On the first Sunday in August the gates at Gut Rosenhof were once again open for a Sunday morning work session.
In beautiful summer weather and with all seats fully booked, Anja Beran and her team provided interesting insight into Classical Dressage. The programme began as usual with Anja Beran and her impressive Lusitano stallion Regedor, which she rode as guests were arriving.
After the words of welcome by Professor Volkmar Nüssler, Phönix entered the arena. With the three-year-old Appaloosa Anja Beran demonstrated the first steps on the lunge, tacking up and becoming accustomed to the rider. Above all Anja Beran pointed out what it is essential to avoid with a young horse and what is absolutely necessary as far as fundamental training is concerned.
Afterwards Vera Munderloh presented the Lipizzaner stallion Favory Toscana. The very supple stallion can meanwhile do initial lateral movements at walk and trot, canter on confidently as well as first attempts at piaffe, passage and Spanish walk. Finally Anja Beran also demonstrated with him how she teaches a horse to do a typical circus movement, in other words kneeling.
Next it was the turn of the Lusitano stallion Novilunio under Astrid  Galipo. Following the suppling up phase, he already showed lateral movements at canter, counter canter and some very nice flying changes.
Regular visitors to the Sunday morning work sessions always await him eagerly: Olé, Anja Beran’s charming grey Lusitano is always an integral part of the programme. In-hand and with only a neck band, he showed fine reactions and great application in all movements.
Just as Olé, the dun stallion Ramsés features regularly in the presentation. On Ramsés, Jasmin Gärtner gave an impressive demonstration of a calm, supple rider’s seat. Flying changes on the circle, Spanish walk and Spanish trot are the movements at which Ramsés particularly excels – his enthusiasm for them is obvious.
The last horse in the Sunday morning work session was the Westphalian Flamingo under his regular rider Vera Munderloh. Our former “problem horse” performed well. Although bursting with temperament, he remained controllable and demonstrated – for the first time in front of a large number of spectators – calmly executed flying changes and his impressive extended trot out of the passage.
In the lunch break guests had the opportunity to admire the pictures of the famous equestrian painter Renate Blank, before continuing at 14.00h with a lecture by the vet Georg Rattenhuber on the subject of “Healthy Teeth for Horses”.
Most of the guests stayed on a lot longer at Gut Rosenhof and enjoyed a stroll around the well-kept grounds and the opportunity to look at the horses and all the other animals.

Hi Anja,
Thanks very much for the brilliant clinic at the weekend.  I always feel a big improvement in my riding after your clinics and Paloma always moves more freely.  I was particularly pleased this year when you said that Paloma is straight now.  What an achievement!
Mary and I enjoyed the weekend so much that we cried when it was time to leave!  It had been so enjoyable that we didn't want it to end.
It is extrememly rare to find somebody who is as good at teaching as they are riding and vice versa. I am so keen to work with you that I am writing to beg, beg, beg, that you will give me an opportunity to prove how dedicated I am to learn and promote the principles of classical dressage. I know that the foundation places are already full but if there is ANY possibility that in the future, when more places become available, you will consider me for the job then please would you let me know?
All the best and many thanks,
Antonia Bryans

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Hi Nancy,
Just wanted to say thank you for organizing the clinic with Anja last weekend - it was more than worth the interminable journey from Devon! I came home totally inspired - in my completely amateurish way, I have been working in similar ways with my horse for a little while now, but until last weekend had not had the opportunity to watch a trainer of Anja's calibre in action 'for real'.
I thought I would wait until I had worked with my horse a few times before writing to you - the 'magic' from clinics has been known to wear off quite quickly in the past! Not this time. My husband watched me riding my horse on the Monday and was gobsmacked at the change (mostly due to my newfound clarity of purpose and attention to detail, I think) and her increased athleticism in the lateral movements. He said he had never seen her move like that, 'particularly the back end', whatever that might mean!
Thanks to the clinic, to Anja's straightforward and understandable teaching, and to all the riders who we watched, I now have a very clear plan for progress and plenty to work on. I would love the opportunity to ride with Anja if you organize another clinic next year, and would like to put my name on the waiting list.  
All the best
Sarah (Widdicombe)

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Dear Nancy
Although life is setting back to the normal routine  I am still pretty much on cloud number 9, and can't stop smiling when I look back over the weekend.
Anja is by far the best trainer in the world and it is indeed a great honour to have had her back here in the UK again. I have admired her for years and so appreciate all that she is doing to preserve the correct ways of the Old Masters and to raise riding to an art form.  Many trainers claim to be Classical, so we seek them out only to find they talk a good story, but in practice they are the same as all the rest. 
Best
Mary 0’Kane

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Hi Nancy,
I came up to the Anja Beran clinic with my friends Kate Sandel and Sarah Widdecombe from Devon, and had the most fantastic time! Thank you so much Nancy! I had recently brought Anja's book, and to attend her clinic was such a privilege. I have the utmost admiration for her, she is a fountain of knowledge and a total inspiration, and such a wonderful teacher.
Best wishes,
Sarah Stewart

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Nancy,
I just wanted to thank you for organising the clinic last weekend. It was truly inspiring.
I hope you will pass on my thanks and admiration to Anja. The work she is doing is absolutely superb. I hope to be able to see her again at future clinics.
Best wishes,
Wendy Poore

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Hi Nancy, just to thank you for organising the Anja Beran clinic held last weekend.   This is one of my annual MUST NOT MISS events and I really enjoyed the whole weekend, with the demo on Saturday night as a bonus.   It is so lovely to have Anja here even if only once a year and it helps so much to have the clssical principles reinforced by watching the transformation of the horses over the four sessions.   Thank you for all the work you must have to put in to co-ordinate everything so well!   See you again next year, Regards, Anna

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Well done Nancy for organising the brilliant Anja Beran weekend at Ledston. It was a privilege to watch Anja patiently and precisely instruct the riders and see their horses transformed. The tense became relaxed; the reluctant showed energy and enthusiasm. It was a special event that will long remain in the memory. We were all sad to leave on the Sunday evening - if anyone had failed to be moved and affected I would probably have needed to check for signs of life!
Judy Foody

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Dear Anja
I would like to thank you for your lecture at Ledston Equine last week. Unfortunately I couldn't come to the clinics but hope to when you come again as I learned so much from the lecture alone.
I brought along two friends with me and we all absolutely understood exactly what you were saying about dressage as rehabilitation and thought that the ID illustrated your point beautifully.
Thank you once again for the best lecture that I've been to in a very long time. Your care for the horses really shines through and I wish you well with your foundation to carry on your work.
Many thanks
Lynne Chappell and friends Paula and Lesley x 

The Anja Beran Foundation flag fluttered against the beautiful blue sky, the sweet scent of freshly mown grass wafted in from the paddocks and the sound of cheerful chattering and laughter echoed across the yard – on the first Sunday in July Gut Rosenhof once again opened its gates for a Sunday morning work session. And once again it was a case of “full house” – despite the summer heat around 300 guests had come, not only from the locality but from all over Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and even the USA.
Whilst guests were arriving – as is meanwhile something of an established tradition at Gut Rosenhof – Anja Beran rode her Lusitano stallion Regedor. The bay horse, formerly a seriously problematic horse with a tendency towards hysterical behaviour, demonstrated increasing sovereignty and confidence in his rider and, considering the indoor school was filling up with spectators, chairs were being moved and there was an increasing sense of general bussle, he remained extremely calm and composed.
As usual Anja Beran opened the programme at 11.00 a.m. with a remonte, the young, green Lusitano gelding Zeus. Together with Astrid Galipo and Vera Munderloh they demonstrated correct lunging, first tacking up and becoming accustomed to the rider. Although Zeus was somewhat nervous on account of his lack of experience with an audience, his behaviour under the rider was indeed exemplary.
From the very young remonte to the advanced horse: after Zeus a five-year old P.R.E. stallion was presented, on which Anja Beran showed the most important gymnasticising steps: lateral movements but also piaffing and passages.
Canter work with counter-canter and flying changes were the main themes of the presentation of the Lusitano stallion “Novilunio”, which was commentated on by Anja Beran.
Guests, who have attended a number of Sunday morning work sessions in the past, always await his appearance with a certain amount of excitement: Anja Beran’s grey Lusitano Olé. Actually it was rather too warm for him on this particular Sunday, but Olé is a true professional. Guided by Anja Beran, he showed his ability and ultimately demonstrated that he does not even need a bit for the piaffe, passage and levade. He can do it with just a neck band.
Vera Munderloh subsequently presented a Sunday morning work session premier with the Lusitano stallion “Super”. Anja Beran explained that at Gut Rosenhof efforts are consistently made to preserve tradition and for this reason from time to time a horse is trained to be ridden side-saddle – in this case Super is the horse in question. Super did full justice to his name: he not only showed the basic gaits and lateral movements, but also the piaffe, passage, Spanish walk and kneeling movement, although the rider only had one leg available for the application of the aids.
Jasmin Gärtner and the dun horse, Ramsès, were the next to enter the arena. Here Anja Beran drew particular attention to the importance of the correct and supple seat and explained the rider’s fine application of the aids. At the end Ramsès also showed his “speciality”: a spectacular Spanish trot!
The presentation was concluded, as usual, by the Westphalian gelding Flamingo. He made a very relaxed impression and even presented a flying change on yielded reins without any signs of undue excitement. Finally Vera Munderloh also demonstrated the development of the extended trot from the passage with him, and here it is essential for the horse to develop good self-carriage and not to lean on the rider's hand.
After the lunch break, the vet Georg Rattenhuber gave a talk about equine dentistry and visitors had the opportunity to admire the works of the artist Sabine Marciniak. 

Of course you can only learn to ride by doing it. The necessity of actually riding in practice, however, by no means diminishes the significance of the theory which is behind it. On the contrary, in fact: knowledge of the relevant theory forms the foundation on which correct practice is based and broadens the horizons in such a way as to make a mere rider into a trainer of his horse.
Anja Beran is very much aware of this and is herself one of those riders whose practical riding is based on excellent academic knowledge of the subject. And sharing this with her pupils is a matter of fundamental importance for her, as was underlined by a lecture presented on the last Sunday in June at her Gut Rosenhof home in Allgäu, Southern Germany. Her subject was the history and content of classical dressage, its development, the importance of the great masters of equitation and the current situation relating to dressage. Furthermore, she talked about the objectives and significance of the classical doctrine. Her lecture was also supported by a power point presentation.
This was interlinked with a practical part in which visitors were able to see the actual implementation for themselves of what Anja Beran had discussed beforehand. The Lusitano gelding Tango, ridden by Katja Baldauf, was the first horse to enter the indoor school. Tango had come to Gut Rosenhof as a problematic horse requiring correction. He used to go very much on the forehand and as such had become virtually inrideable. Anja Beran explained how she and Katja Baldauf had managed to get this horse to relax again, to come back into better balance and, as a consequence, to cooperate more with the rider.
Afterwards Vera Munderloh presented the P.R.E. stallion Ofendido. Against this background, Anja Beran talked about the significance of the lateral movements in gymnasticising a horse, but also about their importance in connection with the development of carrying power and impulsion.
Finally Anja Beran presented her foundation for the preservation of classical dressage and explained why the foundation had become necessary and exactly what the objectives are.
A lively discussion with the public rounded off the day.
The Dutch artist Marli Hommel was once again a guest at Gut Rosehof on the occasion of the event and exhibited her impressive pictures in the lunging hall.

On this occasion the Rosenhof Team were richly blessed with magnificent sunshine. After many weeks of thunderstorms and torrential rain, the Sunday sun shone brightly on Rosenhof from the blue-white Bavarian sky and gave visitors a real Allgäu-holiday feeling.  
As the indoor school gradually filled up – and of course we were pleased that this Sunday, once again, all seats had been sold - Anja Beran rode the bay Lusitano stallion Regedor, who is developing increasing “show routine” and no longer takes fright at the sight of spectators around him.
The programme naturally started off again with the demonstration of breaking in, this time with the three-year-old Apaloosa Phönix, who just came to Rosenhof two months ago. Careful tacking up, gradual accustomising to the snaffle bit and finally first riding attempts on the lunge were the theme here.
The Lipizzaner stallion Favory Toscana enjoyed a foretaste of his future career as a circus horse in the area of haute école. The small but very impressive grey horse, being ridden in a snaffle bit, performed first lateral paces, piaffe steps, first attempts at the passage, the beginning of the Spanish walk, but also cantering from walk and kneeling.
Subsequently Astrid Galipo rode the Lusitano stallion Novilunio. On the basis of his example Anja Beran explained the meaning of the counter-canter and preparation of the flying change.
The Friesian stallion Merlin originally came to Gut Rosenhof as a problem horse. He had acquired a tongue problem which made it very difficult to ride him. Meanwhile, however, Merlin has regained confidence in the rider’s hand and, under Vera Munderloh, visitors were able to see that even a rather difficult horse can be ridden lightly in response to fine and subtle application of the aids. The transitions trot – piaffe – trot – passage - trot succeeded without any visible application of the aids, which gave Anja Beran the opportunity to explain on the basis of this example that it is precisely this harmony which transforms riding into art.
Playfully and with full confidence in his trainer, the Lusitano Olé performed in the arena. Lateral paces in hand, piaffe, pesade and even the passage merely with a neck ring – were all no problem for the small grey horse who gratefully accepted the applause from the delighted spectators as well as the treat from Anja Beran as a befitting reward.
The dun horse Ramsès under Jasmin Gärtner was equally warmly applauded. He earned his applause by means of beautiful canter changes to the inside and outside on the curved circle line, as well as by his expressive Spanish walk and Spanish trot.
It is always a special pleasure for us as well as for our visitors to experience Flamingo under Vera Munderloh. The handsome Westphalian chestnut with the generous paces originally came to Rosenhof with some very serious problems, however on Sunday these were virtually unnoticed. Flamingo was very relaxed and even-tempered. He was even able to show a good, composed canter-change.
This time there was art on the rostrum where Günter Veichtlbauer, a painter from Salzburg, had exhibited some of his pictures.
The informative day came to a close with a talk on teeth by the vet Georg Rattenhuber.  

On 9th May, traditionally Mothers’ Day, the first morning work session in 2010 took place at Gut Rosenhof. Numerous guests from Germany and abroad - including one visitor from as far away as California – had come to experience the event and they all followed the work of Anja Beran and her team with great interest.
As visitors were arriving, Anja Beran rode the Lusitano stallion “Regedor”, who felt somewhat insecure in these rather unusual circumstances, but nevertheless showed good canter changes, pirouettes, piaffes and passages.
After some words of welcome from the host, Prof. Dr. Volkmar Nüssler, breaking in was demonstrated with the Friesian stallion Renoir. In this context Anja Beran placed special emphasis on correct lunging with a cavesson, first tacking up and backing of a horse. Furthermore, she explained quite emphatically how important a prompt reaction to a forwards driving leg is, and how this is achieved.
Following the black Friesian, the colour changed to white: Favory Toscana entered the arena. The Lipizzaner stallion is meanwhile six years old and has been at Gut Rosenhof for two years now. During this period he has become the real darling of visitors to the Sunday morning work sessions. In his first year, he had been the horse used to demonstrate the breaking in process, last year regular guests experienced him as a young remonte and so it gave them pleasure now to see Favory Toscana again, this time as an advanced remonte. Once again he captivated the spectators with the good impulsion of his movements and above all, his attentiveness and diligence. Favory Toscana, who is lucky enough to be owned by the Munich-based Circus Krone and therefore will be able to enjoy the benefits of a long and careful training at Gut Rosenhof, showed how the piaffe developed from the suppling lateral paces at walk and trot, which his rider Vera Munderloh was already able to accomplish with him without any assistance from the ground. Following on from the piaffe, came some cadenced passage steps. Following the canter work and first collected canter strides in shoulder-in, the young stallion was allowed to stretch forwards-downwards at trot whilst Anja Beran explained the sequence of stages for learning the Spanish walk and kneeling.
Favory Toscana was followed by the Lusitano stallion “Novilunio”, presented by Astrid Galipo. The chestnut is already able to do very good full halts from trot to halt, half passes at trot with good flexion, the counter canter and finally several flying changes on the diagonal line. Using Novilunio as an example, Anja Beran explained how she familiarises horses with the touching whip and encourages them to do their first piaffe steps. In this context she particularly emphasised the significance of praise and calmness.
Work in hand with the grey Lusitano “Olé“ has always been an important part of the Sunday work sessions. Olé playfully performed lateral paces, piaffe, levade, Spanish walk and kneeling down – then as the climax, he performed all these once again, this time without a bridle, merely with a neck ring.
Our dun horse, the impressive Lusitano stallion Ramsès, was the next horse to enter the arena. Whilst Jasmin Gärtner presented him under the saddle, Anja Beran explained the importance of the sensitive and effective rider’s seat. Ramsès meanwhile showed flying changes on the circle and finally even an expressive Spanish trot.
The Westphalian gelding Flamingo, who had originally come to us as a problem horse, was presented very proudly by Vera Munderloh. During the course of the winter, Flamingo has settled down well and become much more relaxed. Furthermore, his walk has improved greatly. Now he is beginning to shine again, and he presented evidence of this to all spectators – supple in the lateral paces, rewarded subsequently by relaxed breaks on yielded reins – with transitions from the collected trot to piaffe and back to trot; counter-canter on the circle, flying change and finally passage going into an extended trot and back to the passage again.
During the lunch break visitors had the opportunity to admire the works of the artist Corinna Marko. In the afternoon the vet Georg Rattenhuber gave a talk about the treatment of a horse’s teeth. Subsequently it was the turn of the physiotherapist René Frim, who discussed the nature of back problems and presented saddle pressure measurements.
Visitors were full of praise for this very interesting and instructive day and many of them indeed registered immediately for the next morning work session. 

At the beginning of November 2009 Anja Beran travelled to California where she held two clinics and also gave two presentations. Nancy Dibble and Kit West organised the clinics and took care of all the visitors as well as supervising the catering and ensuring general smooth running of the events.
Anja Beran spent three days in Los Angeles at the exclusive “Brookside Equestrian Center” which belongs to Linda and Keith Walton. Most of the participants rode Lusitanos, although warmbloods and throroughbreds were also represented.
The interest in classical dressage was overwhelming – spectators had travelled from Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Kentucky, Oregon, New Mexico and Washington in order to participate in the clinic and hear Anja Beran’s presentation dealing with the question: “What is classical dressage?”.
The next stop on this trip was Temecula where an indoor school, which is part of a huge equestrian centre, had been reserved for the second clinic. Many guests were so impressed by what they had learned at the first event that they also travelled to the second location in order to have the opportunity of participating in the second clinic. Since then Anja Beran has received many enthusiastic responses as well as invitations to Texas and Colorado. The next clinic in California is already fully booked and a waiting list has been opened.

Some of the responses to the clinics are to be found below:

On 28.10.2009 Anja Beran accepted an invitation to Prague. The Czech translation of her book “In Deference” had been published and the publishing house and translator had arranged a book presentation in “Equishop”, the biggest equestrian sports shop in Prague. Numerous guests came to hear the presentation given to the author and to have their copies of the book signed by her, as well as to ask Anja Beran specific questions on equestrian subjects.

As part of the supporting programme the initiator, Mr Ivan Borsky, had also organised a visit to the Czech National Stud at Kladruby, where a guided tour had been organised especially for Anja Beran. Anja Beran and her host spent an extremely interesting time on the extensive stud premises and looking at the beautiful white baroque horses.