Teamwork in action
Equestrianism is one of the few Olympic sports where men and women compete on equal terms. Success comes down to the skill of the individual – male or female – and the special bond between horse and rider.
Equestrianism is one of the few Olympic sports where men and women compete on equal terms. Success comes down to the skill of the individual – male or female – and the special bond between horse and rider.
This understanding between horse and rider can only be built up over years. It is possible to buy a good horse, but building the trust required to compete at the highest level takes time - and sometimes never materialises.
The most effect way of creating a good partnership is to bring the same horse up through the ranks. This is exactly how Zara Phillips and Toytown won their European and world titles. Bought as a seven-year-old in 2000, Toytown (he's known as Noddy or Ginge at home) was a fairly scrawny-looking animal but Zara and her father, Mark Phillips, saw enough potential to take a gamble on him. The rest is history.
Of course, none of this success would be possible without the same level of teamwork behind the scenes. It involves everyone; from the grooms who look after the horses, to the supporters - and the sponsors - who provide the infrastructure to allow riders to perform at their best.
Three day eventing is made up of three phases; dressage, show jumping and cross-country. The dressage phase is designed to show control, and demonstrate that the horse and rider can perform in unison, while show jumping phase is all about agility. A course of collapsible jumps is set up and competitors challenged to clear the course within a set time and without knocking the poles to the floor.
The cross-country phase is all about speed and precision. A course is set up of solid timber fences and competitors must clear the course within a set time and without penalty.
Because the fences are solid, more care has to be taken when approaching the course. What's more, fences are designed to look big to the rider, although they are easily within the horse's capabilities.