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Bridlepath 
ANDREAS
YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY YOU’RE AWESOME
THE BEST OF ALL THE REST
What a team!!!! What a magical team is this!! What a marvelous ride and such an enthusiastic mare. God bless them for all the joy this performance has given to all who see it.
Andreas , I am a 49 year old Aussie horesman and you and your mare have just caused me to cry with happiness , she is truly a magnificent mare and only 9 years old to boot , love her and look after her , you only get one or two chances in life to share such an experiance , well done mate , and thank you for the experiance.
Andreas,
An American girl from the “wild west”, but I have never seen anything like this!! I watch it over and over again!
It’s beautiful, fun, frisky! AMAZING! I can’t say enough! Thank goodness for YouTube or I may never have had the chance to enjoy this!
Congratulations!!
I WAS JUST GIVEN THE LINK FOR THIS. I HAVE ENJOYED SHOWS WITH LIPPIZZANERS AND ANDALUSIANS MY WHOLE LIFE. I EVEN HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE PART OF THE LIPPIZANER ENTOURAGE.
I HAVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN A PERFORMANCE SUCH AS THIS. I WISH I COULD SEE THIS HORSE AND RIDER PERFORM IN PERSON. YOU WERE BOTH MAGNIFICENT. ABSOLUTE PERFECTION FROM WHERE I STAND.
I have watched the utube performance at the WEG probably 100 times. Every day, morning and night. I love to watch you and the horse. It is amazingly satisfying! After researching the horse on the web, there are several sites that allude to Blue Hors Matinee being in pain and that the switching of the tail means she is not comfortable. I rather think she is so excited that the switching means she is engrossed. Those of you who know horses…what is the truth?
Andreas and Matinee:
You two TOTALLY ROCK!! –I hope you’ll find a reason to show in California at some point. We’d all LOVE to see you two here!
Carolyn Humphries:
I’d wager this mare switches her tail in concentration. Tail-switching really depends on the horse. Some do it out of excitement, some out of annoyance, some in unconscious counterbalancing of their body’s movements. Matinee’s tail reminded me of a conductor’s baton: very much on beat! 🙂
FWIW, I watched her movements closely and her gait is very level and there’s a spring in her step that a horse in pain couldn’t match. She seems to almost vibrate good health, and her enjoyment of her work is very obvious in the way she holds herself and the way she moves.
I hope this helps!
Andreas and Matinee,
You have filled my life with such happiness, to watch the video of you and Matinee gives me such pleasure. She is a magnificent mare and you are a magnificent rider. She is one with you and it shows. I am also glad there is You Tube or I might never have been able to enjoy such beauty. I love horses, own horses and have a lovely grey mare also. Your choice of music was just as incredible, Matinee was to every beat it seemed. Congratulations on being able to bond with such a God given gift.
Andreas,
I know nothing about horses but in my heart I know what is beautiful and amazing. The video seemed like a fantasy. I have never seen anything like it in my life. It made me cry. I am excited to share your victory video with others like me that had no idea about “your world” of Dressage and what it entails. As a child, we all fantasize about magical unicorns and your horse seemed as though it came to life as one! Thank you for your hard work. I absolutely LOVED it! I hope you have many blessed years with your horse in true health and happiness. I will keep looking for you two!!! Ciao my friend.
Hats off to both of you. We breed and raise AQHA & APHA horses after doing a bit of hunter/jumpers. Most people think we are crazy for what we do (so much work and at times heartbreak) but you have put the WHY into what we do so eloquently and without words…which of course is why you two are so touching to all of us in the “know” about our horses and their inability to talk to us with words~~sometimes words are unnecceassary and you show us the truth in that! Best of luck in your competitions and your time together.
Oh and Carolyn….she is concentrating~check out her ears~if she was in pain or annoyed, they would not be so relaxed and she would be gritting her teeth and pinning her ears (like most of us when we squeeze into pantyhose or high heels)~she is happy and doing what she was bred to do and what she and Andreas have created together.
I have been around horses my entire life and have never seen/witnessed such a blindingly beautiful performance. The teamwork is incredible! I wish that I could watch this team in person. I am willing to bet that their joy radiates to the entire auditorium when they get their groove on. Fabulous! I showed this video everyone in my office. Even people that had never heard of dressage loved this video.
Well Done!
[…] Andreas Helgstrand – World Equestrian Games 2006 Freestyle Final […]
Dear Andreas,
On a day when I have been under considerable stress because we are getting ready to move to another state and our pregnant daughter-in-law is having thyroid problems and we are worried about the baby, you and Matinee gave me some much needed joy. I grew up riding and love horses and dogs. I had just read the article on foxnews.com about the rat terrier who gave his life protecting his family and then someone sent me your video and it gave me joy and hope and renewed my faith. What more can you ask? What a terrific performance!
Only people who have not watched upper level dressage would think this horse is in pain!! Tail switching with the movement and rythm is like concentrating. Their hind quarters are so engaged that their tail/spine swings. My Prix St Georges horse does this too when he is collected, concentrating, and working hard. This was more beautiful than Isabel Werth at the World Cup. I am very moved by the incredible relaxation of this mare who clearly so trusts her rider and waits happily for the next aid. Incredible training Andreas! You are blessed!
Would it be possible to publish the video at google or some other site so we could download it and enjoy it whenever we want without having to have access to the internet? UTube does not allow download. Google does. Thanks for possibly considering this.
All I can say is WOW-that is the most truly elegant and vibrant freestyle I have ever seen. It is evident that Matinee truly loves what she is doing and she even knows it! Hats off to this team-Hope to see more of them.
I just had to write in also to say what a performance! You are so as one! What a thrill you must have riding! I am really impressed also of the build of Matinee, very healthy and enjoying what she is doing. Switching of a tail is more for balancing when doing steps horses aren’t normally doing. If you notice on the video she does it only on certain parts. She’s concentrating on what she’s doing.
How in the world does one get a horse to perform like that?? I’ll be saving the video as I love seeing it over and over. Looking forward to more of these and hoping that these competions are on tv. Just need to find where if they are.
Beautiful.
What a pleasure it must be to work with that wonderful horse.
Thank you for the amazing performance. I love it.
Never before have I seen such complete unity between horse and rider. It is an absolutely phenomenal video to watch and I only wish I could have seen that performance in person. Truly a “match made in heaven”. It brings me to tears every time I watch it. Simply breathtaking. Thank you for an amazing performance.
I’m watching this video everyday and everyday I sob with elation. Never have I seen such magificence between horse and rider. I cry reading all the comments. God has given his blessing to you both. Sure would love to see you in California. Words just can’t describe how it makes you feel to watch to beautiful experience. Thank you 100 times.
I know you’ve heard it before, but the performance that you and your horse gave brought tears to my eyes. You each became a part of the other, for a blindingly brilliant awesome preformance. Thank you.
Truly amazing! I felt that he was truly enjoying what he was doing. Great perfromance and overall great job to all! Bravo!
Andreas & Manitee
Your performance left me with so much joy. As one speaking with an untrained eye…you appeared to have moved as one. How easy you both made it look! That is a true gift – to be able to do something so difficult, with so much ease, that the effort is lost in the beauty of the act. I don’t know how anyone could resist being touched by this video…especially all us horse lovers out there. Watching the two of you inspires one to dream of unlimited possibilities. I have two young daughters who already show signs of serious horse fever. I can not wait for them to see this video…a beautiful dream ride…just right for a young girls growing flame for horses. Who knows, maybe they too will be inspired as I’m sure so many others were. What can I say – you both move me! Thank you
Hope it’s not too late to join with my comments, this clip is still making the rounds. Andreas and Matinee, Bravo!! Your performance brought me to tears. Every few years there is some talk about taking dressage out of the olympics (only in the USA, probably) because some are bored by it. Show them this! You don’t have to understand dressage to be moved by this amazing animal/human pairing. Who knew horses had rhythym.
Please continue to pass this clip around. American young riders will see it and be inspired. Maybe we can rekindle a love for dressage in this country. Wish I had been there to see this, again, Bravo.
Speechless!!!
I thought it was fabulous, and it brought tears to my eyes. She looked like she really enjoyed it. Flawless!
Absolutely astounding! The connection between Andreas and Matinee is so moving. I am amazed at the pure joy that Matinee preforms with. It is so beautiful, even my two year old son asks to watch “the dancing horse” over and over and over again. What a gift to have such a beautiful relationship, thank you for sharing that gift with all of us!
You two were absoloutly stunning. you have inspired me to teach my horse this and to be as good as you.
WOW!!!! This horse is awesome. Watching the two of you gave me chills ad brought tears to my eyes. I have never witnessed such a display of talent and connection between a horse and rider. Hope to see you in the southern part of the US one day.
Andreas
Your performance with your Beautiful, Amazing Matinee was just incredible. I have watched and re-watched the video many times. The perfection and joy of your horse as she moves through her performance with you moves me to tears. I read other people’s comments on many of the other emails about tearing up–I was so surprised. I thought I was the only one crying!!
Beautiful job. Amazing performance. I hope Matinee will always be safe with you and cared for as she is today. She is a Treasure!!
Aloha and Best wishes
I have watched this video no less than 100 times, and every time I am in total awe. As a rider for over 50 years I can only dream of putting together that caliber of performance! I have forwarded the video to everyone I know so that others can enjoy what is obviously a wonderful loving nurturing relationship between horse and rider. Andreas, you are a supurb horseman and Matinee is an exquisite animal. I thank you for the performance of a lifetime!
I know nothing about horses or riding but I know this was a special performance.
Matinee is so magicial I can’t help wondering if she is really a unicorn–at least in part.
I forwarded this link to others four days ago and I am still getting thank yous and effusive fan mail for both of you. I smile every time I watch.
Andreas and Matinee are a magical team, and you can sense the love between the two of them. I have never seen a horse so ” into ” a performance. She is a joy to watch and brings tears to my eyes , no matter how many times I view the video. She seems to love dancing and at the end just down right ” boogies “.
I , and I’m sure many others would love to know how a horse is trained to dance , if this horse has a natural sense of rhythm or how something like this occurs.
I also would like to compliment Andreas. He never up-stages Matinee and always allows her to be the star. There are times you actually forget she has a rider . What a team !
Once in a lifetime something so magical, so incredible astounds, elevates us and brings us pure joy. Such was your skill with Matinee. To watch the both of you work as a team was a priviledge. You’re an amazing team. What a mare! Those of us in the horse world would give anything to be in the presence of such greatness – it is that that we aspire to reach. Thank you so much for the honor of watching this incredible performance. I hope to see the both of you one day in person.
That was simply amazing! I got chills just watching you two in the arena, and that was from my computer. One can only imagine seeing it live. Well done.
wow! what an amazing performance!
Left me with tears in my eyes. What a wonderful team performance.
But did they win?
This is the worst thing I’ve seen in years, wow, I want my 6 and a half minutes back.
Jesus Fucking Christ that horse was incredible. I am sorry to swear on your website, but I am just so blown away by that horse. I am sobbing with tears. Good show.
I never even knew that there was such a competition! I don’t think that I can say anything that hasn’t already been said here!!!
It was Awesome, Magical, Incredible and all other adjectives that may describe that tremendous performance!!
I do agree with one comment, Matinee must be a true unicorn!
That was truly a privledge to watch! I will definitely keep an eye out for the competition and that pair!!!
I loved this performance. Andreas is by far my favourite rider. He is very smooth and Blu Hors Matine` is an amazing horse. He is very lucky to ride such a magnificent horse. I have watched this clip multiple times and loved every minute of it! It is very exciting and The mare has a very nice reach and spring in her back legs. Andreas is also a very handsome man. ; ) ha ha. I thought I might add that note. Anywho… my name is Brenna and if anyone would like to contact me, my email address is Filth_Raven@yahoo.com … Thanks for reading my review!
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