Story Christopher Hector / Photos – DigiShots
Somehow at a WEG the showjumping is always produces spine-chilling action. Forget your billionaire’s made up teams with their silly names, when you are competing for your country, a real country, that edge is there.
Henrik von Eckermann and Toveks Mary Lou
At the end of two days fabulous competition, there was a tie at the top, the Swedes and the Americans both on 20.59. Hold the presses, we’ve got a jump off, and the first out, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann was smoking it on Toveks Mary Lou, a bay Westfalien mare, and she really is essence of Westfalia with just a touch of Holstein aristocracy in the form of Contender. She by Montendro, a son of Montender (Contender) out of a mare by one of the two great jumping ‘P’s – Polydor. Mary Lou is out of a grand-daughter of the other legendary ‘P’, Pilot. They finish on 32.99, a time that won’t be bettered until the very last run of the day.
Devin Ryan, and Eddie Blue
First out for the Americans is Devin Ryan, and Eddie Blue, Dutch bred, Zirocco Blue / Marlon (Zeus). The grey gelding is clear in 34.88.
Malin Baryard-Johnsson and H&M Indiana
Malin Baryard-Johnsson is up for the challenge on H&M Indiana (by the great Kashmir van Shuttershoff out of a mare by the Animo son, Animo’s Hallo). The speed gets to the mare, she tries to run out, takes a rail, and Malin retires.
Adrienne Sternlicht and Cristaline
Adrienne Sternlicht rode nervously on Cristaline (by the Cornet Obolensky son, Cristallo, out of a mare by the Caretino son Caretello B) in the first round, since then the newcomer to the team has looked great. 34.61, but one rail down.
Fredrik Jönsson finds the magic balance between fast and safe on Cold Play (Contendro / Argentinus), clear 35.31.
Laura Kraut and Zeremonie
Laura Kraut rides like the star she in on Zeremonie (Cero / Quick Star), home clear in 33.21.
Peder Fredricson has had an uncharacteristic two rails down on his way to the jump off on H&M Christian K (Namelus R / Calvados), but he pulls it altogether when it counts, clear in 34.43.
Peder and the Swedish team watching McLain’s round….
McLain Ward and Clinta
That means McLain Ward and Clinta (Clinton / Lord Pezi) have to go clear and fast for the home side to take home gold. They do it easily, flashing over the course for the fastest time of the jump off, 32.58.
Cut to scenes of unbridled joy in the stands. USA gold, Sweden silver, German bronze.
The new look Germany is in bronze. After several of the mainstays of German jumping, declined to make the journey, the two new, and very attractive, faces on the scene, Simone Blum and Laura Klaphake were included in the squad, following their debut at last year’s Europeans. Backed up by the ageless genius of showjumping, Marcus Ehning, and another recent arrival in the German team Maurice Tebbel (by Rene Tebbel, formerly a German now a Ukranian), they took home bronze, again in grand style.
Switzerland was fourth, with The Netherlands, fifth, and in an amazing team effort, the Australians came in 6th, in fact if the final day’s competition had just been on the final day’s results, Australia would have taken bronze. The Australian charge was lead by Rowan Willis, but all played their part. Interestingly while the Germans don’t seem to upset by their ‘gone missing’ brigade, the feeling I get from the Aussie camp is that they got on better without team captain, Alexander Tops, and if when the Tokyo Games roll around, Edwina has lost the yen to travel and wants to stay in Europe and chase euros, no one will try to talk her out of it…
Australia was the sixth and last country to qualify for Tokyo, leaving Ireland, Great Britain, France, Canada and Belgium, all lamenting.
It was great to catch up with Rowan Willis and learn about his amazing mare, Blue Movie. The mare is interestingly bred, she is by Chacco Blue, and out of Showtime, by Pilot. Showtime was an international star, ridden by Cayetano Martinez de Irujo and Nick Skelton. Brilliantly bred, just a trifle tricky to ride…
When you are hot, you are really hot…
“My mare has been on form for the last year, she’s just been incredible, and she was on it today. The whole team was incredible. There’s only two countries out of the whole competition, that has got all four riders into the top 35: America and Australia. And there are only two countries that have had all four riders, eight faults and under, every day: America and Australia. It’s been an absolutely incredible team effort.”
In your heart of hearts, did you expect that, coming here?
“Look, we all had a silly mistake yesterday, really uncharacteristic, and but for that, we’d have a medal around our neck! There’s a lot of people wondering where we came from, but I think we’ve got four of the best riders in the world in there. We might not have the horse power, but those four riders are absolutely incredible, and we’ve all made our horses, right from day one.”
Where did you come from, I see my dear friend Ilse Schwarz is claiming that she must have taught you dressage at some stage…
“Well she didn’t do a very good job of it, from the look of that mare I rode today, did she! Gail Powell and Johnny Fahey, they were my showjumping coaches from when I was younger.”
That’s a pair with a lot of grit and determination…
“They taught me how to win! They taught me how to jump clear rounds. I think all the top riders have a bit of a style of their own, we’re all different, and you’ve got to let the horse work in the way that best suits it. You can’t conform them to one model… I think looking at our four, we just all get the best out of our horses because we don’t try and make them into something they are not, we just try to give them a lot of confidence, and it really paid off today.”
You started on the Australian scene, how old were you when you went to Europe to try your luck?
“I had just turned 19 and I was lucky to land a job with Fred Welch, he’s had a lot of good riders through his stables… Peter Charles when he was young, Tina Fletcher… Nick Skelton rode for his wife, Sue. He’s produced a lot of good riders, and a lot of good horses. I ended up being with Fred and Sue for fourteen years, and Sue bred Blue Movie.”
What did the Welch’s add to your riding?
“I think Fred taught me a lot of horsemanship, to get the best out of a horse. He was a real dealer, and we made the most of the different horses we had. He was an incredible horseman, he had a lot of patience and that’s something I’ve had to have with this mare. I’ve trusted her from day one that she’s going to be a star for me, and it’s only in the last couple of years that it has come together. We didn’t do any age classes, I’ve just let her develop at her own speed.”
The mare’s mother must have been quite a jumper…
“She was 24th at the Atlanta Olympics with Nick Skelton. She was an incredible mare, she won a lot, she was ultra careful. I think that, with a little bit of Chacco Blue on her father’s side it’s a good mix, there have been a lot of good Chacco Blues – she’s been fantastic for me.”
“I knew her from the beginning. She was so strong, we couldn’t catch her for a couple of years. When she was two, I had to lasso her in the barn. She always had a lot of character about her. It took me a long time to break her in. We couldn’t put front boots on her for a long time. She’s always been extremely wary and sensitive, and she still is, that’s what makes her special.”
So you broke her in?
“Yeah, I’m the one to blame if she is not very rideable.”
Rowan has been out on his own for the past six years:
“My parents, David and Elsa, my sister Renee, Michael and Wendy Jackson and Warren Coventry from Guyra, NSW, they all have a share in Blue Movie, and have been with me from the start, right from the first time I went to England. It’s been great to have them, and I’ve got some good other owners with nice horses in England. I’ve been staying with a fellow Australian, Russ Hardy at Boomerang Stables.”
Russ was a great mate when he was still in Australia, and our farrier…
“I hope you give him a special mention because he’s been fantastic to me for the past couple of years. He’s really believed in me, and he’s got a great facility there at Boomerang Stables, my horses have benefitted a lot from being there. Unfortunately he’s had an accident and he can’t shoe many horses, but when I’m able to convince him to shoe one of mine, he’s still an incredible farrier. He’s a master horseman, and he has helped me in many ways. He really helped get me here today.”
Russ Hardy has always been the complete horseman. Back in the early 80’s he was an enthusiastic attendee at the Nuno Oliveira Clinics in Australia, and always interested in dressage and training techniques. Plus a great farrier.
You’ve got some more of Blue Movie’s breeding…
“I’ve got a horse just up the road at Lexington, Shark, he’s out of the same mare, and by Arko. He’s won quite a bit this year. I’ve got another owned by Dinah Posford, who owns Sam Griffith’s mare that unfortunately missed out on coming here. Dinah and her husband, Steve have been great supporters over the past couple of years, and their horse, Everse W, he won the Derby up in Spruce Meadows. He’s got lots of potential, I think over the next couple of years, he’s going to be pushing Blue Movie for the Grand Prix. It’s very exciting.”
Everse W is by the Voltaire son, Lexicon out of a Carthago / Burggraaf mare.
Do you live in England or America these days?
“To be honest Chris, I really don’t know where I live. I’m a bit of a gypsy. I brought three horses over to America at the beginning of the year. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and finally I thought I had three horses good enough to bring over. I’ve still got a few young horses back in England.”
“Recently I’ve been based with Alex and Tricia Boone, and they’ve been fantastic, and their daughters, Catie and Ali. They’ve been looking after my other horses, while I’ve been down here having a holiday with one horse. It’s been a real big team effort to get me here.”
How did today’s competition unfold for you?
“It was a fantastic jumping round from Kermo, a really good start for us. Then Scott Keach and another solid, solid, round, then for Billy Raymont to jump clear, was just incredible, an absolutely amazing ride. I didn’t have so much pressure on me because those guys had all done such an amazing job. I had nothing to worry about, my horse was on it. Chris Keppler has been helping me while I’ve been over here. He’s been a fantastic influence, he’s been there, done that. He keeps everything calm, for my first championship experience, he’s been a great asset.”
He’s a real stylist, he’s not trying to put you in the George Morris mould?
“He’s obviously a real stylist but he’s also a real horseman. He hasn’t tried to change the way of going for my horse, he’s just tried to help me out by making the best of her, that’s worked really well.”
What happens after the WEG?
“I’ve got a show every weekend for the next two months. We go up to Ohio for two weeks, then back her to Tryon for two weeks for a three star and a five star. Washington, four star World Cup, Lexington four star World Cup, Toronto four star World Cup, Los Vegas four star World Cup, then we are going to have a bit of a break. I should really get back to Australia, because I haven’t been home in a long time, catch up with a few of my mates. Then back to Florida for the winter.”
Do you like traveling or is it just something you have to do?
“I think in this sport, nowadays, we have to travel. It can get a bit tedious, living out of a suitcase. My girl friend and I made a little tally of the number of places we’d stayed at this year and it came out around fifty. We’ve traveled the world, traveled America, one day we’ll settle some place.”
What was going through your head when you came to the last fence today?
“Jump the bloody jump.”
Rowan’s sister, Renee as part owner, disagrees with her brother’s suggestion that the Australian team lacked horse power: “I think perhaps they didn’t have a lot of horse power to choose from, in the lead up to the Games, but I think the way the guys have prepared their horses, and they have dedicated so much time and expertise to getting the horses here for the event – I think they’ve proved that they did come here with the horse power.”
Rowan points out what happened before the first prize giving:
“I was lucky enough to have run third but my mare needed to recover and she’s not good in a presentation and Billy Raymont very kindly gave me his horse to ride in on. All the other countries were really impressed, Your team spirit is one of the best team spirits we’ve ever seen. Giving up a horse for another to ride into a presentation, just doesn’t happen in any other team.”
As far as this journalist is concerned, the grumpy stars of German showjumping can stay home forever, if we get, in their place, the charm, beauty and equestrian talent of Laura Klaphake… and, I hope you are sitting down when you read this, this rider showjumps because she loves the sport and her horses, and is not in it for the money!!!!
Laura and Catch Me – I do it for love…
It’s nice, for such a long time there was no woman in the German team, and when there was one, it was really an American….
“I feel very honored to be part of the German team. Germany has so many strong riders, so many good combinations of horse and rider. I was just grateful to be part of the team, to win a medal is a dream come true…”
And your horse?
“Catch Me is an amazing horse. I got her when she was six. We went through a lot of ups and downs, you know how it is with the young ones – it’s never just up. But I was always a big fan of her, she has such a big heart and I love her so much. Here she has shown what she can do.”
“The last two years have actually been amazing. We have already been to the European Championships, but to be here at a WEG is incredible to me.”
Who has created your riding style?
“My parents, my mum and my dad, they have been training me since my whole life. Sometimes now Franke Sloothaak is coming. I rode my first European Pony Championships when I was twelve, and all the time, my parents have been training me.”
“Riding is my hobby, I’m a student. That makes it even greater to be in a team with all these professionals. I am a graduate already in marketing and I am doing my Masters, in real estate management. I have one more year to go.”
Are you just doing that to keep your parents happy before you go full time horses?
“No, I don’t want my horses to be my job. I want to have a job, and the horses because I love riding them. I don’t ever want to have to sell a horse. I want to do it because I love it.”
It must be pretty incredible to be in a team with Marcus Ehning?
“When I was a child, I was watching him on the television and that was a dream. You watched and thought, wow, this rider is amazing, it looks so easy, if he jumps one metre, or one metre sixty, it looks the same. It is just – wow.”
How did the tracks ride for you today?
“My horse jumped amazing, the last two days she has been in such great shape. I had a really unlucky fault at the treble combination, number three, she just touched the second rail, and I was already two strides away when I heard the pole falling on the ground, I was like OH NO! But that’s the sport, and everything is so close together. The US and Sweden did an amazing job… and the jump off was amazing sport. It’s not normal to have a jump off when we start with the speed class, and with that we have different results, but it turned out great.”
Peder Fredricson has been one of my heroes since I saw him go all show at the Rio Games without his horse All in, having a rail. He is just the ultimate, no-nonsense, sympathetic rider.
We saw you in Rio with a mega-star, All in, now you are riding Christian K, can you tell me a little about him?
“This is a horse I’ve had for two years. He’s a Dutch horse but he came to Sweden as a young horse. He was being ridden by a Swedish boy, I liked it, so I bought him. He’s a small horse but he’s got a big stride and apparently he can jump this size of fences.”
Is there something… you suddenly see a horse and think, that could be a horse for me?
“First I check the results. This horse was going well with the boy, not on a high level but he was clear a lot. I always look at the results. It doesn’t really matter the quality of the rider, a good horse normally goes clear. I check the pedigree, some videos of the horse jumping, then I go and try them, and when I try them, I just go with my gut feeling if I really like the horse or not.”
What are you looking for when you look at the pedigree?
“That it looks like there is jumping in the pedigree. This horse is by Namelus R, and they are normally really careful horses, Concorde horses (Namelus R is by Concorde), and it is a good mix with Calvados which is scopy, but pedigree is not the main thing, just an extra.”
“The main thing is when I try them, I get a good feeling. You should have the feeling that they really don’t want to knock a pole down, that’s the feeling you want to have.”
You seem to have the ability to bring horses out in big competitions, and win very quickly, you don’t seem to have to give them miles on the road to get there…
“I’ve been lucky. All in I bought as a seven-year-old, with him I took it fairly slowly as an eight and nine-year-old, and when he was a ten-year-old, he was ready to go. Christian K, was going with another rider, not in the biggest classes, but he had mileage already, a lot of starts and seen a lot of courses, just not on a higher level. He was ready to go.”
If you had to describe your style of riding, is there anything particularly Swedish about it?
“I think to describe my style, it’s fairly uncomplicated. Now when I’ve got older I have more found my own way of riding. When you are younger you have to try and learn, you watch others, and you try to ride in the different styles. You train with George Morris and you try to train like him. Then I was with Franke Sloothaak and I tried to ride like him, with Mark Todd, I tried to ride like him. All these things together creates the base of your riding. I now have that as a foundation, but I ride the way my personality is. I think it is fairly uncomplicated. I have my system, of course I adjust to every horse, but I try to keep it uncomplicated and horse friendly.”
George Morris has been a big influence?
“I learnt a lot from George, he’s a big part of it. Even yesterday, he called me after my round, he’s so supportive.”
For you it is still important to come to the World Equestrian Games – that is more important than making a lot of money on the Longines circuit?
“I don’t mind doing both. It is an interesting question because the sport is growing so much now, which I think is fantastic, more and more good shows, more money, I think is amazing – but still I think it is the Championship that counts. At the end of your career, that’s what you are going to remember, championship titles. I do think it’s important that the championships also go in the same direction as all the other shows, if they want to keep it that way. The sport is always going to be a bit where the money is, and if the good riders and the good horses are not coming to the championships, they are going to lose value, and I don’t want to see that. I think it is very important that there is also good prize-money in the championships, so we get the best horses and best riders there.”
What was it like coming into that amazing jump off yesterday, you hadn’t had a great ride the round before…
“It was mixed feelings. I was last to go. The two first days, I really had to fight for the team, to bring them to the final, and in the final, I knew we had already won the silver when I went in, so I was kind of happy. Then after me, most unlikely, McLain had a fence down, so we had a jump off. I must say we were well prepared because we knew already it could be a jump off. Normally never, but because of the scores from the speed class, we were really prepared. So it was no stress really. My wife and the chef d’equipe, they walked the course, they knew the course. My horse was already warm so I took two jumps and went in. My plan was that I know McLain would be faster anyway, so my plan was just to go as quick as I could to put pressure on him. Try to make him go quicker and make a fault, which didn’t happen. My horse is not the fastest anyway and McLain is one of the quickest riders in the world. They were worthy winners yesterday.”
What does the sport hold for you now, you’ve been there done that…
“That’s why Henrik and me, we were really eager to win the gold medal yesterday. When I won my first team silver at the Olympics, I was really happy. Now I have a silver medal in the Olympics, silver medal team at the Europeans and now a silver at the World Championships – so we were both really wanting gold. But it didn’t happen.”
So Tokyo?
“Maybe it will keep us fighting a few more years.”
Final Day – Final Showdown
We are greeted in the morning by a perfect dusky pink sky but the rain is not forecast until well after the proceedings finish, and that bit of cloud cover keeps the temperature pleasant. I have absolutely no idea why the riders carry their scores all through the show. It would be far nicer if the top 25 who go into the final day, did so on zero scores…
The first out, the Columbian rider, Carlos Enrique Lopez Lizarazo on the Dutch gelding, Admara (Padinus / Murano), makes the track look very jumpable, with a lovely clear, but that is the last clear we’ll see for a while.
Australia’s Billy Raymont on Oaks Redwood (Conquistador / Verdi) has a big crash in the middle of the treble, jumps it clear next time but I guess that’s the last we’ll see of the combination since the word is that the gelding has been sold.
The next clear comes from one of the artists of showjumping, Laura Kraut on Zeremonie (Cero / Quick Star), smooth, exquisitely timed, clear, clear…
Even the great Marcus Ehning on the in-form Pret A Tout (Hiram Chambertin / Stew Boy) has two down…
Rowan Wills and Blue Movie (Chacco Blue / Pilot), the mare still looks scary to ride, still doesn’t want to touch a fence. There’s a shake, a rattle but no roll at the Juke Box fence, but a rail further on the course. With just 4, they should make the final round.
Quabri de l’Isle (Kannan / Socrate de Chivre) who has looked a bit tired all show, decks two, and Pedro Veniss tips his cap to the judges and walks off.
Time for another equestrian genius, Steve Guerdat, who has managed to channel the craziness of Bianca (Balou du Rouet / Cardento) into sheer genius. A fabulous clear.
Another of the new generation, Martin Fuchs, riding Clooney (Cornet Obolensky / Ferragamo) at just 24 years of age, keeps his cool, no hassle, no hustle, no fuss. Clear.
The Austrian Max Kühner has had a great show so far on Chardonnay (Clarimo / Corrado), and he is not giving up yet. Just one time.
Simone and Alice…
Last out, 29-year-old German, Simone Blum, on DSP Alice (Askari / Landrebell), the mare some good German judges consider the best ever, and yes, offers of ten million have been politely declined. Another stylish super clear, and it looks at if it was a good idea for the 20 grumpy old stars of yesteryear to stay home and count their euros…
Time for a little break then it’s back to the action…
Cristalline is proof that a well educated horse can go on with a new rider. Chris Chugg and Gabi Kuna did such a good job and now Adrienne Sternlicht is reaping the benefit. Top twelve at their first championship, a rail and two time but what a show for the newbies.
Blue Movie had two down but Rowan Willis has set his goals high and will not be walking away from these Games congratulating himself on making the final cut. Hopefully the pair will be together in two years time (truthfully I cannot see a lot of American heiresses who might be up the ride…) and have another shot at Tokyo for a medal, and this time, no one will be taking them lightly.
The Columbian Carlos Lizarazo is scary but the fences are all standing – he leaves the arena on Admara, blowing kisses to the crowd. They have moved from 26h to eighth today.
McLean and Clinta – she floats…
Like McLain Ward’s other star mare, Sapphire, Clinta is a heavy bodied, real mare shape, but she doesn’t look heavy when she gets near a jump, she just floats off the ground. Just one time.
Steve and Bianca
The next clear comes from Steve Guerdat. He later explains that he was anxious to show the world what she could do. “She has been unlucky at Championships, jumping better than her scores. She touched two all week and they both came down in the Nations Cup. I wanted the world to see how good she is. Every time she sees a jump she wants to fly over it. I am honoured and blessed to share my life with an animal like this!” And we are lucky to share the space to watch the pair in action…
Martin and Clooney
Twenty four year old Martin Fuchs is purpose jumping bred, his father Thomas, and uncle, Marcus, were stars in the Swiss team, and his mother was his first teacher – “until I got good enough to have lessons with my father.” Martin rode at Rio but this was his first WEG, on course he looked like 24 going on 64, so cool, so unhurried. Just two time.
Austria’s Max Kühner on Chardonnay is the only one of the 27 individual entrants to make it to the final. Two rails and one time and they slip down the ladder.
And that just leaves Simone Blum and Alice. They are 4.21 in front of Martin, at least that’s what Simone thought she heard as she rode in “but I wasn’t sure, I guess I’ll have to ride for a clear!”
And ride for a clear she did becoming the first Woman to win a World Showjumping title at a WEG, and, after Gail Greenough in 1986, the second woman in history to claim the Showjumping World Champion crown.
“She jumped the whole week, no fault in five rounds. So careful and the biggest hear, and this week, she can win the hearts of all the world.”
It’s seems there is a bit of this heart stuff in the air, since in four weeks time Simone will marry her trainer Hans Günter Goskwitz, himself an international rider: “He found Alice, it is because of him that I am here, he is the most wonderful man in the world.”
And you Simone will always be very special to those who saw you ride through all the trials and tribulations, to victory at Tryon. All hail Alice and Simone!
That’s the taste of success: Silver for Martin, Gold for Simone and Bronze for Steve