“Keep it playful” was the prevailing theme at last weekend’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen MasterClass, hosted at Highpoint Equestrian Centre by Ashley Moore of WestMoore Dressage in Langley, BC, Canada. Spectators traveled from over 1,000 km away — some taking two ferries and others crossing international borders — to attend the event at the renowned training facility, a hub in the West Coast Dressage community.
Erin Silo and Jett. (Cara Grimshaw photo)
Bachmann Andersen’s charm and love for horses did not disappoint, making the day both educational and entertaining for riders and spectators alike. “We’re so lucky to have Daniel come; he’s like a celebrity — I couldn’t miss seeing him,” exclaimed one visitor from Whidbey Island.
“His ride in Paris [aboard Vayron] was stunning. I’ve admired him for a while and learned a lot from how he coached today,” said another spectator.
Bachmann Andersen took his time with each horse-and-rider pair, tailoring each session to ensure the horses remained engaged and willing in the big environment. Incorporating playful figures and exercises along with light seat work, each session throughout the day produced happy, harmonious pairs. “You have to make it playful for them,” Bachmann Andersen explained.
A rising star to keep your eyes on was Erin Silo and her developing Grand Prix horse, Jett. During their session, Jett showed off his impressive and rhythmical piaffe technique. It will be exciting to see what the future holds for this talented pair!
Clinic host Ashley Moore riding Karinos. (Cara Grimshaw photo)
The day before, during rider assessments, FEI rider Pia Fortmuller expertly guided her five-year-old London to confidently showcase clean flying changes. However, during the MasterClass with a larger crowd, London became more introverted. Bachmann Andersen focused on the importance of rhythm and suppleness to build the young horse’s confidence, having Fortmuller ride in a light seat to help London regain throughness and energy flow, creating an essential building block of confidence despite the large audience.
In the Grand Prix session with Claire Robinson and Glamourboy, her partner from her win at the U25 Freestyle at NAYC last year, Bachmann Andersen built on their existing skills to bring more balance and harmony to their work. He broke down the one-tempis into smaller sets, allowing Glamourboy to gradually improve rhythm and connection before stringing together longer sets until a full sequence was produced with higher overall quality.
In the session with FEI rider and host Ashley Moore and gelding Karinos, owned by Anne Bowen, Bachmann Andersen highlighted the importance of achieving a fresh, in-front-of-the-leg canter for smoother transitions and better balance in the counter-canter. Simple adjustments to traditional patterns — such as riding diagonals to X and continuing on the centerline — built balance, control, and confidence in the canter, allowing the counter-canter to become effortless for the pair.
“I’m excited for future events. This is a new chapter for the community, and I’m thrilled to build on the Highpoint legacy to continue bringing experiences like this to our local athletes,” said Ashley Moore, host of the MasterClass and new manager of Highpoint Equestrian, the world-class equestrian facility. “I want to bring higher education to the community, not just for myself but for all our riders and coaches. We have a small but mighty presence here in the Pacific Northwest, and we have some great contenders for making a team. I want to do my part to facilitate those dreams.”
(Sign up at hpec658@gmail.com to be notified when Daniel Bachmann Andersen and other world-class masterclasses return in 2025.)
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