It’s a feeling many riders will be familiar with, and even medal-winning championship showjumper Alessandra Reich shares it.
The 28-year-old Austrian rider and Oeli R were on the team that won bronze in Milan two years ago, and are back at the European Showjumping Championships in A Coruña this week. They jumped a super round for just four faults, having been on good form including coming fifth in the five-star Longines grand prix in St Gallen last month.
They are a partnership successful at the very top level.
“But sometimes I would wish for him to have one of the top riders so he could show what is truly possible,” Alessandra says. “But he’s stuck with me! At least he gets a lot of love.”
Alessandra says yesterday’s (16 July) speed class was a long and testing track.
“When I was walking it, I was thinking ‘Is this going to end?’!” she says. “When I rode, I was on top of the water, and thinking ‘So many more jumps to go’. But actually, the first day is always the most difficult with my horse.
“A lot of horses had that plank down, so I waited a little too long to turn and then that’s why he didn’t really know what he was doing. I had to make that quick decision; go for it and hope he sees the jump, or add. I think we would have had it down anyway, so this way it was a little less problematic.”
Alessandra pays tribute to the 11-year-old gelding, whom she owns, and whose first championship was the 2023 Europeans.
“He was nine, and it was maybe a bit early, but he’s got the biggest heart,” she says. “He’s a little difficult in his temperament, but that’s more a me thing; which I need to tone down and handle. He’s absolutely incredible.
“It’s an honour to be here; riding in the warm-up with some of my idols is incredible, and having that same accreditation and walking the same courses. And I’m still young, I’m just taking it as an experience. Hopefully in the future, in a couple of years, I’ll also get to jump for the medals.”
Alessandra says the team had been talking about that historic bronze in 2023 that morning, and “I got goose bumps”.
“That was absolutely incredible,” she says. “This year, we’re missing two of our top horses but we know in this sport, anything’s possible, and we’ll keep fighting. And there are two big rounds to come. So never say never, right?”
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