Any invention is made possible by people seeking a solution to a problem. Bodo Klopsch faced the problem that his daughter was unhappy.
“Dad, please change something!” a then ten-year-old enthusiastic rider asked him. She could not train her horse on the sand riding arena that, due to the lack of any suitable alternative, had been built for her – once again it was flooded.
Looking into the sad eyes of his child the loving father’s heart grew heavy and he promised to find a solution. He soon realized water was the basic problem. So he leveled off, watered when the surface was too dry, and drained when it was flooded. But the sand riding arena was never really ideal. He had to find another solution.
Klopsch searched, phoned and experimented. He invented tests and created a wooden hoof to imitate the tread of the horse, he utilized his knowledge of sand that he had learned while he studied engineering. But even long discussions with so-called experts did not provide an answer to the problem.
Finally he had to conclude: Sand is not a perfect material!
In the first place he was dubious himself. Everyone had ridden on sand surfaces since time immemorial. Should he try to revolutionize riding surfaces? He decided for “yes” in order to not only fulfill the dream of his little daughter Natascha, but also the dream of all riders on this planet – the dream of an outdoor riding arena usable the whole year round.
Bodo Klopsch revolutionized the riding arena ground with carpet snippets!
He continued research work and looked for an alternative material. It had to be permeable to water, non-hygroscopic (only a little absorption), dust-free, elastic, easy to maintain, and cheap. And of course it had to be environmentally friendly.
He finally found what he had been searching for – in the car industry of all things.
The offcuts of car carpets at that time were simply discarded. Bodo Klopsch started to do business with the suppliers, invented machines that separated the pile from the base layer and tore it into small snippets. The basis of today’s convenient riding surface was invented.
"ASground - All Season Riding Ground".
Numerous improvements followed, an application to the Patent Office and the invention of an appropriate name for this elastic surface: “SwingGround”.