When I first saw you my heart ❤️

No, it was not love at first sight, but this is the story of how me and my love Francois met!

I never knew that I could love somebody this much, that all the bad things in the past are forgotten, for the privilege of falling a sleep and waking up in your arms every day❤️

You are the best that ever happened to me, and I am forever grateful for your love!

I love you more than anything in the world Francois❤️ and I will always be yours and be here for you❤️ 

So, it was at the end of my period working for Alfarvad, I had already had some other job offers that I was considering. 

But this weekend was all about fun, friends, seeing and learning the latest about show jumping, it was the weekend of Göteborg/Gothenburg Horse show!

Me and one of my best friends John Hickey and his son Luke cheered a rom at the Gothia (and no, nothing romantic there, John is like a brother to me) anyway check out John Hickey, he is a world class rider, trainer dad (to 3 amazing kids) and wonderful husband to a incredible girl Cassandra! Those two😍💖

Check out John Hickey on instagram and google, I learn something from him everyday!

Back to the story, me, John and Luke was there, I was the “horse owner” of Billy Twomy, meaning that I had access to the stables and the warm up.
Billy

So basically me, John and our friends ware hanging out at the warm up, studying how the different riders was training and warming up the different horses! 

After seeing all the classes every day on the little tv screen in the warm, I wanted to actually sit in the arena and watch the Grand Prix.

Non of my friends wanted to tag along, so I went to the riders tribune alone looking for a free seat.

It was full, except, there was a man, he was sitting down, he hold his hand on the seat on his right side,- like reserving it, but on the left side the last seat next to the stairs nobody was sitting, so I asked him kindly if I could sit there.

The man looked at me, and he said yes!

I sat down.

We ware not talking.

After a while Achaz Von B approached the man, the man who was Francois and he sat down. 

Achaz was at that time the chef d Equipe for Danmark and he knew me!

He got up and gave me a hug, afterwords he introduced me to Francois!

I then learned that Francois owned the horses of Pius Schwizer, and Achaz was there to train Pius.

Francois told Achaz and me that he had asked Helena Lundback to ride some horses for him, but she had no time. Helena Lundback was 4 th in the World Championship, and I never did anything like that, but I was a solid rider for his younger horses, and you don’t have to compete the World Championship to be that. Achaz suggested that Francois took me as a rider for the young once instead.
I was of course happy about the thought of that, and me and Francois started to talk.

We then decided to sit together for the World Cup the next day.
And so we did.

But that was only the start, more will come tomorrow!

And please if you like my blog, please help me share it on facebook or other social media!
Best wishes

Eva

Hard work is so much fun

So after making it at the 4 year old chamionship we went back to working really hard with all the lovely horses at the Stud farm!

At that time I did not have a lorry/truck license and I could not drive the big horse truck! Out owner Susanne’s husband John used to drive us to the shows when he had the time, and if not they hired this guy, Christian Fix to drive us! Christian is now the owner of DHT, Danish Horse Transport! They drive everywhere and are top, just google it if you need a good transport 

Me singing on the way to the show😂

We did loads of competitions and the whole team was really stepping up to the task!

The girls ware super, and everybody did the maximum !

Me and Karina even saved a bird, and made a basked up in the air so the cat could not eat it, in a way so the mother still could come and feed him!

We had a lot to do, and even though we ware suppose to work 8-16, we all happily put in a extra effort! I came around 6 they would take turns so : one of the would come 07.00-07.30. I had already ridden two horses before 08.00, the they would stay and helped me to 18.00 almost every day!

Although it was a lot of work, we had so much fun, everybody gave there best everyday! 

The girls would help me warm up the horses! Ride them in the forest and also some of them in dressage! 

We saw progress everyday!

Although I loved working at Alfarvad, and I loved the team, the horses and Bøgeskovhale, it was time for me to go and explore some new adventures. Follow my journey in the next post

Some videos of the Alfarvad horses

Stepping up

The last post on my story ended with our first rider Lone Kroman falling of the giant 4 year old Aristoteles 
Lone broke her back and they made a decision that she would stop working as a rider full time, when she healed she started to work as a instructor in Norway, and also rode a couple of horses in Norway and Danmark! Most tough woman ever!
It left me as the only rider at Alfarvad and I got to step up and fill her position as first rider.

This blog post will only be about getting Aristoteles ready, I will continue tomorrow with some more from Alfarvad and how work was when Lone was not there anymore.

What I did not know was that Aristoteles was entered for the 4 year old champion ship in two weeks.

My own 4 year old was already ready, could jump courses and had been out side home trying a couple of things.

Aristoteles was like a wild horse compared to them.

The owner wanted me to try to make him ready and I can tell you guys it was a big challenge for me.
I knew he was spooky and I could not risk riding to a jump with him, if he would hesitate or do a unforeseen movement that would make me come in unbalance for just a second, it would trigger his panic and he would bold and buck until I feel off.
So I really needed to think, me + the grooms, Janni, Jenni and Karina sat down and brainstorm, how ware we going to succeed without me falling of in two weeks.
Since we already knew Lone’s good ideas with leading them over spooky jumps and then putting the rider on after this what was we ware going to do! 

So the girls took turns staying with me in the outdoor ring, helping me out with the giant horse! 

We would first long him, so he got the girt cramp out of his system, then they would carefully help me up and I would war up the horse in dressage.

When that was done I jumped of and we hooked on the lounge line, Janni, Jenni or Karina would hold him ca 5-6 meter from one side of the jump and I would hold the lounge line on the other side together with a bucket of musli. They would then run with him a couple of steps and then he would jump over a lone. 

Or it did not go that easy at first but after a while it went easy.
We got him used to all the jumps we had, the water, the wall, different grinds, filling and combinations!

When he was secure in himself I got on, one of the girls would stand on opposite side of the jump with the bucket of musli and I would ride in walk determined to jump the jump from walk, and it went good, Musli and petting from the groom was waiting on the other side!
You are probably wondering why I was jumping in walk and not Trott?

Simple explanation for that: many times the young horse stops, or run to the side of a jump because he does not have enough time to see, perceive the “information” about the jump, understand it and jump it.

Many times when we come in speed the horse suddenly see it and gets a shock, and does something unwanted, like stopping or running out on the side.

Since Aristoteles became afraid if a situation like that would a cure, and my body would move on top of him. The result of that would be full panic, we had to do everything in a way so he would think it was fun and relaxing to do riding and jumping.

If the horses suddenly stops in Trott, it is a big difference compared to if he suddenly stoops in walk.

That is the answer why we jumped him only in walk in the beginning 
So he got so good at walk jumping, that I could do a course on 1 m from walk, when he saw the jump, ears forward and fast walk to it, and jump, completely happy about himself with the patting and Müsli he got on the other side for being such a good boy! 
And in this way we slowly slowly got him ready in two weeks for the 4 year old Championship!

He could gallop and jump with great confidence without hesitating at home, and this is his first show and also the first time he ever was away from home

My story will continue tomorrow!

Promise 😃 

Working ” 9 to 5″

After the whole drama period it was time for me to have some uncomplicated years at the Danish Studfarm Alfarvad!
Alfarvad has a long history of breeding and it is owned and manage by Susanne Hansen, that took over the Stud farm from her father! Susanne and her family :

Alfarvad was not like other places I had worked, here it was fixed work hours, we worked Monday to Friday 08.00- 16.00 

On Alfarvad it is strictly forbidden to prepair the horses with ofseths and other cruel things, if you buy a Alfarvad Horse you can be sure the horse has not been tricked in any way!

We had weekends off, even the grooms! Susanne had other weekend workers coming to help out! When we ware at the shows in the weekend we had Monday off instead!

It was almost to good to be true, everywhere else it was start at 07.00 finish at 20.00

I must say that I was very grateful for this, and if I was not finished working the horses like I wanted I stay longer until I felt the job was well done, no matter the time.

Me helping out the girls in the stable, they ware laughing at my boots 😂😋🙋

In the beginning I was 2 second rider of the great Lone Kroman! I think Lone was 59 years old when I started to work there! She was still riding 8-10 horses a day, not just older safe horses, but also 4 year olds!

Lone rode the Olympic Games in Barcelona and she won the Danish Championship many many times!

She has so much experience with all kinds of horses, she is still the most winning rider the big Stud Farm Ask ever had working for them in Danmark. I am sure you all know Rolf Göran Bengtsson horse Casall Ask.

She was the first rider for Ask before she came to Alfarvad!

Lone knows all the different types of training and how to get the horse most possible relaxed to jump as good as possible!

How to jump in the young horses in the best way, to make them brave, concentrated, non spooky horses, and also doing everything possible to make sure the rider did not fall of in the process!

(Just to be clear, the picture is normal plastic water, I am talking about the “big water” 😃

Lone was the one who thought me how to get the horses to jump water, and how to work with the horses that are afraid of water. 

We would lead them over, at first I thought she must have had a stoke or something, because everybody else told me that you should never let the horse touch the water at the risk that he would learn to not respect it and jump inside it.

So the other people’s solutions ware to gallop after a horse that would jump, hoping the scared or young horse would follow, and if that did not help, you should hit the horse a lot.

To be honest I did not find these methods so effective, because if you have to hit the horse a lot to get him to jump the water, he will most likely be so tense that he would run in panic and then have faults on other jumps.

And I don’t like to hit horses!!

So her method was to lead the horses over the water, first alone and then with the rider!
Then the rider and horse would walk over alone, then trott, and last canter/gallop.

She told me a un careful horse will at one point start to put a foot in the water, and a careful will always jump over anyway! 

At least this way the horse will do it relaxed, and most likely be clear on the jumps after the water also!

At Alfarvad we did a lot of shows!

A lot of Danish shows are on grass 

I remember when we would go to Skårupgaard the whole weekend while driving back and forward! The show would start at 16.00 on Friday, and finish at 21.30, we had ca 2,5 hours to drive home. On sarturday we could start the first horse at 08.00 and start the last at 20.00 in the evening, meaning we would be home at 00.00 on Friday, needing 45 min to put the horse back and clean the tack. Then we had to be at least one hour before the first class Saturday morning, so for being there at 07.00 we had to go from home 05.30, and the grooms had to start to prepare the horses and feed them at least one hour before, if you do the math you can count nobody got a lot of sleep. But we had so much fun, and the horses ware great!

At that time Lone was he only one driving the truck, and at Sunday she would be so tired she could almost fall a sleep behind the wheel, we took turns talking to her, but she could snooze of in the middle of a sentence, like if we ware visiting her in the evening at home, and she was telling us something, suddenly her head fell down and she was sleeping just like that. Luckily she never did that while driving the truck😅

Lone driving to the show

Me napping on the way to the show

Me and Niqita Alfarvad Z winning Kronborg Cup

Grooms helping out 

Me and one of the horses my father breed (This is “Bessie” Greates Espri B’Jumper)  are taking a rest before the class 

When you do good and your groom is proud 

When you let your groom go to the show with your horse to get good results! Jannie and Bessie did GREAT⭐️

The other horse my father breed: Greatest Jump like Magic “Folly” was broken in by me and the girls at Alfarvad 💖 she later won the 🇳🇴Norwegian Championship in jumping for Junior with her new owner

The lorry packed, name on Bridels and tack for the day, top grooms at show:

Team building at Fårup Sommerland:

More Alfarvad posts, stable, fields and so on:

So this is just the first part of my time at Alfarvad! More will come

Please share my blog and comment on what you like that I write about!

Getting beat up

I want to use a couple of blog post to tell my story, and then move on to regular blogging, like what me, Francois❤️ and the horses are doing every day 😃If you like the reading please cheer the link on your social media, blogging take time, so I sort of need to know that what I am writing you want to read, if my blog sucks and are boring😋 it is better that I skip the blogging
So after my education at Strömsholm in Sweden I moved to Danmark and started to work as a rider for Jens and Birgit Jensen, those who are from Danmark knows Jens as -Krølle Jens, they lived in Nibe!

Here it was a lot of horses and many new experiences for me!
My dad of course drowe me there, and here is a picture of me🙋, Latour my daddy and the truck at a show in Danmark!

After this I got a job in Norway at Olympic Rider Stein Endresen, where I learn a lot and about managing top horses.

At this stable nothing was left to coincidence, everything is perfectly planed  down to every detail! And I think that is a part of their success!

While I was working there I applied for a scholar ship at Stömsholm again to be a “Jumping student” , got in and started to train a lot with my great trainer that I have today Sylve Söderstrand, who actually has been the chef d Equipe of Sweden and Norway.

Pictures form my second time at Strömsholm

When the scholarship was finished I moved in with my boyfriend (now ex boyfriend) in Sweden!

Would prefer to skip over this part but it is a part of me and I want to cheer it with you, to show you that even though life is not a fairy-tail everyday, YOU DECIDE WHO YOU ARE GOING TO BE!

My boyfriend (ex) has a beautiful farm by the water, it was so perfect, accept for one thing.

The man (ex boyfriend) was the kindest person in the world , when he was not drinking..

(If you read this, please know that I wish you the best! And I hope you are happy and healthy!)

When he was drinking he became violent and it is hard for me to write, because he hit me.

Many times my friends had to come and rescue me, other times when he had taken my phone I had to try to run through the forest to our nearest neighbur.

It was a very hard time.

We tried everything, he went to therapy, he started on Anti bus (pills that makes you sick if you drink) but non of this helped.

I know I am a confident person, and when I was watching films with a subject like this when I was a teenager I always thought if something like that happened to me I would just pack my bags and leave when the man was away.

In reality it was a lot harder.

He was very controlling.

I had recently bought a horse from Stud Alfarvad in Danmark and they send with me one other horse to ride and sell in Sweden, while I was there trying horse they also offered me a job.

Here you can see a film of the horse i first started to ride for the Stud farm 

Here is some pictures of him! Really love you Chellani💖 and I know you have a good home I. Norway

It was no way my (ex) boyfriend would let me leave.But after he had been extremely violent one time we agreed with his doctor that I would go and work in Danmark 6 months. I told my boyfriend that it would be a great experience for me, and I would learn a lot that I could use for our business when I came back.

I knew in my heart that I wanted to leave him, and leave the beautiful farm and never come back.

I can not even describe how a person like that can control you, and it was difficult for me to get him out of my life. I had lied to him and told him I would be coming back again.

He kept visiting me in Danmark.

One Tuesday night I had been teaching my students at another club and came back home to the stud farm where I lived, he was drunk and beat me very bad and ripped the clothes I was wearing in pieces.

The grooms who also lived at the Danish Stud farm rescued me and brought me to the hospital and the police.

I was beaten up and could not ride for at least one week.

I am for ever grateful for what happened next:

The owner of the Stud farm Susanne Hansen got it organized so the girls brought me some clothes, put me on a plane to my parents home in Narvik and told me: “Now you are going home to rest, and when you come back you are going to stay here and be safe and “he(the ex boyfriend)” is never going to come back”

And like that I got out of it.

My little house in Danmark 
My little Christmas tree for me and my dog when I was alone

After this had happened to me for years ,-I had two choices, I could lay down and feel sorry for myself, relive all the bad things that happened, think about it everyday and be scared and sad
Or I could be grateful for that it was over and embrace the new life I was give, be happy for all the good things I have and make exciting plans for the future.
I chose happiness, and I hope everybody who reads this also can do that!
There is now way to happiness, happiness is the way 💖

Best wishes

Eva

Thank you: Ola and Ulla, Monica, Jeanette, John and Louise for saving me when it was needed in Sweden

Monica and her horse at that time, Gwendelyn by Cardento

Thank you Susanne for getting me out of a poison relationship when I worked for you in Danmark

Thank you Jannie, Karina, Jenny, Laura for rescuing me that night

Not accepted ?

What does that even mean? Those two words together does not even exist in my World.

So you guys probably wondering what I am speaking about, when I was doing my senior year I applyed to colleges. One was Starum in Norway and the other one that was my first choice Strömsholm in Sweden. Both schools was to become a riding teacher!

I soon got accepted to come to tryouts in Starum that are located in Norway, I was really good at the tryouts and they told me the last day that I was accepted! Boy was I happy! But I was still waiting and hoping for the Swedish school, that already had been the home of so many Swedish super star riders and instructors!

When I came back to the north and the town Narvik where I lived, there was a letter from Stömsholm waiting for me! I opened with excitement and in it it said , “Not accepted for tryouts”. And there was a list, I was to young and did not have the exams/subjects that was requierd for the education. Most people would probably just accept the Norwegian school I already got in to, but not me. I was not gonna let any office person who did not even know me deny me from trying out and giving my best for my dream! No way!

So what I did, I went to the tryouts anyway. My parents drow me two hours to the airport in Kiruna and I was going to take the plane to Stockholm, and two different trains to go to the school!

Here you can see how much north it is:

I had rented a room near the school and had everything perfectly planed! Since nobody knew I was coming I was relying on being fresh and focused. Supper and breakfast I had brought from home, and all I needed to do was to eat my supper when I got to the room go early to bed, and be ready to dasle the teachers!

At the airport I found out that my plane was 2 hours late. And that gave me some challenges. Because when I reached Stockholm the last train to my destination had already left. I was alone in the big central station, I started to talk to random people that also was waiting there and luckily I meet a girl, she was a student at a school in Uppsala and she told me I could spend the night on the floor in her doorm, and take a early train to Strömsholm in the morning. I was a little nervous about being kidnapped, but I went with her in good fate!  Could not really relax at the floor there, but was thinking to stay strong for my grandparents that always had helped out if we needed some money regarding my sport! I was not going to let down “Mor and Far”!

They always believed in me! The thought of my grandmothers hugs and her new baked bread with butter and Nugatti comford me, and suddenly it was morning!

I arrived in Strömsholm and quickly changed my clothes to riding clothes in a cafe bathroom!

When they ware counting the people before the tryouts started they counted one to much, that was me! I explained that I had great admiration for the studies, the teachers and the school and if they please gave me a chance I would not disappoint. It was still the issue of the subjects and exams I did not have, but I convinced them that I could study it on my own, parallel with the studies at the school!

And I did! I got in, I competed the exams and became a riding instructor on the school of my dreams!

And if anyone that knows one of my old Showjumping teachers from the school, Eric Berggren, please tell him that I had a HUDGE crush on him during that time!

(Of course I am 100% happy with Francois and do not want to change, just so that is said and clear 😍)

Stay tuned for more 😉

Best wishes

Eva

Say HELLO to the girl that I am

So this is my first ever blog post! I welcome you to read it and hope you will find it amusing 😉

I am a 32 year old woman who lives in Switzerland with my fiance Francois!

I am born in Norway, a little town called Narvik with my wonderful loving parents!

I guess I was a wild child because my parents let me try almost all the sports we have there 😂 I did handball, football, down hill skiing, cross country skiing, dancing, gymnastics, riding, and even violin and piano!

I really wanted to ride and when I was a little girl and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up? I would answer rider and instructor or a prest (a priest because I liked to help people) must be pretty clear by now that I chose the riding proffesion!

Anyway, my pony was a grey New Forest called Jolly Jumper, I feel so blessed to be able to have my own, and I still feel that way today! Incredible lucky! To be able to have your own horse is a privilege!

Here is a picture of me and Jolly Jumper

When I was 15 I started to ride horses and got my first own horse Mason! He was a 7 year old Swedish warmblood by Magini, and he had already competed in Oslo Horse Show 130 6 year old class. It was at that time a horse like that costed 10 000 euro! It did not go so good when I tried him, I was 15 and about 162 cm high and weight 48 kg, he was 175 with A LOT OF BLOOD. And it was -10 when I tried him and for some reason they had not had so much time to ride him the days before I came. He bucked constantly and I fell of and strained my foot, i really did not like him that much, but I was to afraid that my parents would change their mind about me getting a second horse (still had the pony) so I took him! When he came home we had some issues, mainly him running away with me and me thinking that I had to find a way to be able to ride this big horse. At that time in the north of Norway you would only ride with a snaffle and it was nobody who longed the horses before riding, so I did not even know that could be a option😂 I found ways to become friends and after a while we competed successfully up to 130, although still with ups and downs! The pony got sold and I tell you guys I cried for a month. I was serious about my riding so I prepared myself and stated my case to my parents that I needed more horses to be able to ride enough so I could learn more! Note, I already got up on every trotter or island horse, yeah basically anything that was a little bit ridable every opperuity I got.

Anyway I understood that I needed two more horses, my parents only wanted to pay for one horse a month, they agree to help with buying the horses but I needed to pay stable, shoeing, and shows for the extra horses myself.

Fair enough deal, so in one week I went from only working at the ridinschool where my horse Mason lived, to get a job as a hotel receptionist, hotel cleaner, breakfast maker, account keeper, office cleaning lady, one more instructrion job at another riding club and a supportive contact for a little girl! All this + going to school!

I got two new horses, Greatest Parida and Greatest Thekla!

My friend and my parents ware always ready to lend a hand whether it was homework or help me out at one of my 1000 jobs! We managed, and to be honest, I have a LOT of energy, so I think all this made it easier for my parents😉 because when I would be home I would actually be still and want to watch tv with them or play a board games, instead of running around hyper in the house wanting to do something 24/7

My daddy build me a Horsetrucks and I must admit I was the proudest (still am) girl in the world! We would take the truck and the horses and drive around Europe in the summer for shows and training! Although many other girls had bigger, fancier trucks and some even laught at our truck, I did not care! So their parents bought one, that is super great for them and I was happy for them. But my dad made this one, and I painted it! What can be more awesome than that? 

We still have the truck at my parents house in Narvik 💖

This will be the start of my introduction to you!

More from my upbringing and how I ended up here will come!

Best wishes

Eva