Australian dressage rider Tayla Desmet, 22, relocated to Germany at the end of 2019 with her mare Zaubermaus to gain experience on the international stage. At the recent Aachen Dressage Days CDI in Hagen, they dominated the Small Tour classes with two 73%+ scores.

ROGER: Where are you based and who are you training with?

TAYLA: I am based in Aachen with Ton de Ridder. I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to train with Ton and also (his wife) Alexandra. I have been at their stable for 18 months now and have learned so much during this time.

ROGER: What horses do you have in work at the moment and what are their levels and breeding?

TAYLA: Zaubermaus is a 10-year-old Zonik mare. I have had her since she was four years old, so she is extremely special to me. We have experienced everything together from the very beginning to now competing and training in Germany. I also own a two-and-a-half-year-old gelding, Zack, from Zaubermaus by Diamond Hit. He looks a lot like his mother and I am very excited to see him under saddle. We bred him whilst I was still in Australia… I am hoping that he will take us on another very special journey!

ROGER: Do you only ride your own horses and what is the daily routine there?

TAYLA: Usually the horses are all ridden in the morning. I have been very lucky to ride many different horses since I have been in Europe. Each horse is very different to the other, which has definitely taught me a lot. I am extremely fortunate for that opportunity. I have also been working at a marketing agency in the Netherlands in the afternoons. After this, I go back to the stable again and look after Maus. I then do all of my work for university at night.

ROGER: In the last 12 months, what do you see as the biggest thing that has led you to success?

TAYLA: I am extremely grateful for the quality of training that I have received in the last 12 months. This has been instrumental to my success. Ton is incredibly dedicated in his training with me and I believe that, along with consistency, this has been extremely valuable. Ton has introduced so many lessons to me that I have not been exposed to before. It has taken me time to put everything together and consolidate it. This is still a challenge, but I love being tested and it is encouraging to push more both in and out of the competition arena.

ROGER: What is so good about riding and training in Europe that you perhaps can’t get in Australia?

TAYLA: The training has been taught and passed on through many generations in Europe. The experience of the trainers here is second to none. The population in Europe is obviously a lot larger than in Australia, so naturally there are more riders, horses and trainers here. As well as this, there are many more competitions in Europe throughout the year. The competition experience that I have gained here has played a really important role in the development of my riding. Particularly in Germany, you are often competing against the best horse and rider combinations in the world. This constantly pushes you to be better and there is definitely no room to make mistakes in a test.

ROGER: What do you miss about Australia?

TAYLA: I definitely miss the people at home and of course my family. It is very different living on the other side of the world on your own. Naturally, you definitely miss the comforts of home and the ability to communicate effectively in certain situations because of the language barrier.

ROGER: Do you think it is possible to succeed on the world stage in dressage from Australia, or do you think you need to be based internationally to gain the recognition?

TAYLA: I don’t believe that there is a right or wrong way to do it. This is very much a personal decision based on individual goals and the sacrifices willing to be made. For sure it is possible to get on an Australian team from home. Being in Europe definitely gives you an advantage to learn and compete against the best riders in the world. Naturally, this increases the opportunity to succeed on the world stage just like in any other sport. However, we definitely have some fantastic horses at home and great competition grounds like Willinga Park and Boneo Park.

ROGER: Can you outline your journey with Maus from the beginning to winning at Hagen?

TAYLA: We purchased Zaubermaus in 2016 as a four-year-old from the P.S.I. auction; Maree Tomkinson rode her in the trialling session and recognised her talent. Maus was definitely very challenging in the beginning and there were many times where it was difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel! However, there was always something incredibly special about her, a feeling that was definitely worth fighting for.

For a very long time I had a dream to train in Germany. In 2019, it really felt like the right time for both Zaubermaus and myself. I had finished two years of my university degree and decided to defer for one year while I made the big move. I spent my first year in Hagen. For three of these months I was very lucky to experience the season in Wellington, USA. This was a lot of fun and something I will never forget! Following this, I moved to Aachen with Ton de Ridder. Last year was extremely challenging with the coronavirus and also EHV, which meant limited competitions. However, it did give us the opportunity to concentrate on our training at home.

Due to the pandemic, I have also luckily been able to continue my degree online from Germany. I now have one semester left before I graduate with a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Media Communication.

Currently, Maus and I are competing at Small Tour and training the Grand Prix at home. The last few weeks have been very exciting with three international wins! However, there have definitely been many competitions and lessons learned in the lead-up to this. It is a very long road but the journey with Maus has been very special, exciting, challenging and rewarding.

ROGER: What have been your successes with Maus in Europe?

TAYLA: In 2021, I rode at Horses & Dreams and finished fourth in both the Prix St Georges and Intermediate I. After this I was extremely lucky to compete at CHIO Aachen. This had been a dream of mine for a very long time, so to have the opportunity to compete at such an incredible competition and in that beautiful stadium is something I will never forget!

This year, I finished fourth at CDI Neumunster and following this we have had three international wins. Just recently I achieved two PB scores over 73% in the PSG and Inter I (at Aachen Dressage Days CDI in Hagen) which was really exciting!

ROGER: Who do you want to thank for your success and opportunity to be training in Europe?

TAYLA: There are many people to thank! Maree Tomkinson originally helped me relocate to Europe. For this, I am very grateful. My family have been an incredible support and I can’t thank them enough; my parents are here with me at the moment and together we are enjoying the journey!

Without question, I would like to thank the Simons de Ridder family for everything they have done for me so far. I am so incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to be learning from them every day. Kingsland Equestrian Australia/NZ have also been a great support. They have sponsored me since I was 15 years old, so I am incredibly grateful for their continuous belief in me.

ROGER: What are the future plans with this amazing mare?

TAYLA: We will continue to train the Grand Prix at home and hopefully make our first start towards the end of the year.

ROGER: When are you coming home?

TAYLA: At this point I don’t have a plan to come home. I would like to continue training and competing in Europe and finish my degree here, then we’ll see what happens. The plan is to also bring Zack to Germany.

ROGER: What are your dreams for the future?

TAYLA: My dream is to compete Maus successfully at Grand Prix. I have had her since she was four years old, so to do this together would be something very special for me. I want to continue to enjoy every moment with the horses, training and continuously improving myself as a rider.

ROGER: Tell us the emotion and what you think when the Australian national anthem is played?

TAYLA: That is definitely hard to describe! For sure an extreme amount of pride! [Hearing the national anthem in Hagen] was really the ultimate representation of the entire journey I have had with Maus so far, and the many highs and lows along the way. The journey together is definitely what makes it so special as well as the extreme feeling of gratitude to be representing Australia. EQ

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Tayla & Maus Make Magic in Germany – Equestrian Life, June 2021