08-24-2011, 12:21 PM
Today, it’s exactly a year ago a dream, which was just a dream started to become real.
My first thoughts about doing some Roman Cavalryman I had in 2003 or 2004, but they only became serious when in 2007 I was asked to reconstruct the Kops Plateau masked helmets for Stichting Romeinenfestival. After some more years of doing research, reading books and more research I was invited by Mr. John Conyard, of Comitatus, to come over, try the Roman saddle and join one of their events at Sewerby Hall.
So, today it’s a year ago I finally could take the plane to York and ge tinto the saddle. It was my first time in a Roman saddle, and to be honest my first real experience on horseback. I had been in the saddle a couple of times, but always with someone walking next to me and only for a moment. I’m still very gratefull to John, Catherine, Amy and Claire for the wonderful week that followed and had an awesome finish at Sewerby, where I was also introduced with the Comitatus show ‘behind the scenes’. It was a wonderful week, which was certainly one of my highlights of 2010.
That was a year ago. Time goes fast, but it was also a year full of developments. When I got home from the Comitatus trip I couldn’t wait till I would receive my own Roman saddle, get on horseback again and get things going. But well, without a horse, any riding experience, etc that’s rather hard.
Sometime these days I however got in contact with Olga van Lunsen, also a board member here, which again drew my dream to a new level. Many, many hours in the saddle followed. And now, only a year after my first time on horseback I’ve already ridden in several shows. It was a hard year, where I have learned a lot. There is still lot to learn, to improve and to achieve, a long way to go, but a year ago I couldn’t imagine that only one year later I would write this down.
Therefore, I would like to use this post to thank some people for their part in realising my dream. My thanks go to Olga van Lunsen, Daniel Peters and Robbin van Miltenburg (Ponycentrum de Bento-Ranch), John & Catherine Conyard and Amy Wallace (Comitatus), Robert Wimmers, Wim van Broekhoven, Paul Karremans and Jasper Prins for all their support. Of course I certainly have forgotten people that put valuable input in this, but I think these were the most important ones.
Thank you all so much, without all your support this couldn’t have happened!
And for anyone else interested in Roman Cavalry impressions. It certainly is a lot of work, but will be worth it all! And for now I’m back to my workshop making more tack and other kit
My first thoughts about doing some Roman Cavalryman I had in 2003 or 2004, but they only became serious when in 2007 I was asked to reconstruct the Kops Plateau masked helmets for Stichting Romeinenfestival. After some more years of doing research, reading books and more research I was invited by Mr. John Conyard, of Comitatus, to come over, try the Roman saddle and join one of their events at Sewerby Hall.
So, today it’s a year ago I finally could take the plane to York and ge tinto the saddle. It was my first time in a Roman saddle, and to be honest my first real experience on horseback. I had been in the saddle a couple of times, but always with someone walking next to me and only for a moment. I’m still very gratefull to John, Catherine, Amy and Claire for the wonderful week that followed and had an awesome finish at Sewerby, where I was also introduced with the Comitatus show ‘behind the scenes’. It was a wonderful week, which was certainly one of my highlights of 2010.
That was a year ago. Time goes fast, but it was also a year full of developments. When I got home from the Comitatus trip I couldn’t wait till I would receive my own Roman saddle, get on horseback again and get things going. But well, without a horse, any riding experience, etc that’s rather hard.
Sometime these days I however got in contact with Olga van Lunsen, also a board member here, which again drew my dream to a new level. Many, many hours in the saddle followed. And now, only a year after my first time on horseback I’ve already ridden in several shows. It was a hard year, where I have learned a lot. There is still lot to learn, to improve and to achieve, a long way to go, but a year ago I couldn’t imagine that only one year later I would write this down.
Therefore, I would like to use this post to thank some people for their part in realising my dream. My thanks go to Olga van Lunsen, Daniel Peters and Robbin van Miltenburg (Ponycentrum de Bento-Ranch), John & Catherine Conyard and Amy Wallace (Comitatus), Robert Wimmers, Wim van Broekhoven, Paul Karremans and Jasper Prins for all their support. Of course I certainly have forgotten people that put valuable input in this, but I think these were the most important ones.
Thank you all so much, without all your support this couldn’t have happened!
And for anyone else interested in Roman Cavalry impressions. It certainly is a lot of work, but will be worth it all! And for now I’m back to my workshop making more tack and other kit
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Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
