Wow, what a ride Janneke Boonzaaijer and her 17-year-old grey gelding ACSI Champ de Tailleur had today! They wrote history and became the first Dutch combination to ride clear and within time in an Olympic cross-country!
‘Champ made me mega proud, what a horse!’, says 27-year-old Janneke Boonzaaijer. ‘From start to finish he was into gear, without any hesitation. He was so eager on the first water! We can do this together, he let me know and feel all the time! Everything went according to plan, all the difficult lines exactly as thought beforehand. Nowhere a delay, zero, nothing! Champ wants this with his whole heart! So cool! So cool to be able to ride a cross like this here!’
Afterwards, Champ only looked very satisfied with pricked ears as his entire team cooled, checked and after-cared for him. ‘As if he was also proud of himself and satisfied that he had finally been able to go fast!’ laughed Janneke. ‘Realistically, would riding like this be smoothly? In between I watched my time and thought, that’s not going to happen to me this moment, time faults, GO! And that was all Champ wanted. Nowhere did he do anything but jump, move and go… So mega cool!’
Now Janneke and ACSI Champ de Tailleur (Guidam de Revel x Oberon de Moulin), bred by A.C. Hoogendoorn and G.W. ten Pas, have one more challenge awaiting them in Versailles: ‘Finishing the job at the showjumping tomorrow, of course,’ says Janneke. ‘Riding here like this felt so indescribably good! And I am so proud of Champ! Afterwards he was looking proud and very satisfied with himself. I’m sure he was happy too! Now continue grooming and enjoying together…’
Former international eventer Ramon van Reine -today board ACSI – and his company thoroughly enjoyed the Olympic cross-country attended by 45,000 people. To him the final word: ‘I am proud of Janneke and ACSI Champ de Tailleur. The fairytale at the Château de Versailles now became an Olympic fairytale for the eventing sport of the Netherlands. Can it get any more beautiful?’ he laughs.
(Picture by Arnd Bronkhorst)