Page 19 - Puissance Euro 1

17Your team has not managed to qualify for Rio, but you yourself have been jumping at three Olympic Games.My first participation dates back to 1992 in Barcelona. I was riding my horse Edelbert at the time. I remember coming home and telling my parents I would never again participate in such a huge event. (laughs).How do you mean?At the time of the Olympic Games in Barcelona, I was not full time occupied by horse-riding as I still worked quite lot at my parents’ farm. Though I had been riding a pony as soon as I turned three and horses were my real passion, I hardly realized I could make a living by jumping. Shortly after the Olympics I found a sponsor and everything gained momen- tum from then on.You were present at the Olympics of both Athens and London too.As I seized the chance to become a professional rider, I dreamed openly to one day reach a top ten spot at the Olympic Games. Why, every sportsman dreams of an Olym- pic medal. It is so unique. The qualification contests raisethe pressure soon enough and then it becomes a matter of making the high expectations come true. The fourth place in Athens 2004 particularly thrilled me as Clinton was regarded to be a difficult horse. It remains a pity I could not get hold of a medal though.You have just mentioned winning and losing in jumping are separated by only a very slender line. Riding a track in a great contest lasts one minute to one minute and a half at most. In such a short time span horse and rider must make dreams and expectations come true. It is quite often a matter of details: you touch a pole, but it stays and so you win or it drops and you miss the podium. It causes frustration, but it is part of the game.Which contest will remain indelible in your memory because you missed it from an inch?That will undoubtedly be the Aix-la-Chapelle/Aachen GPin 2005. Aix-la-Chapelle is the Wimbledon of jumping. The complete world of horse-riding fans is looking forward to this event during the whole year. I rode very well and was ina jump-off with three other contenders. I really did my level best, but I was only just beaten by a time difference. I shall never forget I had been so close at an important event.Which victory is your favourite in your rich career?As I said, the fourth place at the Olympics in Athens. I also won the World Cup Event in Malines in 2006. It is always a special joy to be able to win such an important contest in your own country in front of a home crowd.Are you satisfied with your career?Yes, I am. It is what it is and nothing can be changed anymore now. With regard to my capacities, I think I can look back on a fine career as a jumping rider. Nowadays I am trying to put down some noticeable results with the national team and I hope to experience some memorable moments as well.When you were a child, you already did very well and achieved some remarkable results.Nowadays kids have to be older to be allowed to take part in pony contests, but I was some eight or nine years old. I was only ten when I gained my first victory in Luhmühlen (Lower Saxony) in Germany and as a twelve-year-old I got the silver medal at the European Championship in Helsingborg in Swe- den.