“The Nursery” Elite Training & Correct Ethics

ESTABLISHED IN 1998 BY KYRA KYRKLUND, ÅKE BJÖRSEL AND JAN BRINK, KNYTKALASET, (THE NAME KNYTKA-LASET REFERRING TO A POTLUCK SUPPER – AND TRANSLATING INTO, ‘COMPETENCIES UNITED’).  KNYTKALASET AND PLANTSKOLAN ARE AMBITIOUS TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS CREATING INTERNATIONAL WAVES.

NOW, 17 YEARS LATER, KNYTKALASET HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS AN EFFICIENT AND SUCCESSFUL ELITE TRAINING ACADEMY, PRO-DUCING RIDERS AND HORSES OF INTERNATIONAL TOP-CLASS.

Now as then, the objective is to increase the competence of the riders, trainers and horses on a national level in Sweden. As with increased competencies amongst the riders the result is an  increase in the amount of well-educated dressage horses and horses at top Grand Prix level. And not to forget better interna-tional sports results for Sweden.

” Today, where the general level of riding competencies in Sweden and internationally has increased over the years, the educational challenge is not only about the end result of the performance but the ethics of the art of dressage riding and the route of getting there”, says Jan Brink.

What is the best way ‘getting there’? Not only for the rider  – but also for the horses? That’s why we have established  ‘The Nursery’ (Plantskolan) a second leg in Knytkalaset’s efforts to deliver support and knowledge sharing to talented upcom-ing riders as well as the top and national and international  level riders. The Nursery is a program for the young riders. The juniors, YR’s and the U25’s. “Here we focus on  maturing and developing the riders – their performanc-es as well as their ethics. And we are in there for the long haul, because horses are not tennis rackets and each rider has to learn how to develop their horse with respect and according to the training scale using correct approaches. Dressage is a partnership with your horse. Definitely not exploitation. And we strongly believe in the right way – not the easy way”.  And as Kyra states: “It is like sculpturing and creating a piece of art”. Her goal with her students is “to make them independent and thinking riders, who themselves are able to educate horses up to Grand Prix in a re-sponsible manner”.

The academy has already an international echo and has created an interest amongst various national Junior and Young Rider teams.  During the Global Dressage Forum held on October 28 and 29th 2013 Jan Brink and Kyra Kyrklund presented their ambitious talent  program and demonstrated their training methods during a clinic with young athletes and their horses. (Nursery, Plantskolan riders and horses).  A new international academy might be shaping!

So far the Knytkalaset program has produced more than 30 Grand Prix horse and rider combinations. But don’t be distracted the Nursery students will be in front on the international arenas in the future. We look forward following their successes.

Kyra Kyrklund is the ‘number one’ clinician in the international dressage world. Kyra Kyrklund became a professor in Equitation by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. As a trainer she has trained more than 30 international Grand Prix riders. (source: Global Dressage Forum)