As a rider and trainer of high school horses, he had no peer. A former Dutch Cavalryman, he came to the U.S. in 1936 to join Ringling Bros. where, his steed, Starless Night, he set new standards for presentation of the classic Spanish riding school Steps. Though honored by many European Crowned Heads, his greatest acclaim came from those for whom he performed in circuses, on stage, in films and on TV and who were enthralled by the seemingly effortless grace of man and horse performing as one.