Steve Golda: Loving horses comes first

Horse love is a common trait of all top riders.

He is an Olympic individual champion in show jumping, a three-time World Cup champion, an individual gold medal at the European Championships, and a three-time IJRC top 10 finalist, and has been ranked at the top of the world rankings throughout 2019. It doesn't need much introduction when it comes to Steve Guerdat, whose name is familiar in show jumping.

In his recipe for success, loving horses always comes first.

©FEI/Łukasz Kowalski

Steve says it's not so much about training with horses as it's about talking to them. "I asked my own questions and they responded. Each horse has their own unique personality, and as a rider, it's up to me to adapt to each horse. ”

While asking his own questions, Steve is also listening to the horses. When the race schedule he sets is too busy, the horses also have a say. "The horses will tell you if they want to go to the competition or if they want to stay at home and rest. This is where the importance of having a number of top class horses comes into play. You can choose the horse that is in the best shape to go with you, and while that may not be your plan to start with, it's better than not playing at all. Multiple horses can take turns resting, which is an effective way to keep all horses happy and healthy. ”

"One of the truths that I live up to is that horses are horses, they are animals, they belong to nature. Every year from April to October, I let the horses in the fields, and when it snows in the winter, I let them go to the paddock. I like to take them to the big grass to ride, and rarely ride in the sand circle. We will have a lot of natural jumps, and the horses love that! At home, I rarely jump more than 1.30M, I will relax with the horses and teach them something new. ”

At the Geneva International Equestrian Festival 2022, Steve Golda partners "IS-MINKA" © Rolex/Peggy Schroeder

Life in the stables is also very low-key. "The horse's diet is the same, simple and natural. Providing them with good hay is the most important thing. I feed them hay five or six times a day so that they always have something to chew on and when they have something to eat all day, they don't find life in the stable too boring. ”

"I know a lot of people who spend a lot of time grooming their horses, using the most expensive massage equipment, bandaging them every day, taking care of their horses as if they were rare treasures, but it seems to me that this can make them a little squeamish. Horses should go to the fields and grasslands to make them strong and strong. ”

Steve's father, Philippe Guerdat, was also a show jumping rider and is now a well-known instructor and horse trainer. He taught Steve from a young age to be patient with horses. "I started racing when I was 10 years old, and Pony was more like sitting on a horse and running as fast as you could to win. But that's not what my father wants me to learn, he wants me to know how to ride, and he wants me to focus on the way of riding, the strategy and tactics, rather than winning. I remember losing my first seven or eight fights and being eliminated every time. My mom accompanied me to the races, and at 6 a.m. we had to hit the road, driving around the steep mountain roads of Switzerland to the stadium to prepare for the race, only to be disappointed in the end, which also frustrated my mom. ”

World Equestrian Festival © Aachen 2021 Rolex/Ashley Neuhof

"Mom and Dad suggested that Dad buy me a better horse, but Dad didn't agree. He said, I need to finish at least once with that horse. Eventually, after three or four races with that horse, I got my wish and got a new horse. ”

"Actually, my four-legged friends know that they are athletes and they want to win. When a lot of horses, a lot of people show up, they desperately want to show how good they are, and our psychology is the same. So whether they win or lose, they get the same treatment that I do. I never take my frustration out on the horses. ”

In 2023, Steve Golda and "ALBFUHREN'S MADDOX" will be on ©Rolex/Tom Lovelock at the Super High Event of the CSIO Spruce Meadows Masters

"When raising horses, patience is also key. It's easy to think that horses get some awards and accolades at the beginning of their careers, when they're 8, 9, 10 years old. But I still think that the faster and earlier you improve, the more you will lose later, and I think that starting to ask for more after Ma is 10 years old will help to prolong their careers. ”

"Equestrianism is not just a sport, it's a way of life and a philosophy. I think we need to be careful about our external image, and I don't want people to think that equestrianism is just a rich man's sport. ”

"We need to be humble and keep a low profile, I think it's all about sport, as long as you work hard enough and you have the talent, you can get involved in the sport. ”

Heidi Mulari and Emma Uusi-Simola are two people who are extremely close to Steve Golda, and both of them have worked for the Swiss rider for many years. "The first time I won a Rolex Grand Prix was in 2006, I don't remember how much money I won, but I remember giving my first Rolex watch to my horseman, Heidi Murali. The second Rolex I won, I gave my mom a Rolex watch. ”

"There are about 12 people working for me. Heidi is in charge of the family's horses, and with more than 20 horses to take care of, it is not easy to find someone who can handle it all, but Heidi is relieved that I don't have to worry at all when I go out to race, because I know that the family horses are also well cared for. Emma is also a good horse worker, she really loves horses and is with them all the time. My rider Anthony is also very talented, with young horses in the family, horses that need to be traded, and horses that are owner's horses, he is well trained to reach a three-star level. ”

"It's very important to be surrounded by good and motivated teammates, which allows me to concentrate and not worry about anything else when I play. ”