HorsesLotus
„Lotus sparked it off. He made it possible for me to establish myself in top-class sport.“
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* May 1973 |
Lotus will always be something special for Heike – he paved the way into the highest class of national dressage riding. Winning the double European Championships for young riders in September 1983, just two months after Heike had mounted Lotus for the first time will remain an unforgettable success.
After this she had to gain a foothold among the seniors. Whereas the lessons asked of young riders only had S-level, it required Grand Prix maturity, collection of the highest degree to stand up to the senior class. And it also meant that Heike had to compete with the then renowned "stars of the arena". Names like Dr. Reiner Klimke, Gabriela Grillo, Herbert Rehbein, and Herbert Krug commanded respect. But Lotus made access to these circles possible with his class.
His quality, his spirit and grit often made the little Hanoverian surpass himself. In 1984, their first year as seniors, the pair was already victorious in Intermediare II, gained front places at Grand Prix tests, and took part in the Hamburg Derby against competitors such as Kyra Kyrklund and Christilot Hansen-Boylen – which resulted in their appointment to the national B-team. In the following year Heike won her first Grand Prix with Lotus. The whole season was so successful that the dressage committee appointed her to the Championship-team in November 1985. In 1986 she was runner-up in the German championships and confirmed her position on the national and international scene more and more.
Back home in the Berlin stable Lotus had been taking an exceptional position for a long time already. Right at the front the best box was his, he was treated as a personality, and for father Joachim Kemmer especially he was the "greatest" of his time. On his "carrot round" every evening he would often stay a little longer in the front part of the stable and watch Lotus search. Search for the last oat grains of his food. It was Lotus' speciality to throw the oat out of the manger with his nose so vigorously that all of it mixed with the straw on the ground. From there he would pick up grain after grain with relish.
After a long and successful career in the arena Lotus led a happy pensioner's life until rising 30 together with Golo on the spacious pastures of Amselhof Walle.
He was an extraordinary horse which really whet Heike's appetite for dressage through their joint success. He certainly equipped her with the stamina to look forward again and again even when the going was tough.
