Cathrine Dufour MAKING IT her own way!

Story – Rebecca Ashton

Photos courtesy Cathrine Dufour and Kenneth Braddick / dressage news)

Cathrine comments: Thanks to @nathaliesayn & Kyra for today’s little session. Feeling lucky to have such strong ladies behind me!

Cathrine who? That’s what a lot of us thought five years ago when Cathrine Dufour rode down the centreline for Denmark at the Rio Olympics. Sure, she had been successful at the Junior and Young rider levels, but had only recently entered the senior ranks. But wow, she make us all sit up and take note. This was a young rider to watch. Here she was, at her first Olympics on her young rider mount, her “hobby” horse she had owned since she was 18 years old.

Cathrine and Bohemian (photo Kenneth Braddick dressage news)

Come Tokyo, and it’s a completely different story. Cathrine is currently ranked sixth in the world. She’s been on the podium in major championships and now has a new companion with whom to canter down the Olympic centreline. Bohemian is real professional’s horse; young, bred for the job and is aimed to be a super star.

So, it was a shock to everyone, including Cathrine when disaster struck at the Nations Cup in Compiegne at the end of May. Bobi  decided the arena wasn’t for him and refused to enter for the Special, just two months out from Tokyo. Before that, the combination had been constantly scoring over 80%. That must shake the strongest of nerves.

Cathrine and Bohemian (photo Kenneth Braddick dressage news)

The Danish champion went home and after some soul searching, picked herself up, dusted herself off and has come back stronger, sharper and in even better shape to tackle Tokyo. I wanted to know how she coped with the whole ordeal and what tools she used to bring herself back to the top. It’s worth mentioning, that a few weeks after that, Cathrine and Bohemian were back in the competition arena, and back at the top scoring over 80% for a win at Herzlake.

You went to Rio as an unknown, then Tokyo as a top rider. How completely different that must feel?

When it comes to the first Olympic Games, I think it was like my fifth Grand Prix and we were just thrown into it. It was a big experience. I remember being in the village and being around all the top athletes. Entering the arena for opening ceremony was huge. I get goosebumps thinking about it. It was more the achievement was being at the Olympic Games which I had dreamed about for years. It was after then that I started to make my name with Cassidy.

Cathrine and Cassidy

Of course it’s different being here this time. There are much bigger expectations and I’m one of the top riders at the moment. Really it’s been a fantastic preparation I have to say because even though we had a blip at Compiègne, that just made us improve on everything. It was like a little wake up call time enough for me to really do that extra bit that it takes to improve on everything and to be more ready and have a bigger overview mentally. And I had time to work with my mental coach Rasmus Bagger and he’s really helped me both outside of the arena and inside the arena. We’ve known each other since I was 12 so he knows the things that a more challenging for me and he knows Bohemian too.

And he is a sensitive horse as well but that’s a good thing because it also means you can also really quickly change things. I really think there was a purpose to what happened in Compiègne because it made us really sharp and more ready for Tokyo.

What do you think caused the meltdown in  Compiègne? The pressure? Lack of match practice?

No no I don’t think it was like that. I’m actually better under pressure because I really love it, I grow under that. I think because I hadn’t competed him outdoors for over two years because of Corona and then he got a bit excited off his feed, just small things coming together. He was a little bit tense and hot. I hadn’t shown him enough outdoors but then I went to Herzlake just a few weeks later and he was fantastic. He was may more relaxed and he felt like good, old Bohemian. So Compiègne isn’t taking up any space in my mind at all because I’ve turned it into something really positive and am thankful that it happened there and I had the chance to really improve on everything. It only made us sharper.

Cathrine comments: He’s been my mentor for years, and he has a BIG part of our successful “comeback” with Bohemian this weekend. “If you don’t see yourself as a winner, you cannot perform as a winner” THANK YOU RASMUS!! @rasmus_bagger.

What were some of the things that Rasmus worked with you on?

We were mainly talking about leadership. When Bohemian is really hot or tense, then instead of trying to avoid things happening, show him what you want. That’s a brief summary, there are many, many things.

It’s about what feeling I want to mount him with; I want to feel joy, happiness and I want to be proud when I enter an arena with him rather than being nervous and anxious about what’s going to happen. I’m super, super proud to ride him and I’m super excited to be here at the Olympic Games and that’s the feeling I’m going to enter that ring with.

Positive feelings, and leadership. I’m going to show him the way all the way around. And we’re fucking good at it so we’re going to do what we always do!

Old friends united in the Danish Team – Nanna Merrald and Blue Hors Zack and Cathrine and Bohemian. Cathrine comments: Started from the bottom, now we’re here. We did the ponies EC together in 2007, juniors EC 2010, young rider EC 2012 – now we’re here at the Olympic Games together! @nanna_merrald

I saw you mentioned that he gave you three things to focus on: You, Bohemian and the job.

Yes get that focus. And we’re not supposed to do anything different from what we usually do. It’s just to do what we do best and that’s Bohemian and I and that bloody test.

And the other thing he said, “If you don’t see yourself as a winner, you can’t perform as a winner.

Exactly! It’s a bit cliched, but you have to believe in yourself. It comes down to the fact that if you can’t see yourself as one of them, you’re never going to perform as one of them. So we’ve been working on that, getting that little mind game going again after, well it wasn’t a breakdown but it worried me the first couple of days after Compiègne being so close to the Olympic Games but we turned it into something super positive. I’ve had the time to get both me and Bohemian in the best physical and mental state.

Did you change anything about your training at home or it was more with yourself and going to another show?

A lot with myself and also to get back the confidence, I trained him on a few different arenas. To get that feeling of being a leader, to manifest that in my body and get it to stay there. Small and big arenas close to home to show both of us that we can do this, that we can do what we normally do.

Rasmus also came to Aachen to talk to you during quarantine?

He’s been with the Danish Federation for many years and he’s really one of a kind when it comes to, it’s not like a pep talk but to focus on what kind of feelings we’re going to enter the Olympic Village with and to compete against ourself.

The competition doesn’t start until after we finish riding because that’s when you have a result you can compare to others’ results. The competition won’t start until you salute at the end. Then you can compare yourself, but not before. There is no competition before that last salute.

Is it quite relaxing there in Tokyo or hard to focus with less to do?

No I think it’s fantastic because you can really get into that vibe. I’m writing a diary everyday noting down, how was the weather today, how much did I work him, what did the physio do this morning, how long did I warm him up before he was ready for this or that. So, it gives me time to really be nerdy about every single day and really work out what worked well, what we need to change a little bit. It’s great to have plenty of time to work on everything.

I heard Ash Barty’s mind coach Ben Crowe talking about helping his athletes cope with shame stories and people’s expectations. He’s gets them to think of their earliest, happiest memory and to take that into a competition. What would that be for you?

Yeah but I have so many! I really do that myself also. For example when I visualise my test, it’s not just to run through my test, it’s also to put on that feeling. You trick the brain into the feeling you’ll have when you enter the ring next Saturday in the Olympic Arena.

For me it’s not really the feeling from the show as much as it’s the feeling of the horse being perfect underneath you. That rush, that perfect feeling of you both melding into one. That’s what dressage is to me, when you don’t have to do anything with your body, you almost just think it and you have that special connection to the horse. That’s just magic to me. That’s what I’m putting on my visualisation every time. That pride, that feeling of years of training coming together in those five minutes. It’s quite magical.

Are you pretty laid back by nature or an over thinker?

No I’m pretty laid back. I actually never really over think things. I more like, I take action. If something is wrong or not in a way I like, I instantly make a plan and follow it. Of course I talk to my team, but if something happens we make a plan, follow it and evaluate every single day. And you know what? I never over thinking anything find a plan to victory.

It’s rare I have an excuse for anything. Things happen for a reason and often it’s because you haven’t practiced something enough. It’s more to find, ok what do we need to practice more so we can be better for next time.

You’re a prolific Instagramer. Is it a nice outlet for you or a chore?

It’s really natural to me. I’m not talking to all my friends and family everyday so it’s nice for me to show them and everyone else. People can have a glimpse as to what we’re experiencing out here. It’s really great. The second I entered the Village this year I was like, ok we’re at another fucking Olympics, it’s huge for me. Even though we haven’t ridden yet, it’s just amazing to enter the Village. It is for all the athletes I think. So, it’s just to give people a little insight.

I always think there’s a difference between those who reach the podium and other competitors. What’s it for you?

It would be impossible without all the people behind me. This competition is the highest tip of the iceberg. There’s huge team at home; running a yard, having everything working well back home, not just now but for years. To describe it to people, it’s like a big machine. The athlete is the one standing at the very front leading the way, but it’s like a full ship. You have machines, coordinators, chefs, vets. Like Formula 1 maybe. There’s a man for everything and you’re not better than the weakest link in the team.

What’s Bohemian like as a person. He’s a little bit newer to us than Cassidy.

He’s a little cheekier than Cassidy. He’s a bit more of a private person, I’d say. Cassy likes to hang out of his stall every single day and get everything. Whereas Bohemian likes to be in his own stall, chilling, taking naps. He’s more of a private, little man. He likes my groom, me, Nathalie (Cathrine’s coach) and he’s very close to his owners, but aside from that, he’s not really a fan of other people. He likes other horses, but he’s a bit introverted with people. But he’s really, really kind and super fun once you get to know him.

He’s really cool here as well. He’s eating, drinking, chilling.

It was great to see the footage of all the horses getting to Tokyo. I think that might be something the general public worries a bit about, travelling the horses like that. But everyone is professional, the horses are super fit. The horses aren’t just someone’s pony taken out of the paddock.

Yeah I had so many questions about are you really nervous to be flying them and not being there, all these questions about how nervous I was. This is people’s passion and jobs and they want to do they’re best and these are the fittest horses the world traveling here. The best people in the world are with them on the flight. You can be a little bit nervous in a good way, but not being afraid.

Cathrine and Bohemian really have had the best preparation for Tokyo. And when you watch them entering that Olympic stadium in a few days time, you’ll know exactly how the Danish star is feeling: proud. As she should. Bring on the Games!