author of the popular book Lessons in LIghtness, was a well-known trainer and teacher who blended the methods and philosophies of classical dressage with natural horsemanship to produce what her termed natural dressage. It is not just the human family and friends of Mark’s who mourn his loss. That loss is also felt by his equine friends and partners, particularly his leading horse Solar. Solar has currently been taken in by Mark’s friend, Bettina Drummond who had these words to say upon his arrival:

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Bettina and the Lusitano stallion Que Macho were a big hit at the at the Litchfield Tibet Festival on July 17. The pair exhibited the beauty that comes when horse and rider are in perfect harmony as they glided along to music composed by Tenzin Choegyal. Earlier in the day, Tenzin performed his music live on stage. Spectators found it hard to believe that “Macho” is now 22 and yet performed flawless movements that many younger dressage horses never master. The exhibition was particularly loved by children attending the festival who flocked to pet the stallion after his performance. To see the the video click here.

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The U.S. equestrian community is mourning the loss of Dr. Max Gahwyler, a member of the U.S. Dressage Federation Hall of Fame. He passed away on May 14. A native of Switzerland, Dr. Gahwyler and his wife, Doris, moved to the U.S. in 1952. He was a licensed physician but came to America to work in the medical research field and worked for Pfizer Inc. Once in the U.S., Dr. Gahwyler became immersed in the U.S. dressage community first as a competitive rider and eventually becoming a dressage judge and much loved dressage teacher.

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By Bettina Drummond

I recently had a great opportunity to learn from a man who has understood a great deal about the importance of not opposing aids and centering one’s balance and joints down through the central axis of the horse. He teaches from his own experience and with the complete conviction of an artist. His name is Bernard Sachse, a Frenchman who has been a successful stunt man in the French film industry and, after a stunt accident cost him the use of his legs, continued on with his riding and became a successful Paralympic rider who has competed in two Olympic Games.

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There are three notions behind APAHA, each of which evolved from three distinct points in my life as a rider.

The first is the notion of refining an idea on a trained horse. In the initial years of my riding career, it was on my mother’s trained horses that I was given the opportunity to feel on horseback. After my mother s death, my teacher, Nuno Oliveira, continued to provide me with the opportunity to perfect my feeling on horseback by letting me ride his personal horses, which had the benefit to him of giving his back a break. This was also the start of a different relationship between us. Oliveira became not just my teacher but also a benevolent and amused mentor who nurtured my development as a rider. I finally got to ask questions on the right way, meaning questions related to understanding about being in the moment and at the right juncture of learning – that is, I could learn as my body imprinted reflexes and absorbed the significance and impact from the horse’s perspective. This type of biofeedback from the horse, followed by explanations of how deep to go physically and psychologically trains you to keep the focus to and for the horse.

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