Birgitta Bergsten is an International (I) Dressage judge and long-time friend of Mette who flew out from Sweden for 10 days to help Mette get her 2006 show season off to a good start. Birgitta has been working at her judging credentials since 1966 when she first attended a national judging seminar. She noted that it takes a number of years to move up the judging levels. She reached the level of national judge in 1970 and then became qualified as a Grand Prix judge in 1984. It took an additional seven years to get her International Judge rating, which she achieved in 1991. Birgitta as judged all over Sweden and abroad—she has judged in 40 different countries! The FEI asked her to go on long tours judging around the World. She has been to Central and South American, Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia, Asia and New Zealand. In Fall 2005, she was juding in South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Birgitta started riding at the young age of seven at a riding school near where she went to school. At the age of fifteen, she also started exercising race horses at a local track before and after school, while continuing her riding education in jumping and dressage. When she finished her last exam in school, she decided she wanted to continue to work with horses and responded to an ad in the newspaper listed by a family who needed a groom for their jumping horses. She worked there for 1 ½ years until her previous riding school needed a new instructor. Even though she didn’t have any teaching experience, the family she worked for also had a connection to the riding school and recommended her for the job on a trial basis for the summer. The owners of the school liked her teaching ability, but wanted her to have more education, so allowed her to go to classes to learn more.
Birgitta then headed off to the prestigious Strömsholm academy. As was the usual procedure there, Birgitta went for two months in the summer and then practiced the following year for the first two years and then in the third year, stayed for a year long course. At the time, Strömsholm was a military academy, so her education was very tough and rigorous. Next, Birgitta went to Vetlanda where she and Mette first met: when Birgitta was 23 and Mette was 11. Birgitta immediately saw the Mette had “a very big talent.” Mette was also jumping at the time. Birgitta allowed Mette to compete on her dressage horse, Alamo, in junior classes Swedish championship for Young Riders and did quite well.
After four years at Vetlanda, Birgitta met her husband, was married and moved back to Stockholm, where she was born, leaving Mette behind. Birgitta didn’t see her much for awhile. Mette had gone on to become the chief instructor at Strömsholm (which was no longer military at the time). Once Mette was in the states, Birgitta flew out a couple of times a year for 4 or 5 years to help Mette with her horses until she found help locally.
Mette and Birgitta have now been friends for just over 40 years. Even when they haven’t beeen able to visit each other, they have stayed in contact by phone. Birgitta has followed Mette to every place she’s been in California and this is her second visit to Mill Creek. Birgitta had to stop riding and training horses a number years ago because of back problems, but she and her husband continued to own and breed Sweedish Warmbloods for jumping. Her husband is a vet who had bred horses for a total of 25 years. Their last horse passed away in January 2005 and Birgitta is without a horse for the first time in 42 years.
It is clear that Mette and Birgitta have a similar training background. Birgitta notes that they both believe that it is most effective to be nice and patient with horses and not break them down, but rather “guide them up.” Both strive to become harmonious with the horse and believe it is best to try to make the horse want to work for you. To do this, the horse has to understand and feel comfortable with you.
Birgitta emphasized that Mette is an amazing rider. She says: “She is so talented and has such a good feeling for riding. I’m happy she has such good horses now—she would be even better if she got to ride a horse of international quality (Mette says: Anybody know one?”). She is as good as Kyra Kyrkland and Anky Van Grunsven.”
Mette’s point of view of Birgitta’s visit:
It was a wonderful treat to have Birgitta take time to come help me. She is extremely knowledgeable and I totally trust and agree with her opinion. She is very positive and has a straight way of thinking. If a circle is supposed to be 8 meters, it should be exactly 8 meters. If a trot starts at M and ends at K, then your trot should start exactly at M and ends at K.
While she was here, we worked horses from training level to Grand Prix. I rode a lot and all my horses changed tremendously. The biggest changes were in the accuracy of what’s supposed to be done in the show ring. I think I am pretty good preparing horses for shows, but to have someone pointing out the details with a positive eye makes a huge difference in scores. I wish I could have her here on a regular basis, but she is extremely busy with her own judging and training life. So thanks Birgitta for all of your help. You are very, very good!
Birgitta started riding at the young age of seven at a riding school near where she went to school. At the age of fifteen, she also started exercising race horses at a local track before and after school, while continuing her riding education in jumping and dressage. When she finished her last exam in school, she decided she wanted to continue to work with horses and responded to an ad in the newspaper listed by a family who needed a groom for their jumping horses. She worked there for 1 ½ years until her previous riding school needed a new instructor. Even though she didn’t have any teaching experience, the family she worked for also had a connection to the riding school and recommended her for the job on a trial basis for the summer. The owners of the school liked her teaching ability, but wanted her to have more education, so allowed her to go to classes to learn more.Birgitta then headed off to the prestigious Strömsholm academy. As was the usual procedure there, Birgitta went for two months in the summer and then practiced the following year for the first two years and then in the third year, stayed for a year long course. At the time, Strömsholm was a military academy, so her education was very tough and rigorous. Next, Birgitta went to Vetlanda where she and Mette first met: when Birgitta was 23 and Mette was 11. Birgitta immediately saw the Mette had “a very big talent.” Mette was also jumping at the time. Birgitta allowed Mette to compete on her dressage horse, Alamo, in junior classes Swedish championship for Young Riders and did quite well.
After four years at Vetlanda, Birgitta met her husband, was married and moved back to Stockholm, where she was born, leaving Mette behind. Birgitta didn’t see her much for awhile. Mette had gone on to become the chief instructor at Strömsholm (which was no longer military at the time). Once Mette was in the states, Birgitta flew out a couple of times a year for 4 or 5 years to help Mette with her horses until she found help locally.
Mette and Birgitta have now been friends for just over 40 years. Even when they haven’t beeen able to visit each other, they have stayed in contact by phone. Birgitta has followed Mette to every place she’s been in California and this is her second visit to Mill Creek. Birgitta had to stop riding and training horses a number years ago because of back problems, but she and her husband continued to own and breed Sweedish Warmbloods for jumping. Her husband is a vet who had bred horses for a total of 25 years. Their last horse passed away in January 2005 and Birgitta is without a horse for the first time in 42 years.
It is clear that Mette and Birgitta have a similar training background. Birgitta notes that they both believe that it is most effective to be nice and patient with horses and not break them down, but rather “guide them up.” Both strive to become harmonious with the horse and believe it is best to try to make the horse want to work for you. To do this, the horse has to understand and feel comfortable with you.
Birgitta emphasized that Mette is an amazing rider. She says: “She is so talented and has such a good feeling for riding. I’m happy she has such good horses now—she would be even better if she got to ride a horse of international quality (Mette says: Anybody know one?”). She is as good as Kyra Kyrkland and Anky Van Grunsven.”
Mette’s point of view of Birgitta’s visit:
It was a wonderful treat to have Birgitta take time to come help me. She is extremely knowledgeable and I totally trust and agree with her opinion. She is very positive and has a straight way of thinking. If a circle is supposed to be 8 meters, it should be exactly 8 meters. If a trot starts at M and ends at K, then your trot should start exactly at M and ends at K.
While she was here, we worked horses from training level to Grand Prix. I rode a lot and all my horses changed tremendously. The biggest changes were in the accuracy of what’s supposed to be done in the show ring. I think I am pretty good preparing horses for shows, but to have someone pointing out the details with a positive eye makes a huge difference in scores. I wish I could have her here on a regular basis, but she is extremely busy with her own judging and training life. So thanks Birgitta for all of your help. You are very, very good!
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