| Mikolka is a former oberbereiter (chief trainer) of the Spanish Riding School.
He came to the U.S. some time ago (don't know how long) and has been the head
trainer of Tempel Lippizaner Farm out in the midwest, which I believe sought to
establish a U.S. version of the Spanish Riding School, doing performances and
touring.
I believe his former wife, Cindy Sydnor(sp?), is fairly well known in the
dressage world.
Mary
|
| Since nobody seemed to know where he is going (I had some friends in the horse
news business asking around) I decided to go straight to the horse's mouth :-)
and ask Mr.Mikolka himself. I sent him a e-mail 2 days ago, and got his reply
today!
He isn't sure yet where he and his wife are moving to, although possibly
Massachusetts, Vermont or New Hampshire. His bio on his WWW page has been
changed slightly since the last time I read it -- it now says he is retiring and
plans to write and teach clinics.
Mary
ps in looking for this note I stumbled into a very old note from a former noter
and very accomplished rider and trainer, Melinda Johnson. She mentioned Karl
Mikolka as being, in her opinion, the best dressage trainer in the U.S. As I
recall, Melinda's working student resume read like a who's who in dressage
masters in the U.S. (Major Hector Carmona, I think Van Shaik, Mikolka, and other
masters)
|
| Well, I called Melissa last night and asked her if she still believed that
Mikolka was the best dressage trainer in the U.S. After she stopped laughing,
she said she was pretty green back when she said that, and that "they all have
something different that you can learn." She also called him "an old fart."
Oops, I forgot -- she asked me not to mention that part!
Mary
|