It is more than a mere combination of traditional western and classical horsemanship. Cowboy Dressage is also an intricate, yet seemingly effortless dance between horse and rider. California rider, trainer and owner of Wolf Creek Ranch in the Sierra Foothills, Eitan Beth-Halachmy, is known around the world for his special brand of horsemanship to music, Cowboy Dressage. Growing up in Israel, horses were a necessity of life not a hobby, but through the silver screen Eitan developed a lifelong love of horses and the American Cowboy.
“All my life I wanted to be what I am now,” says Eitan. “The first thing I wanted to be was a cowboy; not a fireman or a policeman, but a cowboy. I was fascinated by the cowboy’s relationship with his horse. They were partners, their fates were intertwined. I’m still not really there, but in my heart I am a cowboy.”
At the age of 13, Eitan had the opportunity to study dressage with Adam George, a Hungarian cavalry officer and director of the Israeli National Stud. Adam became Eitan’s mentor and while studying at an Israeli agricultural school, Eitan would borrow one of the school’s Arabs to travel the 100 miles to the National Stud to train and study with Adam.
“I literally got miles of saddle time,” jokes Eitan. “I developed an understanding of horses. I was not an advanced rider by any means but the foundation was laid.”
He went on to spend two years in Austria studying at the University of Vienna and spending endless hours observing at the Spanish Riding School and building upon the foundation that Adam had laid. He came to California to continue his studies at University of California at Davis, but he knew he wanted more from his riding.
A true artist at heart, Eitan views his riding as a true art form, an expression of the harmony possible between horse and rider. Cowboy Dressage was born when Eitan was invited to do a musical performance to a live orchestra at the prestigious Kansas City Royal Horse Show in Kansas City, Mo.
“My riding style is a combination of the classical riding I learned from watching the masters at the Spanish Riding School, from George Adam, and from a man I knew only as Leopold, a circus trainer,” says Eitan. “It took me 50 years to get where I am. I never had the urge to compete in dressage; but I have the ability to travel between the East and West, dressage and western, and to find a way to combine these two elements and their people.”
Though Morgans and Saddlebreds are not usually associated with dressage, he was drawn to them because of their charisma and intelligence. He began showing his Morgans in Western Pleasure, winning World and National titles in 1993 and 1996 with his stallion, Holiday Compadre. However, Eitan was not attracted to the show ring for the ribbons or prize money; he did it simply because he loved performing.
Always inspiring and entertaining, Eitan and Compadre have delighted crowds at clinics and performances across the United States. Last summer Eitan and his stallion, Santa Fe Renegade, represented the U.S. in the closing ceremonies the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.
“Performing in front of 60,000 people, all clapping and cheering for 10 minutes straight - I could have quit right there,” says Eitan. “For me and my wife, Debbie, it was the journey of our lifetime. The U.S. is very western and Germany is very dressage oriented; I think that is why the FEI chose me. If I can close that gap, by showing people it’s not about the discipline, it’s about enjoying what you are doing and you don’t need ribbons to do that, then my trip was well worthwhile.”

Lessons in Lightness
On May 4-6 at Intrepid Farms in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, Eitan will join Dr. Robert Miller, Jon Ensign of Montana and Lester Buckley of Hawaii for a weekend dedicated to training horses from birth to maturity. The focus will be on natural horsemanship with a “light touch.”
“The four of us met last year in Brazil at the first South American Equine Conference,” says Eitan. “I knew Dr. Miller, but he was the only gentleman I knew before the conference. However, there were two other people that were invited, John Ensign and Lester Buckley, that I was very impressed with.”
Together the four of them came up with the idea of a clinic dealing with the training of horses during each phase of their life, Equine Learning: From Birth to Maturity. Each of the clinicians will cover a different topic from imprinting to refining a mature horse. The clinics will include a tour of the Museum of the Cowboy’s private collection, meals provided by Chuckwagon Cooking and evening performances by talented local musicians/horse lovers.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how it works,” says Eitan. “This promises to be a landmark event. Today most clinics in the US are focused on colt breaking and there is a need for something beyond that. A huge amount of people ride with their hands and their horse’s mouths are dead. I think everyone has the ability to ride light.”
Eitan never knows exactly what his clinic or performance is going to be until he gets to an event. All of his performances are truly “freestyle.” He takes his cues from the crowd and lets them lead him, so that audience get what “they truly need” from his session.
“I always wanted to be different,” says Eitan. “There are a lot of preconceived notions about dressage that keep people from trying it. I think there are a lot of people that always wanted to do it, but didn’t want to wear the funny clothes. My goal is to send people home from a clinic with little things to practice, things that make them want to go home and ride and hopefully try something new.”
For more information about Eitan visit
www.cowboydressage.com. To learn more about the clinics “Equine Learning: from Birth to Maturity” visit www.lighthandshorsemanship.com.