In the last ten years Ellen Bontje has been a solid member of the Dutch Dressage Team. Based in Dreiech, Germany, Ellen is training with Conrad Schumacher at Hofgut Neuhof. She rode Petit Prince, Piccolomino, Olympic Larius, Heuriger N and her latest mount is Olympic Gestion Silvano N.
With this horse Ellen is an unmissible piece for the silver Dutch Dressage Team.
It was her father who fulfilled her child's dream of getting a carriage pony. A year later he also bought a riding pony for Ellen. This mare was very spirited as she foaled every year and became obnoxious when she had to leave her baby. Ellen was very scared when she had to ride this pony, and this fear has never gone away. "I'm still not a real hero, and when a horse is bucking or jumping round the arena I immediately pass on the ride".
At Nico van der Stigt's stable in Garderen, Ellen started out as a groom. For two years she was able to ride an off track racing horse. When she had to canter with him, he became very frisky so it was important for her not only to ride with her body but also with her mind. When she left Van Stight, she had an excellent seat but she couldn't ride the exercises. At age 21, Ellen went to Germany to work with Josef Neckermann. "I have never even dreamt of going to the Olympic Games, but when I arrived at Neckermann's I had to groom for him at the international competitions; I saw how the real show world looked like and I was immediately amazed" After
three months of grooming, Ellen had to ride three horses a day. Neckermann rode with a lot of feeling and several times Ellen had to redo an exercise fifty times. When she asked him what
was wrong, he couldn't give an answer. That's why his training was very difficult.
In May 82, Ellen moved to Conrad Schumacher in Dreieich, but she kept working for Neckermann until his death. Ellen competed for one year and a half before she made her Grand Prix debut with Neckermann's Marius. But Ellen really florished at Schumacher's stable. Not only did she get better equine material to ride, but Conrad's lessons were very different. He could explain everything so clearly and could bring rider and horse closer to eachother. He discovers so many different ways to solve a certain problem.
After the Olympic Games of Seoul, Ellen went through difficult times. Her Grand Prix horse Petit Prince had to go back to Sven Rothenberger after CDI Amsterdam and Larius was still too inexperienced. In 1994 she was selected for the World Equestrian Games of The Hague with the Trakehner Heuriger N. Placed fifth in the individual rankings, Ellen could only enjoy this highlight in her career for a short period, as after that event the owner pulled Heuriger out of the show circuit to focus him on his breeding duty.
Her new come back come with the Holsteiner Gestion Olympic Silvano N, with whom she competed at the European Championships of Verden (1997). Of course she contributed a large part to the silver Team medal for the Dutch Equestrian Team. At the WEG of Rome, 1998, Ellen became eigth with scores between 70% and 72%.
Living and working in Germany, Ellen only competes for Holland in international competitions and the Dutch national championships. She does not own any horses herself but with her professional skills and good connections through Schumacher, Ellen has always had to opportunity to ride excellent dressage horses. As Prix St. George mount, Ellen has control over the reins of the KWPN approved stallion Facet (formerly ridden by Mieke de Kok). Thanks to the high scores she gathers at the CHIO Aachen and other notable events, Holland can not ignore the importance of this wonderful rider for its dressage team.
Pictures copyrighted by Dirk Caremans