Before his exposure to equestrian sports, he was a speed skater, and he was successfully selected when the Xinjiang Equestrian Team selected reserve forces. At that time, he did not know what equestrianism was, only that the Xinjiang team was a strong team in equestrian sports, and he also had the opportunity to represent Xinjiang in the national competition, so he came to the equestrian team with the mentality of trying.
I never thought that the transition from speed skating to equestrianism has passed 19 years. And he also changed from a 16-year-old ignorant teenager to a 35-year-old young man, from a "little white" who knew nothing about equestrianism to a national champion in dressage.
This is the story of Liu Tao, a rider of the Xinjiang Equestrian Dressage Team.
Recalling being selected to become an equestrian athlete, Liu Tao said bluntly: "I feel very lucky, because at that time I did not know what equestrianism was, but because I felt that I would have the opportunity to represent Xinjiang in the national competition in the future, I decided to switch from speed skating to equestrianism." At the beginning of joining the team in 2003, it was mainly based on basic skills and jumping some small obstacles, and at that time, the understanding of equestrianism was at the initial stage. After the 2005 National Games, the equestrian team leaders and coaches divided the obstacles and dance steps according to each person's different personalities and professional abilities, and they were selected into the dance team and began the most basic dance step training. ”
While the transition from speed skating to equestrianism and eventually becoming a dressage-specific rider has been a bit passive, the past 19 years of growth have proven that these two "chosen" were successful. Because Liu Tao not only realized his dream of representing Xinjiang in the national competition, but also won the glory of being crowned a national champion with more and more exquisite and mature riding skills.
Looking back at the most unforgettable experience of the past 19 years, Liu Tao did not mention the achievements he had achieved, but rather his journey of studying alone in Germany. "Perhaps the most memorable experience is when one is training in Germany, riding 7-8 horses a day and having to prepare three meals a day. It is necessary to overcome the difficulties of the language barrier and to bear the thoughts of loved ones. During that time, I had patience for loneliness and boredom in my heart, but also held the enthusiasm for my career and the determination to be proactive, which greatly exercised my ability and professionalism during this time, which also became an experience that I will never forget. ”
As a sport with a relatively long career, the progress that I inadvertently feel is the driving force for Liu Tao to continue to move forward for 19 years. He said: "Equestrianism is a very long-lived sport that cannot achieve immediate results, which also makes it necessary for real equestrians to have perseverance and perseverance. And this perseverance and perseverance also allowed Liu Tao to stand on the field of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games Dressage And Dance Project Selection Competition, and in the two and four rounds of heilan Pegasus Water City in mid-to-late March, Liu Tao ranked in the top 5.
When talking about the performance of the 4 games, Liu Tao rationally analyzed the problems that arose. "The first round of the first round of St. George's, because there was no race for a while, so the overall route was not the best, the horse's head was a little high, causing the horse to collapse, and at the same time, the big Le armature was a bit much, and the horse had a problem with its mouth. In the second round of the FIMA Middle Division, I made timely adjustments to Da le and the position of the horse's head. Therefore, the overall route is not bad, but it is still necessary to strengthen the performance of running fixed hind limb rotation and oblique horizontal step. In the second first round of St. George's, I made some adjustments based on the problem of opening my mouth before, and the rotation of the running fixed hind limbs was also improved. In the second round, the first score of the self-selected subjects, because the music route was practiced less, so it was a bit hasty, the preparation was not enough, and the oblique and horizontal steps were not enough. ”
Although there is still room for improvement in each game, Liu Tao still affirmed the performance of the race foal SYLT and did not hesitate to praise it. "SYLT is a 13-year-old German Westphalian horse with a height of 168 cm, although he is not tall, he is very hardworking, very diligent, very tolerant of some of my small problems, and he is very expressive in the race."
From knowing nothing about equestrianism, to becoming a dressage rider, to being crowned a national champion. In the process of learning equestrianism for 19 years, Liu Tao's understanding of equestrian sports has also been deepened and updated with time. He said: "Every once in a while, my inner perception of equestrianism changes. This is a gradual process from the outside to the inside, to put it simply, I gradually changed from the pursuit of how to ride a good horse by myself, gradually to the pursuit of progress with people and horses, and I have more thinking about the connotation of equestrianism. ”
At present, in addition to conscientiously preparing for the Hangzhou Asian Games, Liu Tao is also seriously considering future planning. When talking about the future development, Liu Tao's words are full of expectations. "In the future, I will work with the Shanghai Quanjin Equestrian Club to create a professional dressage competitive stable, hoping that in this way, I will pass on my competitive competition experience to more dance fans as much as possible."
When talking about why he chose to take root in Shanghai, Liu Tao said: "In the past year, we have been preparing for the Shanghai Equestrian Sports Management Center, and I have personally witnessed the booming development of the equestrian industry in Shanghai. The reason why this development trend can be presented is that the trend of the times is the trend of the times, and the second is that it is inseparable from the strong support of the leaders of the Shanghai equestrian community. This is both an opportunity and a challenge for equestrians. Together, we should create a positive and good environment in the industry and fully support the healthy development of the equestrian industry. ”
In addition to daily equestrian training, Liu Tao also prefers swimming and basketball, but often gives up playing basketball due to fear of injuries before the game. As a rider who has experienced the development of equestrian sports in China over the past 19 years, Liu Tao hopes that more and more teenagers can participate in this sport. At the same time, he also gave heartfelt advice: "I hope that young riders will not rush to achieve success, really calm down to understand equestrianism, understand the meaning of equestrianism, and do not ride horses in order to get results." ”
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