‘Aachen really is the Mecca of horse sport,’ says Graham Fletcher
Graham Fletcher reflects on a World Championships to remember
It would be impossible to stage a World Championship anywhere on the globe as brilliant as this year’s. The people who run Aachen have always been ahead of their time and they still are. It really is the Mecca of horse sport.
With a 40,000-capacity stadium packed out for the showjumping team and individual finals, this was a crowd that truly understood the sport. And, unlike a British showjumping audience, they stay in their seats until the prize-giving or medal ceremonies have finished.
The way Aachen did the medal presentations – not just for the riders but for the owners and the grooms too – was spot on.
My only disappointment was that there was no British TV coverage on a mainstream channel. And why not? The last round of the individual final, over a massive course that didn’t allow a fraction of a mistake, was spellbinding.
Even to the neutral observer, this was sport at its best – and much better television than some sports that masquerade as entertainment.
A challenge for the course-designer
With 50 different nations competing, Aachen underlined just how much showjumping is booming all over the world.
But while the statistics show unbelievable growth, it does make it difficult for a course-designer to accommodate the variations in standards while still making sure the best horse-and-rider combination wins.
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Some thought the first round of the team competition was a bit soft. But it has to be realised that horse welfare is the most important issue of the day and it was important for 145 horses to compete without any disasters.
Maybe if the FEI wants to up the overall standard a bit, qualification should be tightened to a clear round at 1.55m rather than the current four faults or less at that height, or eight faults or under at 1.60m.
Frank Rothenberger’s courses were brilliant. As the rounds progressed, he kept asking more and more of the riders; precision and control were imperative.
I felt desperately sorry for Ben Maher, who has produced Point Break superbly. It had been clear rounds all the way until an atypical refusal at the planks put a stop to his chances of a medal.
“What have I done to deserve that?” Ben must have asked himself many times since Aachen.
I said in my previous comment that Harry Charles was my dark horse to win a medal. Despite this pair’s obvious talents, limited time competing LT Holst Freda ahead of these championships may have shown when he had two four-fault rounds in the early stages.
But what an exceptional last two rounds Harry produced to move from 23rd to a bronze medal. It was a brilliant performance.
A very emotional and truly deserving Steve Guerdat won the gold medal, the only one still clear after all five rounds. The way he combines his skill with his determination to win and yet maintains such a wonderful level of horsemanship is beautiful to watch.
If there is a better rider than Steve Guerdat, I haven’t seen them.
Should we have six-star shows?
Championships have always mattered. But perhaps even more so now that we have five-star shows and grands prix rolling on, one after the other, week after week. Even the most outstanding winners soon become yesterday’s news.
I’d like to see the FEI rename shows hosting grands prix with a prize fund of £1 million or more as six-star shows. It would highlight the most prestigious shows and make them more memorable.
Identifying six-star shows would also give fans and the media a few special occasions to focus on. If we want more coverage, we need to make it easier to find our sport’s Wimbledon or Grand National.
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Graham has been involved in the sport of showjumping at the highest level for several decades. The Olympic silver medallist is retired from international competition, but he continues to train and produce young horses. He and his wife Tina Fletcher now support their sons Will and Olli who are two of the leading young riders in the country. A regular Horse & Hound columnist, you can read Graham’s views in the magazine and online.