In the wake of a glorious European Showjumping Championships for Great Britain, the squad’s performance manager Di Lampard reflects on winning team silver, as well as unprecedented success for the individual riders.
Speaking on episode 167 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, which is sponsored by D&H this month, Di reveals that she “can’t talk any better of the squad we took out there” to A Coruña, Spain.
Ben Maher (Dallas Vegas Batilly), Donald Whitaker (Millfield Colette), Matt Sampson (Medoc De Toxandria) and Scott Brash, “who is always there to seal the job” delivered a glorious team medal, while Scott went on to win individual silver as well with new crowd-favourite Hello Folie.
“From day one, we were going to be brave,” recalls Di. “But leading from the front proved to be difficult. We’d never had that sort of pressure before. I certainly felt it.”
Di Lampard: “All the riders are great winners in their individual rights”
With four British riders finishing in the top 12 individually, these championships marked a tremendous milestone for the progression of the sport in this country.
“All the riders are great winners in their individual rights,” says Di. “[Britain’s individual rider] Jess Mendoza came to the top of her game as well, which was really pleasing.”
Di says she had in her mind a poignant moment from a previous championship, when senior riders Ben and Scott were jumping alongside relative newcomers Harry Charles and Joe Stockdale.
“I remember Ben turning round to Scott after we moved off the kiss and cry and he said ‘Come on, we’ve got to get this medal for the young two’ and that crossed my mind in Spain,” says Di. “We wanted this medal, but we really wanted it for Matt and Donald. That put more pressure on myself, which I tried not to show.”
Why retirement has been put on hold
Di was actually due to step down from her role as chef d’equipe after the Paris Olympics but she says that, after the devastating loss of her husband Dietmar Ackermann, she needed to “focus my mind”.
“I said I need to carry on, I need to keep busy,” she says. “Home is very lonely without Dietmar. But the sport is what I love and it keeps me going – I know Dietmar would want that.”
To hear more about Di Lampard’s insights on Matt Sampson’s “outstanding piece of horsemanship and determination” and her most memorable moments in the saddle, listen here to episode 167 of The Horse & Hound Podcast – or search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.
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