Who was Einar
Schmit-Jensen?
Einar Schmit-Jensen
Master horseman, FEI International Olympic Committee, International Judge,
Equestrian Scholar, Pupil of Decarpentry, Beudant, Herold, Wattel
Born in Denmark, Einar was one of the foremost equestrians of the 20th Century. A pupil and great friend of General DeCarpentry and Beudant, he worked with DeCarpentry on the FEI Olympic Committee when it was set up. Having schooled over 35 horses in Haute Ecole, he was a well known equestrian expert, and has written forewards for many of the great translations of the day Member of L'Etrier, and FEI Olympic Committee Member and International Judge - A prolific scholar of equestrian masters from Xenophon to the 1950s and beyond he curated a vast archive of equestrian material - mostly in Dressage's native French and German languages
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He studied with DeCarpentry, Beudant and Wattel, as well has having close friendships with mentors Herold (SRS), Gerbhart (SRS) and Meixner (SRS), he was the world's top authority also on Fillis.
Schmit-Jensen was regarded as the top amatuer dressage rider in the world of his time, and one of the world's foremost equestrian minds. He shaped the FEI rules with DeCarpentry, and worked on Rule Changes, the Principles, with the Committee as well as International and Olympic Dressage tests..
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John Paget described Einar Schmit-Jensen as the “Dean of Dressage”, Syliva Stanier (long time pupil of Schmit-Jensen and Nuno Oliveria, plus personal side-saddle tutor to the Queen of England) called him a Connoisseur of Equitation. The world famous equestrian specialist in literature J. A Allen said of Einar, that he was a “scholarly FEI dressage judge whom I consider one of the best read of all equestrians, knowledgeable in equestrian literature in four languages
One of his greatest impressions in riding was when he was taken to see the great James Fillis schooling horses as a boy, this memory was one of ‘horses floating through the air’.
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James Fillis Senior had invited Einar on a visit to Berlin to watch his morning work, and Fillis teaching of his two children on their TBs which was immensely impressive.
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Einar then studied with Fillis' direct pupils (again we have Master to pupil) Ernst and Oscar Schumann, Col. Bendersky (Ecuyer with James Fillis in St. Petersburg).
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He visited the SRS many times and studied there with Chief Rider Herold. In Saumur General Wattel (Ecuyer en Chef) personally taught him the ceremonial walk (pas de manège).
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Before WWII he was a member of the exclusive L’Etrier Club in Paris. Throughout his life he amassed an enviable and what Col. Carde has described as a “superbe” collection of equestrian books. These books didn’t sit on shelves but were forensically studied, often with notes in the margins, and were a working body of knowledge that helped Einar to become one of the finest equestrian minds in the world.
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His personal papers also tell of this humble yet incredibly talented equestrian’s relationship with other major figures of the time. In addition his last pupils Betty Kenny and Caroline Stephens worked on his archives, and Caroline is in the process of opening up the huge archives and publishing his unpublished works.
