“THANKS TO CLOONEY
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
Martin, you brought the year 2019 to
a close with your first Major victory,
and kicked the New Year off as number
one in the world ranking list and
contender for the Rolex Grand Slam
of Show Jumping. Things couldn’t be
better, could they?
No, things really couldn’t have gone
any better. I am very grateful that
I have been able to notch up such
achievements and make such experiences
at such an early age. The victory
in Geneva is a childhood dream
come true, which I am delighted
about. And now I am the contender
for the Rolex Grand Slam. It is fantastic,
but I know that it will be extremely
difficult to also secure the top place
in the next legs of the Grand Slam.
However, thanks to my wonder horse,
Clooney, nothing is impossible.
What characterises Clooney?
He is an extremely clever horse. He
knows exactly when things are serious
in the ring and he loves being in the
limelight. Sometimes he can be rather
difficult to ride on big grass arenas,
but we have managed to improve on
that point.
Are you planning to ride him in
the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch
Masters?
Of course. Clooney is normally very
good in smaller arenas. That gives me
confidence.
As the current contender for the
Grand Slam, do you just feel confident
or is there also pressure?
There is always a certain amount of
pressure, especially during the legs
of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show
Jumping. The four Majors are the
best shows that our sport has to
offer. Each of them is a highlight for
us riders. You simply want to secure
a top placing, regardless of being
the Rolex Grand Slam contender or
not. I think I am good at preparing
myself for an important moment and
then delivering a top performance at
the given point in time. On the other
hand, I sometimes set myself very
high goals and if things don’t go to
plan, I am subsequently very disappointed.
In show jumping, you lose more often
than you win. Even tiny mistakes
can rule out the victory. What have
you learned while competing at top
international level so far?
The teamwork with your partner, the
horse, is extremely important. It is a
huge challenge, but also exactly what
I love so much about our sport. I love
the diversity of the horses, how difficult
it is for us to tune it precisely
with them and competing against the
other riders in the ring.
On the subject of challenges, what is
your biggest challenge in life?
That I don’t purely focus on show
jumping. I try to enjoy life to the full.
Achievements and titles are great
and I hope that I am able to obtain a
few more significant sporting victories
in the future. But if I were to see
myself in 20 years’ time, my greatest
wish is to be surrounded by a healthy
family.