Interview in Hohen Wieschendorf: Steve Guerdat on show jumping: money, "fake" and Dynamix's comeback after an injury break
Steve Guerdat on his plans with Dynamix until the World Championships and why Global Champions tournaments are “fake” for him
from Editorial office 
Olympic champion Steve Guerdat traveled to the DKB Horse Week in Hohen Wieschendorf with four horses. Photo: Pauline Ullmann-Davis DKB Horse Week: Steve, this is your first time at the DKB Horse Week in Hohen Wieschendorf – what is your first impression?
Steve Guerdat: I arrived here on Wednesday and rode three horses – it was so pleasant. I really enjoy the climate, the fresh air here. And the conditions are great: the stables, the competition, the warm-up arena. Often the warm-up arenas aren’t that big, but here there’s so much space, and there’s room to take the horses out to graze everywhere. Everything is really tiptop.
You traveled more than 900 kilometers to Hohen Wieschendorf – why?
There was no tournament that I was interested in that was closer. I didn’t want to go to Rome and all the others were at most 200 kilometers less away. But I had already heard so many good things about this show here and I really enjoy riding new shows. You see new places, different people and different horses – I find that interesting. And I got to know the organizer, who is super nice and it’s nice to be part of this show. I can already say: I’ll definitely be back.
You’ve been to almost every tournament venue in the world. How would you classify the tournament location Hohen Wieschendorf?
It’s rare that a tournament really radiates what it is.
When I go to a Global Tour tournament, I don’t feel comfortable. Everything is fake – the people, the atmosphere, the mood.
When you arrive here, it’s cozy. You are welcome and the horses are welcome too, the atmosphere is informal. The people are happy to be here and they radiate that.
Let’s take a look into the future. Do tournaments like Hohen Wieschendorf stand a chance in the long term against the tournaments you described with a lot of ‘fake’, but often also enormous prize money?
Steve Guerdat: It’s certainly difficult. There is more money in our sport thanks to these highly remunerated tours, that’s true. If the other tournaments want to keep up, they also have to pay out this amount of money. And it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find sponsors. That is a problem.
Is money overrated in show jumping?
I am sometimes surprised when some colleagues talk about ‘only’ 200,000 euros in prize money in the Grand Prix. That’s an incredible amount of money. So, we riders live a little out of touch with reality, even if we have high costs, of course.
Comeback of Dynamix de Belheme – for training with in Hohen Wieschendorf
Your number one choice for the World Championships, if she continues to develop as planned, is Dynamix de Belheme. You became European Champion with her in 2023, now the mare was injured for a few months, but you brought her with you to Hohen Wieschendorf…
Yes, exactly. It wasn’t anything bad, but you always take a little extra time with a horse like that. I have her here with me for training so that I can then slowly start competing again and think towards the World Championships. With Iashin Sitte and Venard de Cerisy, I have two other horses that have championship experience and are eligible for the World Championships, but I know that if I want to be on the podium, it will be with Dynamix. Iashin is also taking part, for him Hohen Wieschendorf is the first show since the World Cup Final in Texas, where we came sixth. He has had a break since then and is due to start again here with two 1.40-metre jumping competitions in preparation for the Nations Cup in St. Gallen.
For the four-star tour, you brought two more horses with you…
These are Lancelotta and Hadj de Bliniere. Lancelotta has already won a lot, even in difficult jumping competitions, she can be used in an incredibly wide variety of ways. She is my number one with a view to the Grand Prix here in Hohen Wieschendorf. And Hadj is a nine-year-old that I bought from the video in France at the beginning of the year. He is a very wild horse, but I think he has potential. I’ll be competing with him in the championships on Saturday, which will be his biggest challenge to date, his first 1.55 meter jumping competition.
