A 20th Century Master

Syliva Stanier LVO

Sylvia Stanier was one of the great riding masters of the 20th Century.

Riding from an early age, she grew up with a hunting and showing background and was a pupil of Sam Marsh in her early years. She then became a student of Lt. Col ‘Joe” Dudgeon, himself a pupil of Paul Rodzianko (Caprilli and Fillis)

In addition she studied Haute Ecole with two of the greatest dressage minds of the 20th Century for many years namely Einar-Schmit-Jensen (Decarpenty and Beudant) and Nuno Oliveira Between the three masters she learnt both the art of showjumping and Haute Ecole from some of the finest equestrians at the time. She trained horses as a result for the Olympic Games in Japan in 1964, Mexico in 1968 and Munich in 1972.

(Pictured here riding Her Majesty's horse Burmese at the rehearsal for the Trooping of the Colour)

Not only had she trained extensively in the above disciplines but was also an expert in Side-Saddle, winning the Ladies Championship at the Dublin Horse show on Bachelor Gay in 1965, as well as winning the Lightweight Hunter Championships in 1966 and the Irish Dressage Championships in 1967. Bachelor Gay was trained by both Schmit-Jensen and Sylvia and went onto become the Duke of Edinburgh’s horse for the Trooping of the Colour.

In 1966 she gave a display of her long reining skills – which she learnt from Schmit-Jensen - in the presence of both her Masters Oliveira and Schmit-Jensen at the Horse of the Year Show – Oliveira marvelled at her long reining skills with Le Marquis.

She worked for many years at Burton Hall – which at the time was the centre of all equestrian excellence in Ireland, for Col. Dudgeon, and then with the Galvins schooling their international horses.

Through my aunt Katherine Kenny and Einar Schmit-Jensen, I had the privilige of knowing Sylvia and came to call her a great friend. Such a humble, knowledgeable woman, with a great character. Einar was incredibly fond of her, and she was his pupil for many years stating that while others were flamboyant, Einar was always, always correct! The horse world is lesser for her passing.