What are your plans, dreams and ambitions for 2023?

My ambition and plan for 2023 is to achieve a podium during the European Championships at Riesenbeck International in September.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

The proudest moment of my career so far was when I received the gold medal during the 2020 Junior Swiss Championships at Chalet-à-Gobet. The horse I rode was called Cosby, and I was very proud of our performance, as we did not touch one bar throughout the whole tournament.

How much are you looking forward to CHI Geneva and how confident are you feeling?

I hope to win the prestigious Land Rover U25 Grand Prix at CHI Geneva. However, as the world’s elite attend the event, I would be very happy if I made the top three, so a podium in my age category would be amazing.

When did your love for show jumping start, and who has inspired you the most throughout your career?

I first got into horse riding and show jumping when I was 10 years old. My inspiration was the Dutch show jumper Jeroen Dubbeldam.

What attributes do you believe a successful show jumper needs?

I believe that to be a successful show jumper and rider, you need to be willing, to be motivated to train, to work, to understand the horses, and to constantly understand and provide them with crucial necessities and opportunities. I also believe that to excel in this sport you need a supportive team behind you.

Tell us a little bit about your stable of horses – which ones are you most excited about?

My stable is primarily a business, we are constantly training and preparing horses to be sold but I personally own and train 18 horses, and I have competed with most of them. I currently have a young mare who is called Filomene Du Sart, and she will help me achieve great things once I compete with her. I will be taking my best horse to CHI Geneva, a stallion called Arley De Vayrie.

How important is your team – your groom, your farrier, your coach, your vet, your owner?

My team, which comprises grooms, farriers, a coach, and several vets, is very important – they all attend the shows with us. This is for precautions, but we want to ensure that the horses needs are met, and are treated excellently. All the decisions, and as a result the teams’ actions, always have the horses’ needs, and health at heart. In the end, this allows us to excel and succeed whilst achieving positive rankings. We bring a few vets, as they know how to treat the horses, and what’s specific to each of them. All our decisions and actions are made to achieve the best for the horses.

What do you love most about show jumping? Competing, the camaraderie with the other riders, travelling the world…

The aspect that I love the most is that I am show jumping with my national teammates. I am constantly observing and learning from my teammates, specifically the improvements that they are making, and this benefits myself as a competing rider.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

The best piece of advice that I have received is that you truly have to be passionate about our job, show jumping. You not only need to be motivated about training yourself but you need to connect with the horses, which allows you to prosper as a team. Another good piece of advice I’ve received is that in this sport there are a lot of risks but the rewards outweigh them.

How positive do you believe the Rolex Grand Slam has been for the sport of show jumping?

Rolex is an extremely well-known brand, with major prestige. It is every rider’s goal to compete in the Rolex Grand Slam.

Just like tennis and golf, show jumping has its very own Grand Slam. Which of the other sporting ‘Majors’ do you love watching, and which is your favourite and why?

I sometimes watch the tennis Grand Slams, as I looked up to Rolex Testimonee, Roger Federer – being from Switzerland myself, I naturally supported him. From watching the different tournaments, I have noticed the prestige, glamour, and influence of the other Grand Slams, which Rolex is deeply connected with.

What do you do in your free time outside of Show Jumping?

For the majority of my time, I train and look after my horses so I have limited time to myself. However, when I do, I play a lot of football. Another way that I like to relax is by going go-karting with my friends but we do not do this frequently.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which three items would you take with you?

I would bring a boat, as it would allow me to access the closest island nearby, but I would not want to forget about the necessities that I would need to rely on to survive, such as a certain food and a water bottle.

What is your earliest equestrian memory?

I am Swiss-Italian, so I can link my first equestrian memories to when I was living in the Italian part of Switzerland, near Lugano. One memory I have is of some great show jumpers, including Graziano Mancinelli, Piero D'Inzeo and Raimondo D'Inzeo, not because I was fond of horses, but because when watching Italian television at that time, they were such big champions. These are the three champions that still come to my mind, and the first ones that introduced me to the equestrian world.

How did you become a top level owner in the sport?

First and foremost, I don’t come from a family in which I was brought up with horses, so I became a show jumping horse owner a little bit by chance. When my daughter decided to take up horse riding for her enjoyment, I bought her a six-year-old in Ireland called Castlefield Eclipse, which was my first top level horse. It is thanks to Eclipse that I discovered my interest and passion for show jumping. I also discovered that I enjoy being surrounded by the very best riders and that I strive to achieve great results. Eclipse competed at the Olympics in London in 2012, then won in St. Gallen, and then received a bronze medal with the Swiss team at the European Championships in Aachen in 2015. So, I became an owner at first by chance but then my love for being an owner was fuelled by the results that my first horse Eclipse achieved.

As an owner, what is the proudest moment of your career so far?

The first memory that comes to mind is Edouard [Schmitz] and Gamin [Van’t Naastveldhof] winning in Dublin – that was something very special but also unexpected. It could be compared to a tennis player winning Wimbledon due to the tradition and the thrilling atmosphere of the show, which makes the competition so unique. Of course, there are other favourite moments, for example, when Eclipse made six clear rounds in the Nations Cup of Rome, Rotterdam and Aachenn. These are very different memories but are still very important to me.

What qualities are you looking for when purchasing a 5* (or a potential 5*) show jumping horse?

I purchase horses that are quite young, usually six- and seven-year-olds. When you purchase those types of horses, there is potential in their legs, for them to jump at the biggest competitions, but this is not everything, this is only one aspect of what one looks for when buying a horse. Physiology, mentality, and agility are also very important when selecting horses. In my opinion, it is very important to train horses thoroughly; one has to be attentive from when they are young, to ensure that things are not done too quickly, to take the time, and to be patient with them. It’s very important to train the horses well for them to be successful at a high level where there is pressure and stress. As I joined this profession quite late, I had to observe other people and gain experience through learning and buying. I was looking at horses that could have the mentality to be able to continuously perform, and to remain at the top. At this high level, you only have three or four percent of the horses that can remain at the highest level and win competitions.

How much involvement does a rider have when you look to buy a new horse?

When we buy new horses, I always want Edouard to give his advice, which is important, as at the end of the day, he is the one who is going to ride the horse. I like to not only receive advice from the rider but from other people when buying horses, as it allows me to make an informative decision.

Tell us a bit about your relationship with Edouard Schmitz?

I have known Edouard since he was young, and everyone recognised that he was a very talented rider.  When I was making decisions on who I wanted to lend my horses to, Edouard came to mind. After discussing with my daughter, we both came to the conclusion that he would be a good choice, as we believed we would be giving a rider the possibility to succeed in the sport. Edouard has always had a very supporting family and it has been such a pleasure to have him as a rider. Our relationship is based on seriousness and humour, and contains a certain lightness, which allows us to not feel too pressured, which is hard in this world. I am not the type of person that would cause stress or pressure, as I believe this can lead to issues, so it’s important for me to have a good relationship with whoever is riding my horses. So, for this reason, I let Edouard decide how to train, and how to handle the horses, as this is not my area of expertise.

How many horses do you currently own, and which is your stand-out horse? Edouard has referred to Gamin Van’t Naastveldhof as ‘the real deal’;

I have two horses with Edouard, a seven-year-old called Karel [Doorman], who has the potential to succeed at a very high level, and an 11-year-old called Babylone Des Erables, who is good but may not have the capability to achieve Karel’s level. Then I have Gamin, who I bought when he was six-years-old – he is my best horse. He is a horse that every rider would love to have, as he has all the qualities that one looks for: power, agility, a fantastic gallop, and he has the mentality.

Which of your young horses do you believe has the potential to be the most successful?

Karel is a horse we hope will succeed at a high level – he is a very quick and careful horse with a great mentality. But as he is only seven, he cannot yet compete in 5* competitions, so this is the only problem that we have with him at the moment. A solution is for us to enter him into some smaller classes, which is a good way to train him and build him up. In a way, Karel has similar qualities to the ones that Gamin had at this age, but he doesn’t have the same body, as Gamin has always been a big horse. Despite this, there is a very good chance that we will succeed, and be able to jump Karel at a high level, but it may be too early to say for sure.

Why do you do it? What is your ambition in being an owner?

My only ambition is passion. I mean, I don't have any special interest at all in horses. In the last 15 years, I have maybe sold only two horses, not because I wanted to do it, but for other reasons. I am really proud that along with Edouard’s family, we have helped him achieve so much, certainly during this last year. This is thanks to his skills and his personal qualities, but also due to the horses that he has.

The Rolex Grand Slam of show jumping, how positive do you believe it is for the sport of show jumping?

The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is absolutely essential at this level and for the sport. A competition that is supported by Rolex is naturally prestigious, so all the riders dream of competing in competitions like CHI Geneva and the other three Majors at some point in their career. Competitions like the Rolex Grand Slam motivate and inspire young people to start riding and to discover the sport, which in my opinion is very important.

The Rolex Grand Slam ‘Second Screen’ – designed exclusively for the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping – allows fans to follow their favourite horse and rider combinations using second screen technology. Launched ahead of The Dutch Masters 2021, the first equestrian Major of the year, the Rolex Grand Slam Second Screen technology has been supplying equestrian enthusiasts with the most up-to-date statistics for over a year. Viewers from over 50 countries have enjoyed the experience and are now utilising the technology before, during and after the Majors to gain a better understanding of the performances of their favourite equestrian pairings.

The Rolex Grand Slam Second Screen technology was developed by a team of specialist experts at the Swiss company, Alogo. The company is known for its creation of analytical tools for the equine industry, including a range of cutting-edge products that quantify athletes’ performances.

Through the web app, passionate equestrian supporters from around the world are able to see a host of real-time data, including live timings, faults acquired, as well as the order of go. This service runs seamlessly alongside the Rolex Grand Slam online streaming platform. In addition, the Rolex Grand Slam Second Screen retains all of the statistics created for each Major, which allows users to look back at each of these iconic shows in more detail than ever before.

The Rolex Grand Slam Second Screen also gives fans access to additional stats, such as which obstacles were knocked down the most, the number of riders outside of the permitted time and live timings during the jump-off, as well as information about the Rolex Grand Slam Live Contender. The Rolex Grand Slam Second Screen is the perfect addition to the live stream for equestrian fans wanting to know more about the four Majors that comprise the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping: The Dutch Masters, CHIO Aachen, CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, and CHI Geneva.

The Rolex Grand Slam Second Screen is free and available to use by clicking on the following link: https://rolexgrandslam.alogo.io/