about Alan Waldman
"Horses are not machines," Says the man who was for the past years owner and co-owner of some of the best sports horses in the ring." It is possible that a horse performs less with another rider and that can be for many different reasons. A horse also has a personality, an opinion, and we have to respect that!"
Being asked many times to find good Hunters in Europe, Alan explains his perspective about those horses "A Hunter, is a horse with a good brain that jumps well. A good hunter is just a good jumping horse, and good riding is good riding. I do not believe in different systems like it was used to be approached for many years."
For the past few years, Alan has become "Addicted "as he says, for breeding." I like to try new things".
"My goal is not to get every horse to the 1.60m. I hope that horses can achieve the highest attainable goals for them. That's my goal" (Alan Waldman).
In 1998 after graduating "Pepperdine University" in Malibu, CA, Alan bought his truck and trailer and hit the road with seven horses and the intention of showing and selling them all...(which he did).
He took this money, flew to Europe and purchased more horses to sell in the States.
It was during this trip that Alan made contact with many European dealers, trainers and breeders, some he had known through correspondence or phone, and others he had read about and knew their breeding programs.
Alan was born on December 30, 1973, in Rochester, Minnesota. His mother remembers that it was the coldest recorded temperature in 100 years for that day. 86 below zero with a wind chill.
Following his father career, the family moved and finally settled down in 1978 in Palm Springs, California.
Alan's Father created three after-school sports programs for The Palm Valley School, golf, tennis, and equestrian. Alan chose horses, and he started riding at the local stables when he was 8.
It was Wilma Tate (the Cowgirl Hall of Fame) who began to teach Alan the "art of riding," and when his parents bought Alan his first horse.
A few years, and a few "backyard" trainers later, led to Alan being "discovered." He now owned a wonderful large pony named "Strawberry Shortcake," and was winning classes wherever he went. At that point, people are starting taking notice of him.
While on vacation in Pasadena, CA, Alan and his parents were invited to visit Flintridge Riding Club, in La Canada, Ca. Alan was riding in the ring when Jimmy Williams came out and saw him. Jimmy started setting jumps, and within a few minutes came over to introduce himself, and ask if we would be interested in becoming members of the club and that he would like to train Alan. Naturally, we joined the club and began the weekend trips to stables that would become the family pattern for the next ten years.
Susie Hutchison, Jimmy and Alan became a "team." Alan lived with them during his first year of High School, and it was during this time that Alan competed in his first Grand Prix at the age of 12, riding 20-year-old gelding "A Little Night Music," becoming the youngest American to ever compete at that level.
By the time he was 18; he had won Silver and Gold Medals in international competition (Young Riders) and was selected to ride in the U.S. Olympic Festival.
Later Alan says in interviews "It was never the intention to become a trader or to go professionally to the Horses business. It was a big hobby. My father is a Doctor, and my parents have always done everything for us. However, they wanted me to study".
Alan studied communication for four years and was not competing a lot. After finishing his studies, he came with a friend to the East Coast to ride some classes and ended up in a stable in Wellington.
A short time later was the trip to The Netherlands.
During that trip, Alan got several job offers. "I didn't know what I want at that time," he said. While discussing his situation with Egbert Schep during Dinner, it was Egbert who offered Alan to rent some boxes at his place "you can always go back to Florida" he said. In the end, Alan spends five years with Egbert "Egbert helped open doors for me."
By the age of 30, Alan had a place of his own, "Waldman Horses," in Putten, The Netherlands. A short time after that he also had his two daugthers, Charlie and Izzy.
"Educate and sell a horse, preferably self-bred, that is the goal for Alan." If you see something in a horse, you also have to dare to invest ".
Waldman Horses has 50-80 foals "you can have your ideas about what you want to
have, but you don't know. Such a young horse still has to develop,
and management is extremely important.
"This mission cannot be achieved without the great team of "Waldman Horses" that Alan has gathered and has great pride and respect for." The team is working hard. I promise new employees they will not get fat and will not get bored".(De paardenkrant – 2018)
