Story by Chris Hector & Photos by Roz Neave
The first clear in the World Cup class at the Sydney Grand Prix was truly special. Gabi Kuna’s mare, Cristalline is an extraordinary jumper, she is just playing with the fences, hard to believe that the first three to go – all experienced combinations – have had 12 faults each.
The only other clear in the first round comes from another extraordinary jumping machine, Yalambi’s Bellini Star and Steven Hill. In the second round, Gabi is clear again, as is her partner, Chris Chugg riding Cera Cassiago – Chris and Cassiago move to second, Bellini Star has two down, to go to third, and Gabi with two sensational clear rounds takes out the Sydney Grand Prix.
Chris Chugg and Cassiago
The Summer Classic at SIEC has been a happy hunting ground for the talented young rider, and Gabi is quietly bubbling with glee when she returns to the VIP tent for a celebratory drink…
I understand Chris won his first World Cup, so did you have to win your first one too and prove a point…
“I was told yesterday, you’ll have a good day as long as you don’t beat me. But it’s good we are very competitive against each other, and we have that motivation and we know how to get each other going and riding our best. It was good, it was fun.”
Were you worried about the wall – Chris said you were hoping it would be in the mini prix so she could have a look at it…
“I was hoping that Leopoldo might have put it in the metre fifty track, just to give her a look at it, so it wasn’t going to scare her, or – more so – intimidate me. She was really solid in the Mini Prix. I thought I’ve been out so long with my busted hand, I should ride a big track before I decided to Mini Prix, or World Cup on the final day. She went so well in the Mini qualifier that I decided to World Cup her, it worked out well.”
Gabi and Cristalline
She was just so foot perfect in that first round…
“She was, Chris gave me a great plan going in. After the first few horses, it was a bit of a cricket score, and I thought, well it’s a Leopoldo track, he always builds tough, he always builds fast, like I said, Chris gave me a good plan and I decided to just stick with that and it worked. She jumped amazing, it never felt once like she was going to fault. I had a lot of confidence in her.”
Have you ever sat on top of anything like her before?
“She feels limitless. Everyone says ‘oh she must be really hard to sit on’, but she is quite round and nice and smooth in her jump. You can sit on her, but I have always been told, keep your eyes up. That’s my number one, eyes up, and don’t flop.”
Was it hard, you’ve had quite a long time out with the hand, to get back in the rhythm again?
“I wasn’t sure how I would go. I had Sydney Jump Club end-of-the-year championships, last week. I rode alright and the mare went, okay, and I thought, oh, maybe I am a bit rusty, but Chris was really great during the week, and really helped me out. We just moulded together again. She’s had Chris riding her for four months, and he’s a bit stronger than me, she just had to get used to me again. She is so obliging, nothing fazes her, whether it’s Chris or myself on her back, she tries her heart out. It definitely wasn’t a question of her ability, more my eye and how I was riding. After yesterday, I was really confident.”
And now, on the plane to Europe?
“That was always the plan, to take her over with Cassiago. Chris is doing the World Cup final in Gothenburg, and Cristalline is going to tag along and get some experience on the international scene. Any time I can’t get into an international show, Chris can ride her and get her exposed a little more over there. It doesn’t hurt her, she is amazing, she just accepts everything as a challenge and she fights for you. She is so special…”
And when they start waving their cheque books over there, you promise you are bringing her back?
“It is definitely not on my agenda to sell her. I know what is going to come, and I know people might go crazy with cheque books, but I am pretty solid on campaigning her through to the next World Equestrian Games in 2018. For me to sell her it would have to be life-changing money. We are all in this to make a living, and it is an expensive sport, but she is my horse to do what I’ve always wanted to do, ever since I was a little girl, I’m hoping we will see that through at Bromont.”