The historical horse jumping gold medal is the story of a shy boy who was bullied by the elderly.
About an individual who is actually quite short and who is still wary of strange horses.
Yes, about a person.
It seems so Henrik von Eckermann He talks about a lifelong love, but the first time he saw King Edward was four years ago. The eunuch had short legs and the De Vos family saw him as a hobby horse. One to play with on slightly fewer obstacles.
But there was something special about the strength of the eight-year-old. The Swede and his Swiss fiancée Janica Springer only got a test ride and that shouldn’t be enough to buy, but it can’t be helped.
After some persuasion with Karl Schneider – the shepherd named after a German ophthalmologist who was imprisoned for protesting against Hitler – two million people coughed and the horse changed.
– From day one we were sure it was something special. When I came to him, I felt an incredible strength, a strength that is hard to explain, says von Eckermann when we met him in Arlanda after double gold medals at Herning.
He seemed angry at times
The medallions around the neck clatter against each other like a cow’s fountain. People stop and film Henrik on their cell phones, and other reporters line up, likely contributing to cut-offs when things flare up.
I asked him twice to try to describe the indescribable feeling, and he finally took the plunge.
– He has the mentality… as he wants. positive. Some horses can jump to a certain level but not quite up to the big obstacles, but this strength…I don’t know where it comes from.
He seemed angry at times. He was called “The Little Angry Old Man” and from the beginning was the horse of elite racer Janica.
She started from pure junior highs, 1.30, but she poured in time, money and wisdom to turn strength into high jumps. In 2019, King Edward won his first four-star competition in Pozna, and when Sprünger got pregnant the following year, Henrik took over.
In Tokyo in 2021, the skinny little man went flawless at the Olympics, something only two horses had done before, in 1928 and 2016. She brought team gold. At the World Cup scheduled last week, King Edward repeated the feat and the bounty looked like a color during our interview. Gold as a team, gold individually.
– It is so cool. It’s like a dog when we’re at home.
“Is he asleep? I feel unwell?”
Henrik interrupts again. I read that the horse loves mango but so what? dog?
– …you go out with him in the meadow and he’s so cool.
Fabulous?
– But as soon as you get out on the track, the horse grows under you.
We kind of understand how you train. You walk around and jump a lot. But how do you and the King in general get along?
– I have a window in my apartment that goes down to his chest. It’s the first thing I see in the morning. Instead of cheering for his brother, the horse is present. I know him so well that it is enough to look and see if he is ok or not. If he’s standing in the corner with his ears out, you know one thing. is he sleeping? Isn’t he okay?
Did he get depressed during your time together?
– number. But this horse is not friendly with other horses. When another horse approaches, he puts his ears back and shows that he doesn’t like it. But when he entered the box, he put his ears forward. he likes me. Or I can’t speak for him but that’s what I think.
Well, speak for him. Why is it like this?
What he built is the same as what we humans built. childhood. It is a small horse that was in a herd with other horses. They clicked on it. Perhaps that is why he does not like other horses.
“more important than money”
Bullying is a word we only use for people, but…
– exactly. He had a long way to go. What we saw yesterday is the result, but this track is great. How you find it and how it develops into this, it’s incredible.
Is he more muscular now than he was in 2018?
– common sense. It was built over time until they were nine years old, when they would be strong enough for the task. Owning a good horse is one thing, but it is important that we develop it to stay there both physically and mentally. I often think about whether I’m doing too little or too much.
How do you train a horse? With classic horse dumbbells?
– You skip soap operas and stuff. What is important is the equal accumulation.
What is it worth now?
– There is no price for that horse. It is invaluable.
Yes, but there are very wealthy old men who have 40 million burners in their pockets.
Yes, but fortunately we have owners who value sentimental things more. What happened yesterday is more important than money.
Did you get a sign that the horse should never be sold?
– yes. You can’t pay for what we test.
“Start getting close to the ceiling”
Now I fell into the trap.
Of course the text should be about Henrik von Eckermann while the horse is allowed to speak for itself. But human growth is not as amazing as that of animals. Born on a Södermanland estate, Henrik is the son of a landowner and has a style of movement and a way of expression that radiates elegance. He has done three Olympics, and has been awarded EC Bronze, Silver as well as WC Silver in Teams from 2018. In addition to the three Gold Medals in the most recent calendar year.
His teammates in the national team call the 41-year-old someone who is clean and obsessed with detail. I’m 3 years younger but have thinner arms, a more skewed posture, and worse eating habits. Yesterday I wrote several articles on abstaining from alcohol.
– There is only one way. It has become so narrow at the top that I believe in the small details.
Your age is 41. Didn’t you feel at the age of 35 that you could relax a bit in the system?
No, we love what we do. This is my job, my hobby and my passion.
How long do you keep this level?
– we will see. It also depends on King Edward. He is 12 years old and I hope he has a few more years left.
Is this the last horse to compete in the global elite?
– Hmm. You’ve had a lot of incredibly good horses, but that level is starting to approach the ceiling.
It’s ridiculous of course, but have you ever thought about where King Edward will rest when he dies?
No, horses live more than 30 years. His racing career begins to finish at the age of sixteen, but hopefully he will have a long life after that.
Yes exactly. your pure life. How do you act? Do you always wake up at the same time?
– yes. Half past six.
same breakfast?
Breakfast is very important. It requires a lot of coffee. I start riding at eight and ride until lunch seven days a week.
Avoid all alcohol
Not even a little alcohol?
– number. If there’s a party or something extreme, like when we won Olympic gold, there will be a drink or two. I don’t mind alcohol but my body doesn’t feel good about it.
Was it hard to be late after the Olympics?
– It was very, very difficult. very. But it was worth it.
And the day after the party, she wants a coke and a pizza.
– yes. He had to go. But I try to stay consistent. I’m not trying to be an extremist one way or the other. In our sport, you do not need a muscular body, we want to be light, flexible and strong, but everything happens in a second or ten. Every kilo makes a difference. The horse reacts in different ways, so you need to be quick in your head.
I pointed to his arm and nodded encouragingly. It might be rude to label like that, but it’s well-formed.
– I am 41 years old.
Have you lived like a sixteen year old girl?
– number. I was also young at the time. That was when I grew up and recognized the body. We work seven days a week, so it’s very hard to feel bad the next day.
I go back to the star which is not in the arrival hall.
What does King Edward prefer when he wants to spoil something?
– He loves carrots. food.
What happened yesterday?
– Lots of carrots and apples.
And you had a drink or two?
– Yes, a glass of champagne.