NEWS

Canada's Christilot Hanson-Boylen triumphs at Aubenhausen

At the annual Aubenhausen Dressage Festival, held from July 27th to 29th 2008, Canada's Christilot Hanson-Boylen triumphed in Saturday's Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, when she placed 4th with Gachino with a dream mark of over 70%.

Hanson-Boylen received almost as much applause as the eventual winner of the class, UIla Salzgeber with Herzruf's Erbe. "I was riding to a new music of German film composer Joe Dachtler," Hanson-Boylen said, "which was composed especially for me and Gachino. "It is amazing how well it fit the movements of the horse. The passage music, for instance, was tango-based and it really took the audience's attention."

The Freestyle Grand Prix at Aubenhausen marked the premiere of filmcomposer's Joe Dachtler's Dressage Freestyle Music, which is currently taking Germany's dressage world by storm. Dachtler works together with German rider and dressage rider spokesperson Uwe Schwanz in making his freestyle music available to select clients, starting from Prix St Georges upwards, and composed in any desired style, from classical to pop to tango, or combinations of those. "It depends on the gaits and appearance of the horse, and well as the rider and his style," Dachtler said at Aubenhausen. "When composing the music for Christilot, I initially discussed with her what style of music she envisioned, and then spent time studying the blueprint for her test to familiarize myself with the horse and her riding style."

Spotted at the side of the dressage ring, Dachtler was talking animatedly to several high-profile names, such as Ulla Salzgeber or the Meggle family for whose yard rides Dieter Laugks with Meggle's Weltall (formerly known as Weltall under Martin Schaudt). "With a limited amount of dressage music available, as this is only composed to order," Dachtler said, "we specialize mainly in international riders, but occasionally also have spaces available for other clients."

As for Hanson-Boylen, she was overjoyed after Saturday's result, which also got Canada into the forfront of the minds of the German dressage audiences. "Getting over 70% in a field of such stiff competition," Hanson-Boylen, who is being trained by German legend Udo Lange, said, "was simply overwhelming. It felt good when I rode in, and it felt good all the way to the end. So, when greeting the judges at the end, I had a big smile on my face because riding to Joe's music had been so much fun."

Further information about Joe Dachtler and his Freestyle Dressage Music can be found at this link: http://www.uweschwanz.com/en/page/?id=K%FCrmusiknachMass

An Internet TV interview with Joe Dachtler and Christilot Hanson-Boylen (in German only) at Aubenhausen can be found at this link. The Internet TV prizegiving of the Grand Prix Freestyle at Aubenhausen is to be found at the same link: http://www.uweschwanz.com/en/page/?id=DressurfestivalAubenhausen2008

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