World Champion Mario Gandolfo on the Freiberger: “Breeding is governed by clear standards”

Mario explains:

“My mother absolutely loved horses, but purely as a hobby. She owned Freibergers. That was not surprising because we lived right in the heart of the breed’s traditional breeding area. My parents bought me a small Shetland pony called Sylvestre to see whether I truly enjoyed caring for and riding horses. I did, because I spent a lot of time with him. However, I quickly became too big to ride him, so I made the best of the situation and started driving him instead. I loved it from the very beginning!”

“After that, I was allowed to ride and drive my mother’s experienced Freiberger. He was a wonderful, calm horse from whom I learned a great deal. As soon as I was old enough, I was allowed to compete with him. I enjoyed it and w..