Eitan Beth-Halachmy (known to his friends simply as “8”) followed his heart and the seeming intervention of mystical destiny not only to multiple world championships, but also to a spiritual cross-species bond with an equine companion appropriately called “Compadre.” Eitan was born in Israel, where a Hungarian Cavalry Officer was to instill in him as a young boy a regard for horses and horsemanship that is still the foundation of this training methods and philosophy.
After attending the University of Vienna in pre-veterinary medicine he came to the United State to peruse his studies at he University of California at Davis. While in Vienna much time was spent observing at the Spanish Riding School. There he watched, listened and absorbed…Once at the University of Davis he had to face the fact that what he really wanted to do was train horses. He began to work toward that goal, and at the same time that he was making in-roads into the American horse industry, he became a successful sculptor. Here he explored the artistic balance between form and function, a balance the philosophical horseman still finds relevant to bringing out the best in a horse. His western horses are easily recognizable because of their self carriage and elegant style, which he attributes to the use of dressage in his training program. He is still an artist at heart creating harmony, beauty and balance in his horses.
Eitan has won many World and National Titles in the Show Horse Industry. He and his Morgan Stallion, Holiday Compadre have been the World Champion Western Pleasure Horse both in 1993 and 1996. In 2002, 2003 and 2005 Santa Fe Renegade and Eitan were named World Champion Western Pleasure Horse of the year. (Santa Fe is now following in the foot steps of Holiday Compadre and is being trained for Cowboy Dressage.) In addition to his own wins he has trained and instructed many amateurs, jr. exhibitors and numerous clients’ horses to many additional World and National Titles.
Eitan and Holiday Compadre are now famous for their own brand of horsemanship dubbed “Cowboy Dressage” in which Eitan applies his years of childhood training in classical dressage to western horsemanship. He and Compadre are best known for their awe-inspiring performances to music. Compadre was retired in June of 2002 and now lives the “good life” in Parker, CO where he has his own band of mares and green pastures. Even a heated stall for the winter months! Eitan continued on with his Cowboy Dressage with his new equine companion Galahad’s Golden Warrior. A stunning and very talented Saddlebred Stallion. Eitan and his current partner, Santa Fe Renegade follow in Compadre’s and Galahad’s hoof prints teaching and performing, delighting crowds across the country.
Eitan and his wife Debbie own and operate Wolf Creek Ranch in the beautiful Sierra Foothills in Grass Valley, CA. USA. Now retired from public training they continue to do clinics and performance on a limited bases. Here they also produce horsemanship videos that can be purchased through their web-site.
Eitan does a limited amount of clinics and performances each year through out the country. He is best known for his humor and sincere love of what he does. He is a wealth of information and knowledge and is known for “telling it like it is.” He is a “horseman’s, horseman…A man who is living his dream.
In July of 2002 Holiday Compadre was officially retired. In Jan of 2003 Eitan was awarded the Barbara Worth Oakford Memorial Trophy by USEF for outstanding Western Horseman of 2002.
In September of 2006 Eitan and Santa Fe Renegade had the great honor of being asked to represent the US in the closing ceremony of the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.
Eitan and Santa Fe Renegade have been honored once again to represent the US at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY in 2010. Eitan and his beautiful Morgan Stallion will be featured in the spectacular opening ceremonies and the pair will be doing clinics and entertaining at the Equine Village for the duration WEG.
In May of 2007-2012 Eitan was privileged to be one of the select clinicians to participate in the Light Hands Horsemanship Clinic in Santa Ynez, CA. This is a ground-breaking event highlighting a new type of clinic format and presentations for the equine public. It was a huge success and will be repeated May 31- June 3, 2012. You can visit the LHH website at www.lighthandshorsemanship.com for further information.
The following are just some of the events Eitan has participated in over the last few years.
- Equitana USA the Mane Event, Louisville, KY 1996,1998,2000
- Equine Affaire, Columbus,OH 1997,1999
- Dressage in the Wine Country, Santa Rosa, CA 1995,1996,1998,2000/2002
- MidWest Horse Fair, Madison, WI. 2000/2001/2002/2008
- Western States Horse Expo, Sacramento, CA 1999/2000/2002/2005/2009
- EqWest, Del Mar, CA 1999/2000
- National Western Livestock and Horse Show, Denver, CO 2001
- Western Idaho Horse Fair, Boise, ID. 2001, 2002
- Greater North West Equine Expo 2002, 2011
- Nordic Natural Horsemanship Association, Sweden. 2002
- Equus America Houston, TX and Kansas City, MO 2003
- International Equine Congress, San Palo, Brazil 2004
- Ride the West Equine Expo, Spokane, WA 2006
- Equifair, Grants Pass, OR 2006
- World Equestrian Games, Aachen, Germany Closing Ceremony 2006
- Equine Affaire, Springfield, MA 2006
- Symphony of Horses, Gainsville, FL 2006
- Equine Experience, Paso Robles, CA 2007
- Light Hands Horsemanship, CA 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Road to the Horse Judge, TN 2010
- Night of the Horse, Del Mar, CA
- World Equestrian Games, KY 2010, Opening Ceremony and Clinics
Eitan also has 3 video’s on the market: Cowboy Dressage, Building the Foundation and Cowboy Dressage, Dances With Cows and Cowboy Dressage, Poetry in Motion. His videos have been featured on Horsetv and RFD-TV.
Eitan released a new training manual, Cowboy Dressage, Understanding Horsemanship from the Inside Out
Feature articles on Eitan and Training Articles by Eitan have been published in American Cowboy, Horse and Rider, Western Times, Equus, Ride, Equestrian Connection, Hastfynd, The Morgan Horse, The Morgan Connection, The Pacific Saddlebred, Saddlebred Journal, Trail Rider and the Waddie and USA Equestrian, Cowboys and Indians Magazine, Western Horseman, Yankee Pedler, Dressage Today to name just a few.
- In 2007 Eitan had the honor of being featured in Dr. Robert Miller’s new book, Natural Horsemanship Explained, From Heart to Hands.
- 2011 Inducted into the Morgan Horse Hall of Fame
- 2011 Co-Founder of the Western Dressage Association of America.