A Bit... About Me
kata szwaja - classical dressage rider and trainer
I am a classical dressage rider and trainer specialised in French approach. My passion for Pura Raza Espanola has brought me to Spain, where I currently live, learn and teach with these wonderful horses, entrusted to be by ex-president of ANCCE.
My approach is based on the Classical Masters´ teachings, as well as the latest ethology and biomecanics studies.
I am most influenced by Philippe Karl and his Ecole de Legerete. I regularly train and consult with my very first Classical Dressage trainer, Johanna Beattie Batista. What is very valuable for me, she is additionally Centered Riding level III Instructor and Clinician.
I deepen my knowledge constantly, learning about all related to horses: positive reinforcement, Masterson Method, kinesiotaping, barefoot trimming, saddle fitting and many more.
SEE ME WORKING
Get a glimpse of my work by watching trainings on my YouTube channel:
kata´s classical dressage journey timeline
November 2025 - November 2026
May 2023 - currently
October 2021 - January 2023
September 2021 - March 2022
An upcoming working student position that I will be blessed to take, this time with a PRE stallion Unquero del Yunque III accompanying me.
We will be in France, learnign from Philippe Karl and Bea Borelle.
Time has come for me to let the horses be my best teachers. I started to work with Hierro del Yunque PRE horses, and I do to this very day, hopefully for many years to come!
Riding a polish mare during the clinics.
I organised his clinics in Poland twice. I was translating spanish to polish; our riders and participants were content and the horses relaxed.
Riding a polish mare during the clinics.
As the school was not what I expected at all, filled with profound sadness and deception, almost immidiately I understood I needed to find someone I could continue on learning classical dressage from. While still being a student in school, I started to spend more and more time in Maestro Manuel Carvajal´s stable in Los Palacios y Villafranca - starting my days with mucking out in school, riding there, eating lunch in my car and learning from Manuel in the evenings. Soon, I made one of the most difficult decisions in my life and left the school. Being truthfull and honest to my values has worked out great, and I stayed with Manuel one year more, learning from him, looking after his and his clients´ horses when he was out teaching clinics in South America, and organising clinics in my country, Poland.
Manuel´s background was very interesting from the point of view of a classical dressage student, as he skillfully combined German and French schools. His strongest influences were Podhajsky, Steinbrecht, Decarpentry and Oliveira. He was also a student of Luis Ramos Paul.
Riding a polish mare during the clinics.
I organised his clinics in Poland twice. I was translating spanish to polish; our riders and participants were content and the horses relaxed.
Riding a polish mare during the clinics.
Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez was my next stop. Breathtaking beauty of the arena of Royal School in Jerez, as well as the prestige of Torreluna breeding project, which was collaborating with the school, hosting the students and professors in their studfarm, were making me proud to be the student. Filled with strong hope to become a great rider and have a bright future in the industry, I entered the school full of joy and ready to learn classical dressage together with supposedly best PRE horses in the world, guided by renowned, knowledgeable trainers.
Very unfortunately, the reality was unexpectedly and painfully different. From the very first day I was desperately looking for any chance to learn something that I could actually implement and add to my rider´s toolbox, instead of feeling confused and ashamed of performing. These tries lasted 6 months, after which time I finally resigned and left the school.
Leaving was hard because of time and money invested, but a wise and for me, the only possible choice.
Students were not allowed to take any photos; this one comes from a Working Equitation workshop that took place at Torreluna Campus and I participated as a School's student.
April 2020 - August 2021
Very first working student position I took, it was Johanna Beattie Batista´s Hacienda Dos Olivos near Seville. Daily theory and practise lessons were given to me, during which I was falling in love with the art of classical dressage more and more. As my professor was constantly educating herself, she set a very high standard for me and I am glad I was influenced by her this way. She was a student of almost all of the most important classical trainers living in our times -Nuno Oliveira, Philippe Karl, Michael Henriquet, Henry Loch...
During my stay, she was enrolled in bit and bridle fitting course, together with a Franklin Method Instructor course and in a process of becoming a level III Instructor Clinician in Centered Riding. On top of that, her collection of equestrian books, a priceless asset that she would share with me, was growing constantly. I met the Classical Masters thanks to Johanna and to this day, I still ride with her whenever possible.
During my stay with her, I decided to try to enroll as a equestrain student in Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez. I left her place just before the school year started.
We would welcome every day with a classical dressage training session, complemented with Centered Riding approach.
We would welcome every day with a classical dressage training session, complemented with Centered Riding approach.