Chatting with Isabella Frei

Up and coming German dressage rider Isabella Frei enjoyed great success as a youth rider with her pony Donnerblitz and then with Nobel Nagano. Isabella now has a horse and a pony, and alongside her studies, is enjoying remarkable success building her way through the dressage classes and is sure to be a name to look out for.

Tell us about you and your horses 

I’m Isabella Frei and have two horses. One pony and one horse. The pony’s name is Whoopy and the horse is called Sound of Silence. Whoopy is now 15 years old and Sound of silence now 10 years old. Sound of silence is a (little bit) clumsy, but he can move so impressively (just so smooth) and Whoopy has a very strong character but is really willing to learn. They are just the best partners for the dressage sport. 

 

How did your horses come into your life? 

Sound of silence aka Herby came to us when he was 2 1/2 years old. My pony time ended, and Herby came to us. Not really ridden but he knows how everything works with a rider on his back. It took us a long time to come together but now I can say that he is really a dream to ride. He is the cuddliest horse I have met.  

Whoopy came to us six years ago. She was a bit lame with her leg and had big problems to walk. But my sister was so patience and happy with her and gave her so much time and now, Whoopy and me are competing on S-level.   Before I could ride Whoopy, I had another horse called Donnerblitz but unfortunately, he had a difficult colic and no chance to survive. After that I was given the opportunity to ride Whoopy. That is now three years ago, but in a really short time we came from A-level to S-level and received last year our first placement in S** (Inter I). 

 

When and where do you ride? 

I started riding together with my sister. I was five years old and my sister seven. We started at the stable “Kükmanm”. I was given the biggest horse and on both sides a riding crop (Reitgerte) and then the trainer said to me that I just had to give some signals, and the horse moved forward. That was one of my first riding lessons. After that we rode Shetland ponies, we tried vaulting, then we were in Bösensell and had our first riding participation (Reitbeteiligung). I then moved onto a pony named Gina and with her I rode dressage and jumping lessons. She was difficult and not an easy pony but with her I leaned to ride in a different way and convince her. Funny lessons when I think back in the past.  

 

Who do you train with?   

I have ridden already with so many people together. When I was young, I participated in the pony class U14 with my pony Donnerblitz and we became 10th in the final at the Westfälischen Meisterschaften. During that time, my coach was Johanna Klippert and she helped me very much. Through Johanna, I met the owner of the pony Nobel Nagano NRW. With him I got the chance to train with Helen Langehanenberg for two and a half years. After that I had no trainer but then I get in contact with Valerie Kampe. She helped me a lot with Whoopy and gave me the motivation and push to start our first S Dressage. It was just a big dream come true.  

 

Herby and I are helped by Peter Spelsberg.  We started in 2019 at the K+K Cup (first competition) and became first with 8.0 in a A Dressage. After that Valerie Kampe trained me as well with Herby but unfortunately, she moved away. But then Frank Bogenschütz came to our stable in Albachten and then he was my trainer with both horses, Whoopy and Herby.  Last year we moved with our horses to a new stable, and needed a new trainer. I am now training together with Daniela Bergholz. She is such a lovely person. She has helped me very much with both horses and I am thankful for her help. It has been so much fun and we are learning once again different things.   All in all, I have had many changes, but I just could benefit from it. 

Beside the professional trainers, I met my boyfriend in 2018, and he is with me every second at the stable and is an enormous help. Before we met, he had no contact with horses, no idea of how the dressage world and everything is works, but he just learned so fast, that finally he trained me every day when he had time. With him, I achieved my first placements on the M Dressage with my pony Donnerblitz and also helps me each day with Whoopy and Herby. It is no longer imaginable what it would be like without him.  

Besides my boyfriend, my whole family is the biggest supporter I could wish for. They helped me as well while I was riding the horses. We all learned together, how the horses must be treated, how you just have to ride small and big circles. So, all in all, my whole family started to get more in contact with horses when my sister and I said that we want to ride. I just love them all!  

 

What are you and your horses currently working on? 

Whoopy:  we are working on the straightening in her whole body. That is the main focus but as well all things which are needed for the S Dressage. For me it is still a bit difficult to ride the half pirouettes but one day we will get there.   Herby: the flying changes are in the pole position. It is getting better day by day, but he has a bit of a problem working more through his body. To that he has not really the go to go forward (just a bit lazy) but when he understands the movements, it is just no problem anymore. But sometimes it takes a bit more time with him (he has not the fastest brain). 

 

What do you love about riding? 

It gives me the motivation and the feeling to achieve every day everything a bit better. I love the relationship which I build with my horses. Every day when I come to the stable, Whoopy makes welcome noises and then I just feel “home”. To that, I am happy that I can just ride with my own horses on such a high level in the dressage sport. I never thought that Whoopy and I could get where we are today and Herby and I, despite huge starting problems, I can go the stable, and just have fun with them. 

 

What would you like to be doing in the future and do you have any goals? 

At the moment, I am still studying. My study is called International Business and Management. When I finish my studies, maybe I will directly search for a place to work or take a timeout and ride. Every day when I can, I will see how everything will be but now, nothing is fixed and I a m unsure of what my future will look like.   I think the biggest dream is the Olympic Games one day, but it is such a high goal, so I don’t know if I will get there.   One goal which is achievable is to compete with Herby on S** level and with Whoopy on S*** level in a few years. That would be already such a big dream, and I will do everything to get there. 

 

Have you ever had to deal with nerves in riding?   

I am still nervous when I am competing but it is not like losing everything in my head and it is more like I want to do it perfectly, but I am bit sad when something is not working as I hoped it. I am maybe a bit to focused on the things that I forget to do something different in a certain situation to avoid the upcoming mistake. But through the fact that I am not a professional dressage riding, I am competing not so much and so my nervousness is still there.  

 

How do you deal with them? 

I am person who is happy with every round I do with my horses. I am a bit sad when something goes wrong but finally, I cannot change the situation and so I have to look forward. I learned in the past years that it is more difficult to compete with pony’s on such a high level as we do, the judges are stricter and expect more details in the movements and execution. It is not easy but I know that my pony is not bad and so I don’t think that giving up is an option for us. 

Do you have any rituals before competing? 

I always get a kiss from my boyfriend 

It takes a team to do dressage, who is in your support team? 

Not difficult to say: my mum, my dad, my sister and her boyfriend, my grandmother and of course my boyfriend.  

 

Your Top Tip 

Be happy with your horse, your performance but if you have the opportunity, try to work with someone who really understands what you want to achieve and how. My boyfriend is the best example. He tries to help me every day, he gives me feedback when something is really bad or I want to much from my horses, he brings me back to the reality and tries to find a different way, how we can ride the half pass for example, with a better rider position.  

 

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given? 

I really have to say that there is not one special advice I have been given. I can just relate to my family who is standing behind me and supports me. They always say to me that they are proud of me and are enthusiastic what I have already achieved on my own. I think a better motivation cannot exist. The family is the best supporter you can have! 

 

Down the Centre Line  

 

Who would be your dream horse to ride? 

The horse from Catherine Dufour – Cassidy. 

 

Who is your equestrian hero? 

I have no rider hero, but I am inspired by Patrik Kittel, Catherine Dufour and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl. 

 

If you could have five people to dinner, who would they be? 

Maybe all my trainers because they helped me to bring my dreams a bit closer.  

 

Favourite colour horse? 

Horse: Black  Pony: Palomino  

 

Favourite horse event? 

Balve Optimum  

 

Favourite food? 

Difficult because I love food but maybe Lasagne or “Nudelauflauf” 

 

Favourite way to relax? 

Doing sport or to entertain my two dogs Mary and Tiffy. I just love animals and so I like to be with them whenever I have free time. 

 

Favourite film? 

Despicable Me – Minions    

Want More?

If you enjoyed meeting Isabella you might like to view more dressage rider “chatting with” interviews here .  You can keep up with Isabella’s progress and check out her instagram page here