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C H R O N O F H O R S E . C O M JA N UA R Y/ F E B R UA R Y 2 018 5 3 "I grew up a lot in those two years, that is for sure," she adds. Two years was enough, however, and she quit the managing role but stayed on as trainer and finally got back in the saddle. Making Horses While at Bell Canyon, Charlotte crossed paths with a fellow Dane, Henrik Johansen, who was a bereiter in Denmark but had a second job flying horses from Copenhagen to Los Angeles. ey decided to go into business together, with Johansen sending her horses from home, and Charlotte training them for sale. "It sounded like a great idea," she says. "Come to find out, neither one of us were good salespeople at all, but it ended up being a really good thing." e first horse sent over was a chestnut with four white socks and a delightful temperament named Copenhagen. He was purchased by Charlotte's student, who rode him for six months and then got pregnant. And she continued to get pregnant the next four years in a row, allowing the delighted Charlotte the chance to bring a horse along from scratch. "He was the very first horse I got to train on an ongoing basis, so he was going to make it to Grand Prix if it killed both of us. I was so determined, you know?" she says with a laugh. Once a month she would hitch a ride with someone—she didn't own a trailer—and train with Gurney. But for the most part, she was on her own. "Lo and behold, during those four years, we made it to Grand Prix!" she says and laughs again. "He was my first Grand Prix horse, and even though he didn't have any gaits to speak of—at the time, the horses were not nearly as good, not even close to what we have now—it was a fantastic opportunity for me to compete at Grand Prix and get that routine of going in and riding the test," she continues. "ere were many things he did quite well. His changes were good; his pirouettes were good." Perhaps most significant, Charlotte cemented her passion, and it was not about winning ribbons. "[Competition] was never really what drove me like it is for some," she says. "I love the process and find it incredibly rewarding to see the horses come along and how they change. I didn't shy away from competition, not at all, but it was never what drove me. I never did weekend after weekend. I was very selective about what was good for the horse, so I never did too many competitions. e thing I loved and still love the most is making the horses." Gurney quickly came to admire the young Dane. "Charlotte really adores the horses and respects the horses and does the very best for the horses," Gurney says. "e horses are her family. She is a really exemplary horsewoman. You can't just ride to With the quirky but talented Monsieur, Charlotte Bredahl helped the U.S. team earn bronze at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. PHOTO COURTESY CHARLOTTE BREDAHL

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