{"id":59759,"date":"2021-07-19T17:05:40","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T07:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=59759"},"modified":"2021-07-19T17:19:40","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T07:19:40","slug":"cathrin-dufour-making-it-her-own-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2021\/07\/cathrin-dufour-making-it-her-own-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Cathrine Dufour MAKING IT her own way!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Story – Rebecca Ashton<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photos courtesy Cathrine Dufour and Kenneth Braddick \/ dressage news)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cathrine comments: Thanks to @nathaliesayn & Kyra for today\u2019s little session. Feeling lucky to have such strong ladies behind me!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cathrine who? That\u2019s what a lot of us thought five years ago when Cathrine Dufour rode down the centreline for Denmark at the Rio Olympics. Sure, she had been successful at the Junior and Young rider levels, but had only recently entered the senior ranks. But wow, she make us all sit up and take note. This was a young rider to watch. Here she was, at her first Olympics on her young rider mount, her \u201chobby\u201d horse she had owned since she was 18 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cathrine and Bohemian (photo Kenneth Braddick dressage news<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Come Tokyo, and it\u2019s a completely different story. Cathrine is currently ranked sixth in the world. She\u2019s been on the podium in major championships and now has a new companion with whom to canter down the Olympic centreline. Bohemian is real professional\u2019s horse; young, bred for the job and is aimed to be a super star. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So, it was a shock to everyone, including Cathrine when disaster struck at the Nations Cup in Compiegne at the end of May. Bobi \u00a0decided the arena wasn\u2019t for him and refused to enter for the Special, just two months out from Tokyo. Before that, the combination had been constantly scoring over 80%. That must shake the strongest of nerves.<\/p>\n

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Cathrine and Bohemian (photo Kenneth Braddick dressage news<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Danish champion went home and after some soul searching, picked herself up, dusted herself off and has come back stronger, sharper and in even better shape to tackle Tokyo. I wanted to know how she coped with the whole ordeal and what tools she used to bring herself back to the top. It\u2019s worth mentioning, that a few weeks after that, Cathrine and Bohemian were back in the competition arena, and back at the top scoring over 80% for a win at Herzlake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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You went to Rio as an unknown, then Tokyo as a top rider. How completely different that must feel?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When it comes to the first Olympic Games, I think it was like my fifth Grand Prix and we were just thrown into it. It was a big experience. I remember being in the village and being around all the top athletes. Entering the arena for opening ceremony was huge. I get goosebumps thinking about it. It was more the achievement was being at the Olympic Games which I had dreamed about for years. It was after then that I started to make my name with Cassidy.<\/p>\n

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Cathrine and Cassidy<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Of course it\u2019s different being here this time. There are much bigger expectations and I\u2019m one of the top riders at the moment. Really it\u2019s been a fantastic preparation I have to say because even though we had a blip at Compi\u00e8gne, that just made us improve on everything. It was like a little wake up call time enough for me to really do that extra bit that it takes to improve on everything and to be more ready and have a bigger overview mentally. And I had time to work with my mental coach Rasmus Bagger and he\u2019s really helped me both outside of the arena and inside the arena. We\u2019ve known each other since I was 12 so he knows the things that a more challenging for me and he knows Bohemian too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And he is a sensitive horse as well but that\u2019s a good thing because it also means you can also really quickly change things. I really think there was a purpose to what happened in Compi\u00e8gne because it made us really sharp and more ready for Tokyo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What do you think caused the meltdown in\u00a0 Compi\u00e8gne? The pressure? Lack of match practice?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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No no I don\u2019t think it was like that. I\u2019m actually better under pressure because I really love it, I grow under that. I think because I hadn\u2019t competed him outdoors for over two years because of Corona and then he got a bit excited off his feed, just small things coming together. He was a little bit tense and hot. I hadn\u2019t shown him enough outdoors but then I went to Herzlake just a few weeks later and he was fantastic. He was may more relaxed and he felt like good, old Bohemian. So Compi\u00e8gne isn\u2019t taking up any space in my mind at all because I\u2019ve turned it into something really positive and am thankful that it happened there and I had the chance to really improve on everything. It only made us sharper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cathrine comments:\u00a0He\u2019s been my mentor for years, and he has a BIG part of our successful \u201ccomeback\u201d with Bohemian this weekend.\u00a0\u201cIf you don\u2019t see yourself as a winner, you cannot perform as a winner\u201d\u00a0THANK YOU RASMUS!! @rasmus_bagger.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What were some of the things that Rasmus worked with you on?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We were mainly talking about leadership. When Bohemian is really hot or tense, then instead of trying to avoid things happening, show him what you want. That\u2019s a brief summary, there are many, many things.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s about what feeling I want to mount him with; I want to feel joy, happiness and I want to be proud when I enter an arena with him rather than being nervous and anxious about what\u2019s going to happen. I\u2019m super, super proud to ride him and I\u2019m super excited to be here at the Olympic Games and that\u2019s the feeling I\u2019m going to enter that ring with.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Positive feelings, and leadership. I\u2019m going to show him the way all the way around. And we\u2019re fucking good at it so we\u2019re going to do what we always do!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Old friends united in the Danish Team – Nanna Merrald and Blue Hors Zack and Cathrine and Bohemian. Cathrine comments:\u00a0Started from the bottom, now we\u2019re here.\u00a0We did the ponies EC together in 2007, juniors EC 2010, young rider EC 2012 – now we\u2019re here at the Olympic Games together! @nanna_merrald<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I saw you mentioned that he gave you three things to focus on: You, Bohemian and the job.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Yes get that focus. And we\u2019re not supposed to do anything different from what we usually do. It\u2019s just to do what we do best and that\u2019s Bohemian and I and that bloody test.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And the other thing he said, \u201cIf you don\u2019t see yourself as a winner, you can\u2019t perform as a winner.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Exactly! It\u2019s a bit cliched, but you have to believe in yourself. It comes down to the fact that if you can\u2019t see yourself as one of them, you\u2019re never going to perform as one of them. So we\u2019ve been working on that, getting that little mind game going again after, well it wasn\u2019t a breakdown but it worried me the first couple of days after Compi\u00e8gne being so close to the Olympic Games but we turned it into something super positive. I\u2019ve had the time to get both me and Bohemian in the best physical and mental state.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Did you change anything about your training at home or it was more with yourself and going to another show?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A lot with myself and also to get back the confidence, I trained him on a few different arenas. To get that feeling of being a leader, to manifest that in my body and get it to stay there. Small and big arenas close to home to show both of us that we can do this, that we can do what we normally do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rasmus also came to Aachen to talk to you during quarantine?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He\u2019s been with the Danish Federation for many years and he\u2019s really one of a kind when it comes to, it\u2019s not like a pep talk but to focus on what kind of feelings we\u2019re going to enter the Olympic Village with and to compete against ourself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The competition doesn\u2019t start until after we finish riding because that\u2019s when you have a result you can compare to others\u2019 results. The competition won\u2019t start until you salute at the end. Then you can compare yourself, but not before. There is no competition before that last salute.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Is it quite relaxing there in Tokyo or hard to focus with less to do?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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No I think it\u2019s fantastic because you can really get into that vibe. I\u2019m writing a diary everyday noting down, how was the weather today, how much did I work him, what did the physio do this morning, how long did I warm him up before he was ready for this or that. So, it gives me time to really be nerdy about every single day and really work out what worked well, what we need to change a little bit. It\u2019s great to have plenty of time to work on everything.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I heard Ash Barty\u2019s mind coach Ben Crowe talking about helping his athletes cope with shame stories and people\u2019s expectations. He\u2019s gets them to think of their earliest, happiest memory and to take that into a competition. What would that be for you?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Yeah but I have so many! I really do that myself also. For example when I visualise my test, it\u2019s not just to run through my test, it\u2019s also to put on that feeling. You trick the brain into the feeling you\u2019ll have when you enter the ring next Saturday in the Olympic Arena.<\/p>\n

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For me it\u2019s not really the feeling from the show as much as it\u2019s the feeling of the horse being perfect underneath you. That rush, that perfect feeling of you both melding into one. That\u2019s what dressage is to me, when you don\u2019t have to do anything with your body, you almost just think it and you have that special connection to the horse. That\u2019s just magic to me. That\u2019s what I\u2019m putting on my visualisation every time. That pride, that feeling of years of training coming together in those five minutes. It\u2019s quite magical.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Are you pretty laid back by nature or an over thinker?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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No I\u2019m pretty laid back. I actually never really over think things. I more like, I take action. If something is wrong or not in a way I like, I instantly make a plan and follow it. Of course I talk to my team, but if something happens we make a plan, follow it and evaluate every single day. And you know what? I never over thinking anything find a plan to victory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s rare I have an excuse for anything. Things happen for a reason and often it\u2019s because you haven\u2019t practiced something enough. It\u2019s more to find, ok what do we need to practice more so we can be better for next time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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You\u2019re a prolific Instagramer. Is it a nice outlet for you or a chore?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s really natural to me. I\u2019m not talking to all my friends and family everyday so it\u2019s nice for me to show them and everyone else. People can have a glimpse as to what we\u2019re experiencing out here. It\u2019s really great. The second I entered the Village this year I was like, ok we\u2019re at another fucking Olympics, it\u2019s huge for me. Even though we haven\u2019t ridden yet, it\u2019s just amazing to enter the Village. It is for all the athletes I think. So, it\u2019s just to give people a little insight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I always think there\u2019s a difference between those who reach the podium and other competitors. What\u2019s it for you?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It would be impossible without all the people behind me. This competition is the highest tip of the iceberg. There\u2019s huge team at home; running a yard, having everything working well back home, not just now but for years. To describe it to people, it\u2019s like a big machine. The athlete is the one standing at the very front leading the way, but it\u2019s like a full ship. You have machines, coordinators, chefs, vets. Like Formula 1 maybe. There\u2019s a man for everything and you\u2019re not better than the weakest link in the team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What\u2019s Bohemian like as a person. He\u2019s a little bit newer to us than Cassidy.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

He\u2019s a little cheekier than Cassidy. He\u2019s a bit more of a private person, I\u2019d say. Cassy likes to hang out of his stall every single day and get everything. Whereas Bohemian likes to be in his own stall, chilling, taking naps. He\u2019s more of a private, little man. He likes my groom, me, Nathalie (Cathrine\u2019s coach) and he\u2019s very close to his owners, but aside from that, he\u2019s not really a fan of other people. He likes other horses, but he\u2019s a bit introverted with people. But he\u2019s really, really kind and super fun once you get to know him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He\u2019s really cool here as well. He\u2019s eating, drinking, chilling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It was great to see the footage of all the horses getting to Tokyo. I think that might be something the general public worries a bit about, travelling the horses like that. But everyone is professional, the horses are super fit. The horses aren\u2019t just someone\u2019s pony taken out of the paddock.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Yeah I had so many questions about are you really nervous to be flying them and not being there, all these questions about how nervous I was. This is people\u2019s passion and jobs and they want to do they\u2019re best and these are the fittest horses the world traveling here. The best people in the world are with them on the flight. You can be a little bit nervous in a good way, but not being afraid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cathrine and Bohemian really have had the best preparation for Tokyo. And when you watch them entering that Olympic stadium in a few days time, you\u2019ll know exactly how the Danish star is feeling: proud. As she should. Bring on the Games!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She went to Rio an unknown and emerged a star, now Cathrin Dufour goes to Tokyo one of the world’s very top riders. Rebecca Ashton has this exclusive interview with Cathrin in Tokyo…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":59773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,4],"tags":[2218,1243,508],"class_list":["post-59759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-dressage","tag-cathrin-dufour","tag-dressage","tag-olympic-dressage"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59759"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59779,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59759\/revisions\/59779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}