Becky Sellick with Alkirbe Dream. Becky Sellick has been involved with horses for twenty five years. Becky has been riding with Roz Tippet for twenty years, since she purchased her first Warmblood by Aramis (Imp) (Akzent II/Wöhler). Becky was training Prix St George before she retired him five years ago. They learnt a lot together even though Becky did not compete him much.
Alkirbe Dream (Ash) is a four year old, Trakehner/Holstein mare. Ash was bought as an eighteen month old foal for Becky's sister. She was broken in young (at two years of age) as she was a large (16.2hh at eighteen months), alpha mare with a bolshy attitude ~ to put it nicely! This went well, although Ash had a predisposition to over bend and break in her neck right from the start.
After a couple of months of light riding, Ash injured herself with a fence and Becky and her sister thought they were going to lose her. Ash was out of work for seven months. When Ash came back into work at three years of age, she seemed to be not quite level and no one could really pin point what was going on. Was she not right in the back? Was it lameness relating to her back hock injury? Or was she bridle lame from her tendency to roll over and put all her weight on her shoulders?
Becky's sister decided to put her out again for a while and this coincided with her moving to the United Arab Emirates. Ash stayed out in the paddock for another year until Becky decided to bring Ash in, as Becky's own mare was out with a tendon injury.
How were you introduced to Philippe Karl's methods? About a year a ago I discovered Philippe Karl through his book, Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage. Luckily for us in Perth, Pip Easton had the foresight to get the Philippe Karl ball rolling and Nicole Weinauge came over for the first ever Philippe Karl clinic in Australia.
Ash was in work for about three weeks when we went along and had four great lessons with Nicole Weinauge and the support of the people who were involved. Riding in the Philippe Karl style really helped Ash, especially the idea of riding with an open poll. Wonder of wonders, the unevenness went away when she was ridden in this style.
What do you hope to gain out of Philippe Karl's Teachers Clinic? I look forward to the clinic with Philippe Karl himself and am sure he will be able to help enlighten us more!
What is your dream? My dream is to be able to communicate better and avoid as many misunderstandings as possible.
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