Nice at Luhmühlen to be matching it with the best of the Germans?
“It really was, we’ve always thought a lot of Graf Liberty, and he did so well – very happy.”
Was it a soft cross country track or were the top six just very good?
“I think both. Certainly Captain Mark Phillips set out to design a course that would get a good result, and that’s what he did. The course had a few real four-star complexes. At Luhmühlen, the water is always tough and there’s always problems there, the ground was perfect, the biggest factor is the standard of horse these days. Okay, we had the good judges, we had Christoph Hess, he is always positive, and he is my favorite judge. If he thinks something is excellent, he will give you a ten, and what’s wrong with that? That was part of the reason we saw high scores. Also at Luhmühlen you can work them in the main arena, so you are able to get the very best out of your horse.”
You seem to have a taste for Holsteiners, Graf Liberty is another… even more Holsteiner than Leilani…
“It’s funny isn’t it. I really do like the German horses and the Holstein breed in particular. I think they are strong horses, well bred. The funny thing is that he has an Irish passport and the Irish like to claim him as one of theirs, but if you look he is three-quarters Holsteiner. He got his Thoroughbred from the Irish mare because he is certainly tough and runs harder than a lot that are getting around.”
“He is really not a simple horse, that’s essentially how we got him. He has always been a cheeky, quirky bugger, and I believe that is the sire, Limerick, but when they are on your side, they are really dynamic. He has always been an amazing cross-country ride, I love riding him around a four-star track, and when he is settled, he tries to jump carefully in the showjumping. At the One Day events when he is wound up, he doesn’t showjump so well, but when he is relaxed at the end of a three-day event, he always seems to jump well. He has the capacity to do a nice test, he just doesn’t work for it all the time.”
It must have been wonderful to have Harry (Haruzac) back in action at Strzegom?
“Mate, that was so wonderful. He is a superstar that horse. Sadly sometimes he tries more than his body can give him, but he is just unbelievable.”
Now we’ve had two riders with scores under 40, we just need to find two more for Rio…
“I’m really positive about Rio next year. I think Australia is going to come together in really good shape for the Games. There is a modern regime in the way High Performance is going about the preparation, certainly in the eventing, and it is so positive. With the help we are getting I think we are a good bet for Rio next year.”
Have you had much to do with Mike ES in his new rôle?
“We are meeting with him now, he has already come along to some training days to get a feel for our horses. That’s a really positive thing, well done EA for securing him, I think he is going to be really great. I might get into trouble for saying this, but I have never had a selector call me up and want to come down and meet the horses and see how we do things, revolutionary!”
Each rider of the month receives a prize supplied by IAHP.
This month, the Rider of the Month receives a 2kg bag of Livamol valued at $19.80.
A palatable blend of proteins, energy and polyunsaturated oil formulated to improve coat condition and general appearance of all stock, including stud and show animals. LIVAMOL is especially appropriate for young, aged and convalescing animals recovering from disease or injury.
