Bloodlines - the art of dressage 2.26

Who are Bloodlines…

Camilla and Dries – a focussed and successful team

Camilla Sygall

image: Camilla and DJ
Camilla is English/Hungarian by birth, has British nationality and grew up in the Netherlands.

She followed the German professional riders’ training at the Deutsche Reitschule, which is located in the State Stud of Nordrhein Westfalen in Warendorf.

In 1998 she gained her Bereiter diploma and in 2001 her Meister diploma (cum laude). This is the highest qualification in the German training system for professional riders.

She worked as a rider at the German Olympic Equestrian Committee in Warendorf, and for the trainers Frank Mohr and Rudolf Zeilinger. She has trained with Jean Bemelmans at the clinics for German professional riders in Warendorf; and also with Jan Nivelle and Bert Rutten in Holland.

Camilla competes nationally and internationally up to and including Grand Prix level.

Since 2004 she has been a member of the British International Squad with a number of different horses, most recently in the Big Tour with D.J. One More Time. The pair was very successful in the World Cup series in 2008 and 2009.

Dries Roefs

image: Dries
Dries grew up in Moergestel, North Brabant in the Netherlands. He comes from a background with horses and was a keen competitor from a very young age. After gaining a degree in Economics at Tilburg University, he decided to make a career in the horse world. He moved to England where he worked for two years as chief rider for International Grand Prix competitor Anni McDonald Hall.

In 1998 he started his own training and dealing yard in England and in the following seven years, competed a number of horses nationally and internationally up to and including Grand Prix level.

During this period Dries trained with Bert Rutten and Paul Fielder. Dries had many successful students in the U.K. and continues to give Clinics there on a monthly basis.

After his years in England, he moved to Germany to work and train with Grand Prix rider and trainer Norbert van Laak, before returning to Holland in 2006.