This week I’m excited to be chatting with 18 year-old dressage rider and equestrian prodigy, Luis Tillman. Based at Gestüt Tannenhof in Hessen (Germany) where he trains with the Grand Prix rider Anja Plönzkein, Luis has already achieved so much for someone of his young age and looks certain to have a very successful future. Read on to discover more about Luis, his ambitions, and top tips for success
Tell us about you
My name is Luis Tillman, I’m eighteen years old and I’m from Hesse in Germany. At the age of just eighteen, I have already achieved a lot in equestrian sports and can look back on a wealth of experience at my young age. I am a passionate dressage rider myself and ride in dressage up to class M and in jumping up to class L.
How did your horses come into your life?
My parents encouraged me very intensively in equestrian sports from an early age and so I was able to train with many trainers such as Uta Gräf, Stefan Schneider, Hartwig Knapp and Klaus Sponagel to name just a few.
I built up a large network early on, which opened up many great and new doors for me. At the beginning of 2019, together with the eventing rider Petra Kronwitter, I expanded her horse sales stable with sport and leisure horses and then at the end of 2020, thanks to successful horse marketing, I received the offer to set up a new company and run the sales stable there. I managed a sales stable with many constantly changing, attractive and qualitative sport horses at an equestrian centre with international standards.
How long have you been riding?
Since I was three years old
When and where do you ride?
At the moment I’m based at Gestüt Tannenhof close to Wiesbaden in Hessen (Germany). I train here with the Grand Prix rider Anja Plönzke. Every morning I start riding my horses here.
How did you start riding?
My mother brought me as a child to the stables
What you and your horses currently working on?
We are always working on the basics and improving the suppleness in the dressage lessons.
What do you love about riding?
I love to watch the development of young horses and how they become more beautiful and trained. I am fascinated by optimising the movements of the horse.
What you would you like to be doing in the future and do you have any goals?
Currently I am an apprentice at the Germany company “Clip my Horse”, which gives me the opportunity to interview some of the most successful riders all over the world.
Have you ever had to deal with nerves in riding?
Yes, two years ago my horses were pretty young and not so easy to handle.
How do you deal with them?
I stayed calm and listened to experienced trainers.
Down the Centre Line
Who would be your dream horse to ride?
Superb
Who is your equestrian hero?
Dorothee Schneider
If you could have 5 people to dinner who would they be?
Anja Plönzke
Franziska Stiegelmaier
Andy Steininger
Anika Naumann
Yara Reichert
Favourite colour horse?
Black
Favourite horse event?
CHIO Aachen
Favourite food?
Currywurst
Favourite way to relax?
With a good friend and a cold drink
Want More?
If you enjoyed meeting Luis you might like to view more dressage rider “chatting with” interviews here You can keep up with Luis’s progress and check out his instagram page here