In sports, world champions are often glorified by the world and are leaders in their professional fields.
However, often, there is a support team behind the stars, working hard to ensure that the athletes are able to play well in their competitions. When it comes to equestrian sports, it's not just the riders who need to be taken care of, but also the horses.
This week's FIMA RIDE video will focus on the team's behind-the-scenes heroes, more specifically, Swiss Olympic rider Sean Vard of Martin Fuchs and and Andrea Hoenack, a horse worker for Brazilian Olympic rider Marlon Zanotelli.
The video was filmed while Foss and Zanotelli were competing in the FINALS OF THE FIMA ARENA Steeplechase National Cup, and the importance of teamwork was highlighted during the competition.
Sean is from Dublin, Ireland, and he took care of 13-year-old Sinner in this race. Sean said: "He has won a lot of big competitions in the last two years. Sometimes he's mischievous and impatient, and he's even felt a little spoiled in recent weeks. I have to help him get back to reality. But most of the time he got along well. ”
Foss said: "Sean is obviously a very important part of my team. Every week he takes my horse to races all over the world. I'm really happy that he's joining my team. He was with those special animals and I could be completely at ease. I know they get the best care when he's with them. ”
"The work is not easy for the horse workers, they have too much work to do, the tasks are complicated and the working hours are very long, and I am very happy to have a horse worker like Sean."
Andrea said: "I love working with Zanotelli, he's a great Brazilian rider. He poured a lot of affection into the horses, and he was willing to take the horses to do the right thing and think about them everywhere. That's a big reason I'm willing to work with him for nine years. ”
Zanotelli said: "Andrea is essential in my team. She is a very important part of this. Because of all my team members and, of course, Andrea, I was able to get to where I am today. She's been on my team for nine years, and I've been with her longer than I've been with my wife. When she's with the horse, I know she takes good care of every aspect of the horse, and she cares more about the horse than she cares for herself. ”
Andrea said: "I really like my job, I love horses, I love to be with them. They gave me a lot in return. The connection between the centaurs and the trust that the horses have placed in me is wonderful. ”
On race days, the horseman gets up in the morning to feed the horse hay and water, clean the stable, then take the horse out for a walk, eat some grass, and then prepare the horse according to the needs of the race. Andrea showed us her "treasure chest", which contained a variety of soft and hard horse brushes, hoof trimming tools, "skin care products", as well as wet wipes and tacos for babies, bruises for external sprays and so on. The horse union cleans up the harness immediately after the race, and even if there is a delay in the particularly busy, it will never wait until the next day.
When asked who would be their best friend for horses, riders and horsemen, Martin Foss and Marlon Zanotelli did not hesitate to give the same answer. Foss said, "Sean spent all his time in the stable, and my horse must have known more about him. Of course, when I sit on horseback, the relationship between men and horses is very good, but I don't consider myself the best friend of the horse. ”
Zanotelli said: "There is no doubt that Andrea knows more about horses than I do, she is with them around the clock, and I believe that naturally, the mutual understanding between them is the deepest." ”
Andrea said: "Riders need someone they can trust. A loving person who will take care of others. I like to give horses a lot of love, sometimes a little spoiled, but it's useful, I get along well with my horses and they all like me. ”
When it comes to whether the horse workers are nervous before the big race, the two top horse workers give the same answer: nervousness. Sean said: "Big game, nervous. I'm okay with small races, as long as the horse is healthy and back to the stable. But I'm really nervous about big games, especially those important games that we've been preparing for for a long time. I think it's normal to feel nervous, and it shows that you put your work to heart. Andrea said: "I feel nervous sometimes, but after so many years of work, I was able to calm myself down until the horses started racing, at which point I allowed myself to start nervous. ”
She added: "The best part of this job is the reward I can get from the horse, the feeling that the horse gives you. Not only when they win the race, but also in some cases, you can clearly feel that the horse trusts you and depends on you. That's the best feeling. ”
Chinese platform