Wylda and Waluna go to Germany
January 23, 2013
Wylda Kristel and her husband Doug Grinde, along with business partners and sponsors Dean
and Connie Paul are proud to announce that Waluna MLM will soon be leaving Edmonton, AB
and travelling to Germany. Germany has long been known as a Mecca of equine training,
coaching and riding. The pair will be taking a cargo flight from Edmonton to Nesselroden,
Germany on February 9th, 2013 and will begin training shortly thereafter.
Wylda has ridden all her life and has an extensive background in equine education and
competition. Wylda grew up on a commercial cattle ranch as part of a horse training family in
Phoenix, Arizona where she began her lifelong quest to learn all she could about horses and
horsemanship. Dressage emerged as her discipline of choice because of the constant challenge
and progression in training, as well as the partnership required between horse and rider.
Waluna is a 9 year old, 17.1 hh mare bred by Jan Veenstra in Holland. Waluna was bought with
help of Edward Gal and Nicole Werner through Tim Coomans. Wylda had originally set out to
buy a trained horse, but everything changed when she met Waluna. “We had just watched 10
nice horses of Tim’s and were walking out to the round pen to see a young, unbroke mare
coming in from the field for the first time. On a narrow lane a young Dutch colt breaker came
walking through with Waluna. She strutted through the gate, her mane wild, legs unclipped, and
my heart just dropped,” recounts Wylda. “Tim was insistent that I ride her before making a
decision because she was completely unbroke. My first ride was with a saddle and a rope around
her neck in the round pen.”
Together for 5 years now, Wylda is looking forward to bringing Waluna’s training to the next
level. “My goal was to go through the entire process of training, from kindergarten to a PhD on
one horse, and Waluna’s talent and ability allows me this opportunity.” A “PhD” is not a simple
task, but a well qualified horse is half the equation “And that’s what every Grand Prix trainer in
training is looking for.”
Wylda’s goals include competing in the international ring and making the Canadian Olympic
Dressage team in 2016. Europe offers the environment, depth of knowledge and levels of
instruction and competition required to prepare them for the international ring. Waluna will stay
in Germany, while Wylda will be flying back and forth between her home base in Edmonton and
Nesselroden.
Wylda is currently planning on riding with Thomas Ritter, her primary coach, along with
Christoff von Daehne, Hubertus Schmidt, and Hendrik Gaebel. “I chose these trainers because
each one of them has a certain set of traits that I am missing in my own education,” says Wylda.
“Thomas is a master in biomechanics, while Hubertus is a master in training and competing
grand prix horses, having trained 25 to the grand prix and international level. Christoff is a
master on coaching the horse with the rider and Hendrik is a master at maintaining the basics for
international levels of riding. Together with the team I plan to assimilate all the knowledge to
bring to myself, my horses and my students.”
Wylda’s journey will be recorded in her blog “From Bobby to Rio”, and can be found on the
MLM website at mapleleafmeadows.com and through Instagram at @wyldakristel.