An audience with Ferdi and Maria Eilberg and their dressage horses

Wednesday 14th November 2007 at 7pm

Internationally renowned dressage rider and trainer, Ferdi Eilberg, gave a lecture and demonstration along with his daughter, Maria, at Nottingham Trent University’s Brackenhurst Equestrian Centre.
During the event, they demonstrated the techniques required for successful dressage using their horses, from novice up to advanced level. The evening finished with a display of dressage to music.
Ferdi is the British Equestrian Federations’s World Class Performance Director of Coaching responsible for overseeing the training schedules of Britain’s top dressage riders as they prepare for major championships including the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was also dressage trainer to the British Three Day Event team from 1981-92 accompanying them to three Olympic Games.
Based in Worcestershire, Ferdi spent his early life in Germany, serving an apprenticeship with Olympic Gold medallist Dr Reiner Klimke before coming to England in 1980. Eleven years later he took out British citizenship and has achieved major successes as a top-level dressage competitor in this country including representing Great Britain at two European Championships, in 1993 and 1995, and at the World Equestrian Games in 1994 and 1998.
Maria has ridden internationally in dressage from ponies through juniors and now young riders. Her achievements include winning two pony European silver team medals and two young rider European bronze team medals.  She was British Under-21 Champion in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003.  In 2004 she took the British Advanced Medium title and in 2005 was awarded the Elizabeth Woodward Memorial trophy for the highest placed Under-21 rider in the British Small Tour rankings.
Last year, Maria was travelling reserve rider for the World Games with her horse, Two Sox. In 2007, she was promoted to the Senior performance squad and has since ridden in Nations Cups in Rotterdam and Hickstead where she was the highest placed British rider winning team silver.  
Commercial Manager at Brackenhurst Equestrian Centre, Miss Zoe Cobb, said: “We were delighted that Ferdi and Maria came here to allow us to benefit from their experience and expertise. The event gave equestrian enthusiasts, from the East Midlands and beyond, the opportunity to watch and learn from riders and horses of the highest calibre.”

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