Back to Work in Mallorca – Building the Next Level
Updated: Sep 5
After a busy summer of international competitions, new horses and new experiences, I returned to Mallorca on August 3rd. Since then, my mornings have started early.
Six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, training begins at 8 a.m. Together with my trainer Pau Canals, I am working with four horses – King, O’Brian van Rinsma State, Gasira and Quark de Preuilly Z. Every horse has a different story, a different personality and a different stage of development. And that makes every training day different.
There are no lazy mornings right now. But there is a lot of motivation.
Because while the competitions are where you see the results, the real work happens in training.
Six Days. Four Horses. The Work Behind the Big Jumps.
With four horses in my current programme, our training is carefully structured throughout the week.
I ride three horses every day. Two of them work over fences, while the third has a session without jumping, focusing on flatwork and other aspects of the training. The horses rotate throughout the week, so no horse jumps on two consecutive days. Pau also rides one horse each day as part of our training programme. This gives every horse a good balance between jumping, flatwork and recovery, while allowing me to work intensively with each of them.
For me, it also means adapting my riding three times every morning. And that is something I really enjoy. Every horse teaches me something different.
My Weekly Training Schedule
Six days in the saddle means every morning has its own rhythm. Here is what a typical training week currently looks like.
Monday – Saturday | King · O’Brian · Gasira · Quark
Training Note
I ride three horses each day. Two work over fences, while the third has a session without jumping. The horses rotate throughout the week, so no horse jumps on two consecutive days. Pau also rides one horse each day as part of our training programme.
Early Mornings
Training starts at 8 a.m., which means the day begins early – especially when there are three horses to ride. But these mornings are some of the most important parts of my week.
Working with my coach Pau is about much more than simply jumping fences. We work on rhythm, balance, the quality of the canter, my position, my decisions and the way I communicate with each horse. Sometimes the smallest adjustment can make a huge difference.
Every horse needs something slightly different, and learning to feel what that is – rather than simply riding every horse in the same way – is a big part of becoming a better rider.
The goal is not simply to jump higher. It is to become more precise, more effective and more confident at every level.
Gasira – Learning from Experience
Gasira joined me in mid-July and has already become an important part of my training.
She is a Holsteiner mare who was previously ridden by the successful young German show jumper Tjade Carstensen. Together, Tjade and Gasira won the German U25 Trophy (U25 Championship) at CHIO Aachen 2025 – a demanding 1.50 m class.
Having a horse with this level of experience is an incredible opportunity for me. Gasira already knows what it takes to jump big fences and compete at a high level. Now she is helping me take the next step in my own riding. Our goal is to build my confidence, technique and precision so that I can reach the 1.40–1.45 m level quickly – but, more importantly, ride these heights correctly.
For me, it is not just about the height of the jumps. It is about learning how to ride them.
How to find the right rhythm.
How to stay balanced.
How to make the right decisions.
And how to trust myself when the jumps get bigger.
Quark de Preuilly Z – Finding Our Wings
Quark de Preuilly Z is another very exciting part of my current training.
Quark comes from Spanish professional show jumper Mariano Martínez Bastida, with whom he achieved wins and placings in highly competitive classes up to 1.50 m and 1.55 m.
We have only been together for a few weeks, so I am still getting to know him and learning how to bring out the best in him. But recently, we had one of those training sessions that makes you stop and smile. We jumped a training course at around 1.40 - 1.45 m.
Quark has already jumped at the highest level, so the height itself is certainly not new for him. What surprised me was how easy it felt for us together after such a short time. He has an incredible amount of scope. In slow motion, you can see how much space he has above the fences – even at heights that are already challenging for me. And that is what makes this partnership so exciting.
Quark already has the wings. Now we are learning how to fly together.
O’Brian van Rinsma State – Building the Future
O’Brian van Rinsma State is seven years old and still very much in the development phase. He is an incredibly talented and athletic horse, but right now a big part of our work is about education, balance, focus and building the foundation for the future.
With a young horse, I am learning that it is important not to rush. The goal is to build confidence and understanding first, and then allow the height and difficulty to develop naturally. O’Brian has so much potential, and I am excited to see how he continues to develop.
There is still a lot to learn and plenty of work ahead. But that is exactly what makes producing a young horse so exciting. The future is built one step at a time.
King – A Partnership That Keeps Growing
And then there is King. King brings something completely different to my training: experience and a partnership that already has history behind it. With him, I can concentrate on the finer details and continue developing the feeling and consistency we have built together.
There is something special about getting back on a horse you know so well. You already understand each other. You know the feeling of the canter, the way the horse approaches a fence and the little things that make the partnership work. With King, I can build on that foundation while continuing to improve.
Some partnerships simply keep growing.
More Than Just Jumping
When you look at my weekly schedule, it might seem like a lot.
Three horses a day.
Six days a week.
Early mornings.
Jumping, flatwork and everything in between.
But training is about much more than jumping fences. It is about learning how to feel a horse. How to adapt. How to make better decisions. How to stay focused. And how to create a partnership in which both horse and rider can perform at their best. That is especially important for me right now.
With Gasira and Quark, I have the opportunity to learn from horses who already know the higher levels of the sport.
With O’Brian, I am learning the patience and responsibility that comes with developing a young horse.
And with King, I can continue building on a partnership I already know.
Four horses. Four different stories. Four different ways of becoming a better rider.
The Work Behind the Next Show
The international shows are the exciting part.
The arena.
The atmosphere.
The pressure.
The adrenaline.
And hopefully, the results.
But the foundation for those moments is currently built here in Mallorca.
At 8 a.m.
One horse after another.
One exercise after another.
One small improvement after another.
Sometimes the progress is obvious. Sometimes it is just a tiny change that you feel for a few strides. But all of it matters.
This period in Mallorca is an important step for me. I have new partnerships to build, experienced horses to learn from and young horses to develop. There is still so much ahead. And that is what makes me excited about the future.
Train. Improve. Learn. Repeat.
Six days a week.
Four horses.
One big goal.
Building the Next Level!
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