 We just completed a fascinating Wayne Robinson clinic. It was focusing on two-year-olds and cowing them up for the first time, but it was really foundational for all horses. And William Knottberg knows all about that and appreciates that because he came all the way from Sweden to participate or actually sorry to spectate. Tell us William, why did you come so far for this clinic? Well I've just been to cutting for almost a year now and I wanted to know the basic of cutting, how you start training the horse and you know actually I think it's going to help me when I'm trying to understand when I get into trouble with my own horse if I could understand how she's trained in. She started her training like you do in the States and that would help me when I run into my own bumps back home in Sweden. Okay so cutting for a year, tell us how you actually got into cutting? Yeah it was you know like kind of you know the cowboy dream and I tried the cutting horse and I you know I was hooked straight away. One ride on a cutting horse is that what did it? Yeah but I didn't get any good credits from the trainer. He told me to get off the horse and he tried to ride it and said I have to try my horse to see so he didn't ruin it but you know I kept on going. So was that adrenaline rush that got you? Yeah it sure was. So you had a reigning horse before that is that right? And he got hurt so then I went down and I knew this cutting horse was for sale so I went down there and bought this mare she's 10 year old smooth as cat mare and she's been in Sweden for a couple of years but yeah it's she has some issues that I want to take care of and I thought yeah I go to the States and see how you ride your horses and I try to you know go back to where you know see try to ride or like you do over here so maybe I could get over the bumps easier. Now there's always you know a clinic somewhere happening what was it about this one about Wayne's clinic that you decided you had to come over because the focus was two year olds but what did you find out about what he teaches is it something you can apply to any horse? Yeah I think I read some about Wayne and how we think about the horses and his you know philosophy his program and that's I don't know the English word for it but it suits me you know the way he thinks to be gentle to the horse to you know make it understand and you know not too fast and if you do it too fast you maybe the horse doesn't understand and you get issues like today you know smooth all that's you know I like that kind of not the rough you know. It offered the values that you appreciate in working with a horse. Yeah the values. Okay so tell us a little bit about the cutting scene in Sweden. Well I had just been it for you know one year and it's very small sport in Sweden and from the northern part of Sweden where I come from it's you know you can count on your one hand the people that are practicing it and it's it's kind of hard to do it in Sweden because we don't have the facilities where you have the riding pen and the cows at the same place and often those who have cows or have small groups of cattle so that's the main big problem in Sweden because we don't have the cattle to train on. And how about the weather because Sweden is really north when you look at Europe. Yeah it's cold it's cold it gets really cold in the winter and no and no heated arenas. No yeah but mostly the heated arenas you're not allowed to bring cows. Yeah because if you're doing the Swedish riding association it's not allowed to use live animal to ride on so you can't bring cutting to the Swedish riding horse association. So the ones who are doing working in Sweden aren't allowed to train their horse on cattle. They have to go outside Sweden to train. But the western people you know we're not in the association so we are allowed to do it. Oh so you sometimes you have to be outside established practices in a sense to be able to do what you need to do. Do you get the sense that it's growing it's a growing sport in Sweden even though you've got those difficulties. Yeah it's growing more and more people you know buy horses with good breedings from the States. So you know if you erase the standard on the sports more people will know hey I want to do that so but if you get if you buy better horses our knowledge how to train the horses should you know follow with it. So I think more people should go from Sweden to here to know you know learn from the base. So you'll have some great insight now after being at this clinic what are you big takeaways. What are your light bulb moments what are the things that really have stuck with you about what Wayne has shown you that you want to go and put into practice. Yeah I think one of the best things is you know he said you know about the things to move the feet and get the rhythm and feel and that's what I've been trying mostly when I ride you know to get the feeling to feel when the horse is doing right you know and oftenly it's the same with me I'm doing too much too late. So you know that's what I have to be better on you know get the feeling and you can see now when he was you know helping these guys over here and how they got the feeling and but well it's now now it's I got a theoretical part now so I know to you know reverse it to practical and then maybe that's the hard part but I will try. Do you think you might have something to share with other cutters back in Sweden now that you've been here? Yeah I think I have a lot to share you know because I think most of the cutters in Sweden we're good and you know maybe chasing the cow and all that stuff but you know the basic in riding you know to bend the horse and you know like you said to make the space and how to sit on the car and also many pieces are still missing I guess in Sweden. I'll enjoy the journey I hope it all comes together for you. Yeah I will see you again thank you.