Daniel Deusser, a new member of the Rolex Spokesperson family, was born in 1981 to a family of riders in Germany, where his parents and his uncle both rode horses. For him, riding a horse was a natural thing. He climbed onto horseback at the age of 2 and competed in his first equestrian competition at the age of 9. At the age of 19, he made a major decision in his life, becoming a professional equestrian and joining the team of Siegfried Herr der.
He then worked for Franke Sloothaak's stables and joined the German Young Riders, where he became a mainstay.
Daniel Dusser and the horse "Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z" finished second at the Rolex Grand Prix at the 2019 World Equestrian Festival in Aachen
Rolex/Ashley Neuhof
A few years later, Dusser moved to the Netherlands to work at Jan Tops. In 2012, he joined the Stephex stables in Belgium, where he quickly won many titles and topped a series of grand prix, where he progressed very quickly. In 2015, Dusser won the Rolex Grand Prix at the Aachen World Equestrian Festival. In addition, he has competed in a series of Rolex obstacle course Grand Slam events such as the Dutch Masters, the CSIO Spruce Meadow Masters and the Geneva International Equestrian Festival. In 2016, he and his riding partner "First Class Van Eeckelghem" took to the Rio Olympics, where he and his team won the bronze medal in the steeplechase team. In 2021, he topped the World Steeplechase Riders' List and once again took to the podium of the Rolex Grand Prix at the Aachen World Equestrian Festival with his beloved horse, Killer Queen VDM.
Life revolves around horses
According to Stephan Conter, owner and founder of stepphex stables, hiring Duser was the best decision he's made in the past few years. In fact, it is not difficult to understand Conte's enthusiasm, when he describes Dusser, he always describes him as "extremely talented", "very motivated", "planned" and "very strict with himself". "Dusser always strives for perfection and always sets his requirements for himself very high. No wonder he gets good grades, because he simply doesn't give himself the opportunity to get bad grades. Conte said of Dusser.
The Dusser family all worked in equestrian work. His father, grandfather and uncle owned a horse farm. As a child, Dusser not only learned equestrianism, but also tried a variety of sports. BMX (cross-country cycling), tennis, table tennis, swimming, these sports are all involved. "I tried everything I wanted to try and every weekend I would go to the races.
I even went to the BMX regional tournament," Duser said. It also made him realize his talent in sports early on. After studying various sports, equestrianism was always something he could not give up, and eventually he decided to engage in equestrianism full-time.
At the age of 19, Dusser began working in Siegfried Herold's stables. Later, Siegfried Herold recommended him to Frank Slosak. His time at Frank Slosak's stables laid the foundation for The Future of Dürser. "Frank's stables gave me a sense of what real equestrianism is," Duter explains. Before Frank, Dusser had also been in contact with many stables and coaches, but Frank's experience was different. At Frank's stable, he learned many basics, such as how to train, how to ride, how to plan the riding of horses, how to manage young horses and how to systematically train them better. Dusser did a lot of work here on dressage steps, which rewarded him a lot. He worked here for more than four years from 2002 to 2006.
CHIO Aachen/Franziska Sack
"Frank's riding skills are very good." Dusser admired his coach very much. Sometimes, Frank had a hard time explaining what he had done to the horse, and everything just happened so naturally. When he gets on his horse and closes his legs, everyone can see the horse relax. Whether it was a tall, strong horse or a small and fierce horse, Frank only needed a saddle, a pair of reins, and an obstacle frame to make them obey. Another takeaway from Dusser's stables at Frank's Stables was learning to "stay calm forever." Every time Frank gave students the technique, he never asked the students what would happen the same day or the next day, but would only ask them three or four weeks later. "Frank was always so stress-free." Dusser laughed, but Dusser also knew that was where he needed to learn.
When Dusser came to Jan Tops, the way he worked changed a lot. He began to compete frequently. Mainly German competitions, occasionally going to larger world events. Just five days after arriving at Jan Tops, he was arranged to go to Saint-Tropez, where he raced for two weeks with several horses. "I felt like I was being tightened with a clockwork and I didn't have any time to prepare." At Jan Tops, Dusser spent four years, and those four years also had many highlight moments. Participated in many top races and had many good horses. "In the beginning, I had a lot of good horses," Duser said, "and in addition to 'Air Jordan Z,' I had good horses like 'Upstilon,' 'Pristanna,' and 'Vonka,' and riding them was as good as a dream." ”
Rolex Grand Slam/Ashley Neuhof
At Jan Tops, Dusser is learning less about horseback riding and more about event logistics and pre- and post-race planning. For example, how to transport horses to the race site safely and on time, and when you have a group of horses, how to reasonably allocate the race and training time of all horses. This way of working requires the rider to be able to think holistically and plan carefully. When Dusser was in Frank's stable, if the match with the horse was not good, he needed to return to the stable, concentrate on training, adjust the cooperation with the horse, and wait until the next week when he was in good shape before participating in the race. But at Jan Tops, all that's needed was another horse. "Now I'm used to working like this," Duser says, "but at the time I felt like, 'Wow,' I could ride different horses to different races!" It's so exciting! "But this kind of work rhythm and arrangement also has its drawbacks." As long as Dusser's results have been good, there is no problem, but if the results have not improved, and then continue to implement in this way, the psychological pressure will be extremely great. He needed a top-notch horse to prop him up, but in the end, Dusser didn't have a good horse. That's one of the reasons why he had no choice but to leave Jan Tops.
Coincidentally, Steven Spielberg Conte was looking for a new rider for Stephex, and when he first received an offer from Stephex's stable, he didn't know much about it, and because Stephex proposed to work in much the same way as Jan Tops, Dusser wasn't very interested, and Heuser was looking for something different. But Conte took the matter very seriously, and he kept calling Dusser. Finally, one night, Dusser sat down in his office. "I told him very clearly what I wanted. I thought at the time that my fiancée, Caroline, lived not far from this stable and would stay here to work if he agreed to my terms. In the end, Conte agreed to Dusser's request, and Dusser began his nine-year equestrian career at the Stephex stables in Belgium.
Over the course of nine years, Dusser married his fiancée Caroline and in 2015 had a daughter, Stella, who is now 6 years old. After becoming a father, Dusser's life shifted from revolving around equestrian career to revolving around career and family. He left all his spare time for his wife and children, adjusting his schedule as much as possible and spending more time with his family.
"Until then, it doesn't matter if I go home on Sunday night or Monday. But now, I have to go home on Sunday night. I want to try to keep full time with my children and be a competent father. After a particularly busy race schedule, Dusser usually gives himself a week or two to get away from the stables and spend time with his family. Setting aside time to spend with your family between busy seasons not only keeps in touch with your family, but also allows you to relax and get some rest. "It keeps me motivated for the next season," Dusser said.
Without good horses, it is impossible to reach the top
"Horses are the most important thing, and without them, this thing is impossible," Duter stressed. Becoming the world number one is a proud achievement for Dusser, but he attributes the reason for his achievement to having a good horse.
Daniel Dusser and "Killer Queen VDM" won the Rolex Grand Prix at the 2021 World Equestrian Festival in Aachen
Dusser said he was lucky to have good horses like "Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z", "Calisto Blue" and "Killer Queen VDM". "Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z" was born in 2008 and is a maroon horse. Its mother, the "Whoopie C", is a very good 1.60M horse, praised for its extremely responsiveness and superior quality. Its sister "HH Donatella" is also very good, and their excellent family genes are perfectly integrated into the "Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z". "'Tobago' is a very calm horse, it's a little bit passive. When it's on the field, we have to make it mental. If it doesn't open its eyes and becomes excited, we need to be enthusiastic, to drive it, to stir up its spirit," Dusser said as he analyzed "Tobago's" personality.
"'Calisto' is the opposite. It's very sensitive and enthusiastic, and when it comes to the Jump-Off session, I need to calm it down and not get too excited. Born in 2007, the "Calisto" is a Oldenburg horse, the son of the "Chacco Blue x Con Air" Long before Dusser took over, it had won good places in the Grand Prix in the 1.60M class.
The best war horse that has been often referred to in the past two years is the "Killer Queen VDM". From winning the FEI World Cup at Mechelen at the end of 2019, to winning two consecutive five-star grand prix at AI Shaqab, to reaching the top in a five-star event in Brussels in August 2021, and winning the rolex at the Rolex Grand Prix and the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup at the 2021 Aachen World Equestrian Festival, "Killer Queen VDM" has never disappointed. The "Killer Queen VDM" is a horse with many faces and personalities that is not always easygoing. It was very competitive from the start and on the field it was always very direct and straight ahead. It doesn't care what the obstacles are like, how high they are, how terrible they are, it just dares to jump at anything. There is no better horse in its field of view, and it will feel comfortable in an outdoor environment.
"It takes luck to be able to compete in five-star grand prix with these horses, and I'm lucky," Duser said, "and if you have a grand prix-level horse, even if you win every week, it's not going to get to very high altitudes." You'll definitely need three Grand Prix-level horses, all three of which may not all be five-star horses, but can at least jump to three-star and support you in a five-star race. Of course, if you have a superstar horse, you are also very lucky. In general, if you want to stay at the top, you have to find more than one horse. ”
"There have been many horses in and out of our stables, but I can count the really good horses with one hand." Dusser believes that the character of horses plays a crucial role in their success. "In my opinion, that's why there are only a handful of top sporting horses in this sport," he said, "and to be able to be a prestigious horse in this sport, their personalities are more or less the same." In my 9 years at Stepex Stables, the only really good horses I've met were 'Killer Queen VDM', 'Tobago', 'Calisto', 'First Class' and 'Cornet d'Amour'. It's really hard to find a horse that is thoughtful, capable, and at the same time has both fighting spirit and the will to win. ”
Rolex spokesperson Daniel Dusetzer rides the "Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z" at the 2021 Geneva International Equestrian Festival
While all riders want a perfect horse, as a rider you need to learn from every horse. Every failure is also an opportunity to learn and improve. Dusser and his team at Stephex Stables have been struggling to find the next superstar. "You need young horses to play so you can stay ahead of the curve in the sport," Dusser said, "and good horses are hard to find, they don't come out and you can easily find them." In fact, in the end you need to 'create' such a horse yourself. It's a very long process that takes many years of energy. In addition, there is an element of luck in this. ”
"This sport requires you to have enough motivation and patience to keep repeating," Duser continued, "as a very competitive rider, you are always 'hungry' and always want to win." But many times you need to be patient, maybe months or years, until the horse is ready. ”
Never stop learning
"A great rider must always want to learn, never sit still, never think his career has come to an end, he always strives to be better," Duser said.
If we compare the equestrian competition today with the equestrian competition of thirty years ago, it has changed dramatically. In the current Jump-off playoffs, the finish time difference between rider and rider is only a fraction of a second. If the rider and horse take one more step, it means that they are outside the sixth place. But if thirty years ago, the rider would have finished second. Paired with a slow and unprofessional horse, the rider will never have a chance to win. The format of the race is now more elaborate, the poles are lighter, and the breeding of horses has changed. Now, riders need more bloody, more sensitive horses.
Dusser has competed in the German A team several times, and playing alongside the top riders of the sport has provided him with a lot of valuable experience. The experience of competing with good riders as a young man has taught him a lot and added a lot of confidence and experience. "I'll watch other people's games carefully, watch them live or watch videos. I also watch other riders perform on the warm-up field. Learning how they control horses and how to deal with horses with different personalities will be learned from others and applied to their own riding. ”
FEI/Ula Cepeliauskaite
As an international rider, Dusser is on the road basically every week and it's important to have a strong team of supporters. "I need a conscientious horseman, a staff member who can manage the horses at home, and a paperwork that can be moved. It's hard to work in concert, and a lot of times it takes twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week," Mr. Duser said. But for riders, this is normal because everyone is constantly learning and improving. The sport is constantly changing, more and more people are involved, and the competition is becoming more and more intense. "I can't win every time, but I at least try to stay at the top."
After so many races, mistakes are inevitable and frustrating, but only when the rider starts thinking and paying attention to the small details will they gradually improve. Dusser often asks himself what to do next time to avoid this mistake and not let this shot fall? Conclusions vary from horse to horse. Therefore, the rider must learn to pay attention to the smallest details, to know what went wrong and why. It doesn't have to do with the rider's riding style or equipment, maybe it's the rider's habit of feeding the horse, or maybe the rider's horse needs to feel more motivated, or maybe the rider needs to change the weekly training method. "The details are very personal, and every horse is different," Mr. Duter said.
In addition to post-match reflection, Dusser also has a lot of details that he will pay extra attention to before going on the field. At the warm-up, riding a horse will tell if the horse feels right. If it's right, then don't do anything, just keep it that way. But if the state is different, Dusser will actively take measures to find a way to adjust the state of the horse. When he enters the race, he gives the horse enough confidence, which helps the horse to build a positive mindset.
For more than thirty years, the time was like a white colt, and Dusser also accompanied the horse for more than thirty years. In the past two years, due to the recurrence of the epidemic, it has had a certain impact on the equestrian industry, with fewer races and a relatively small amount of exercise for horses, but Dusser will still train his horses step by step. There is a track next to the Stephex stable, and a forest, while there are several different outdoor fields in the stable. Constantly adjusting different training grounds can make the training of horses less boring.
Dusser will try to get them to exercise as much as possible, which is good for the horse. Although there were fewer tournaments to participate in in the past two years and less income than before, Dusser had more time to spend with his family and see his children grow. "It's also a good thing. I never complain, a lot of things, we have to learn to see the positive side. In 2019, our sport reached its peak, never having that many five-star events and never seeing that many spectators. But with the advent of the pandemic, the number of games has decreased. However, the 2021 Aachen World Equestrian Festival still gathered 350,000 spectators to watch the race, which is very exciting, the once enthusiastic equestrian atmosphere is coming back, I believe it is in the near future! ”
Text/Doorview Yu Photo/Rolex
Article from the February 2022 issue of Equestrian magazine