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Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgensten-Berleberg

It is not just Middle Eastern royalty that has been greeted through the gates of CHI AL SHAQAB 2016. The packed audience also been honoured by the presence of a Danish Princess who has come here to compete in the CDI5* Dressage competition. Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein is the granddaughter of King Frederick of Denmark, the niece of both Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece as well as a niece of Queen Elizabeth II of England.

 It is not just Middle Eastern royalty that has been greeted through the gates of CHI AL SHAQAB 2016. The packed audience also been honoured by the presence of a Danish Princess who has come here to compete in the CDI5* Dressage competition. Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein is the granddaughter of King Frederick of Denmark, the niece of both Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece as well as a niece of Queen Elizabeth II of England.
 

Yet, despite her regal lineage Princess Nathalie insists on competing without her title, instead riding under the name Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. She is keen to present herself not as a Princess but as a dressage rider, trainer and breeder of horses, and mother of two children. In fact, she even plaits her horse herself before competitions, a task usually expected of a groom rather than an international dressage rider.

The 41-year-old loves coming to CHI AL SHAQAB, and this is her third visit. “It’s lovely. It’s one week coming out of the European winter and the horses enjoy the warmth after quite a long winter,” she explains.

Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein lives in Castle Berleburg in Germany, and is an esteemed dressage rider and one of Denmark’s leading equestrian athletes, irrespective of her royal roots. Nathalie was part of the national team at the last two Olympic Games (Beijing and London), winning a team bronze in 2008 and finishing 12th individually in London 2012.

In 2011 she married Alexander Johannsmann whom she met through her involvement in equestrianism, as he is a horse breeder from Germany. The Princess also breeds horses together with her mother, who set up a stud after being given a mare as a present for her 40th birthday.

The horse Sayn-Wittgenstein rides here is a product of this small breeding company, which she says makes the experience extra special. “When I started her I did not think she would make a Grand Prix horse,” she recalls. “She was very difficult in her temperament. When you get on her, she is a difficult little lady. I had to learn to regulate that temperament.”

Equestrianism, combined with family duties, add up to a full-time job for Nathalie, and she rides six horses a day. “Then I have two kids, a five year old boy and a one year old daughter. I ride in the morning and take care of my kids in the afternoon.”

Unsurprisingly, her focus this year is very much on her sport. “I plan to do some more CDI (international) shows and try to keep up this harmony that I really have in her. For the first time today, I felt I had her on my side. She’s not an Olympic horse though - I’m a very realistic person.”

With this realism and grounded attitude, Nathalie maintains that the Rio Olympics are definitely not on her agenda, but she lists the Tokyo World Championships next year as a possibility. While she really enjoys competing at CHI AL SHAQAB, her true love lies in training young horses. “When you have educated a horse and the horse has finally got that idea of a new movement and it’s made that click. You’re really like ‘Wow’ and it’s the best feeling ever,” she exclaims.

Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein explains what dressage means to her:  “A horse is a horse, every horse is an individual. They have good days and bad days and you have to find the balance every day with them. If the horse has a bad day and it appears to be at the competition, you have to try and make the best out of that situation. It’s a bit like ballet dancing or dancing in general. If you haven’t got the harmony between you and your partner, you will step on each other’s toes and it doesn’t look nice. Dressage has to look nice, where you think the rider is not doing anything and the horse is dancing. That for me is dressage.”