Barcelona Games
My Experience of the Games In September 2010 a team of South African equestrians will be competing in the FEI
World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.To give our readers a better understanding of the pressure of qualifying and the thrill of competing at such an event, here the doyen of South African showjumping – Gonda Betrix – shares her experiences leading up to and during the 1992 Olympics. Gonda Betrix and Peter Gotz were the first South African equestrians to represent SA at an Olympic event.
Peter Gotz, Tracy Galway. Gonda Betrix at Luxenbourg
The Beginning “My ambition from the age of 18 was to ride in the Olympics, representing South Africa,” say Gonda. The political situation in SA, however, prevented athletes from competing internationally. This changed in 1991 when the Olympic Committee announced that the competition was open to South Africans. Based in Johannesburg at that time, Gonda didn’t give the announcement a second thought. In September 1991, however, Tony Lewis mentioned to Gonda that he was flying to Italy to try out horses with a view to leasing or buying a horse he could compete on in the Games. Twenty-four hours later, an old ambition sparked back to life and she decided to join him on the search. Unfortunately, none of the horses they tried out were suitable. Gonda was not going to give up on her dream quite so easily. On her return to SA she called Paul Schockemöhle in Germany. Paul, who Gonda had met previously while riding as an individual in Europe, owns arguably the biggest dealing yard in Europe. With the possibility of a suitable Olympic horse available, Gonda flew to the UK where she met up with Otto Bekker (currently the German showjumping team coach and manager) and Franké Sloothaak at the Christmas Olympia Show in London. After Olympia they flew to Germany together.
Barcelona, Spain: Main Arena
Meeting Tommy 29 Arriving at Paul’s yard in the afternoon of 23 December 1991, Gonda sat on only one horse – Tommy 29. Under Paul’s watchful eye, Gonda jumped the horse that afternoon as well as the next morning. Tommy 29 had only competed in the National (1.35m) classes but had jumped in Puissance competitions, clearing 7 foot 3 inches! Paul felt that despite the horse’s lack of experience over the bigger tracks demanded at Olympic level (1.55m – 1.60m), Tommy 29 was a scopey, honest horse and with Gonda’s talent and experience would be a good prospect for the Games. “Tommy 29, a warmblood, was very different from anything I had ever ridden before – difficult in his mouth and quite hot. But I felt we could do it,” says Gonda. Paul and Gonda agreed to a lease on Tommy 29 at a cost of 100 000 DM (about R150 000) on a handshake. And thus the journey to achieve a long-held ambition began.
Germans celebrate Christmas Eve and the entire country shuts down for the annual festivity. After the morning ride on the 24th, Paul gave Gonda a copy of L’Année Hippique. Published every year just before Christmas, the classic yearbook offers a complete overview of the equestrian year in association with the FEI. It provides a comprehensive overview of all major horse shows and equestrian championships from all over the world, plus tantalising background stories and high-quality features written by insiders and illustrated by the world’s best equestrian photographers. After a cheerful goodbye, Gonda was driven back to the little bed and breakfast where she was staying. “Everything and everybody really shuts down,” says Gonda. “Even the B&B kitchen was closed. There I was, hugely excited about what was happening, with a packet of crisps, a few biscuits and not a soul to talk to! Certainly no company, dinner and
not even English TV to watch. I’ve never been so lonely in my life! Now I know why Paul gave me the book – it was to be my only Christmas entertainment!” The next morning, Paul had a lorry full of horses going to Brussels to compete at the Mechlin World Cup. Gonda hitched a lift and spent the next five days revelling in the experience of world-class competition, after which she flew back to SA. “The support and help I received from Paul Schockemöhle both in 1992 and in 1994 / 1995 when I took Watchfire to Germany, I will always treasure. Paul is an out-andout businessman, running 11 companies, as well as a top rider (now retired from riding), having represented Germany on many occasions. I will always be grateful for the kindness he showed me,” says Gonda.
Gonda and Tommy 29 at Wies Baadin
Campaign Trail
In February 1992 Gonda returned to Paul’s yard in Germany. Paul arranged three other horses for Gonda to try out, for competing on in the lead-up to the Games. By this time Tommy 29 had been registered with SANEF as Gonda’s Olympic ride (registration of the horse with country being represented being an Olympic requirement). Of the three horses, Gonda decided on one and jumped that as a second string horse to Tommy 29 in the smaller classes at a few shows, after which he was sold on. Gonda and Tommy 29 started off competing in the tail-end of the 1991/1992 FEI World Cup Series in Europe. “I was really thrown in the deep end, as I rode in my first show just two weeks after arriving in Germany,” says Gonda. “We competed in all the 1.50m classes, indoors, as well as in an FEI World Cup qualifier. I never got the chance to ride Tommy in a small class.” During the time leading up to Barcelona, Gonda returned to SA twice. Once to compete at the Rand Easter Show where, riding the great Watchfire, she won the Championship and the Master’s competitions. On that occasion Des, Gonda’s husband at the time, organised a formal, black tie fund-raising dinner for her. This was to raise funds for living and travel expenses in Europe (the cost of Tommy 29’s lease was already covered). Together with the prize money from her winnings at Rand Show, sufficient money was raised to fund Gonda’s Olympic dream. “A heartfelt thank-you to all those generous people – I will never forget what you helped me achieve,” adds Gonda.
To qualify for the Olympics, Gonda had to compete in an outdoor Grand Prix event at one of several nominated shows and finish on a final score of four penalties or better. This she and Tommy 29 did at La Baule International in France. [AT THE 2010 LA BAULE GRAND PRIX, COMMENTATOR PETER CHURCHILL MENTIONED GONDA BETRIX (NEÉ BUTTERS) AS ONE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN “GREATS”. GONDA’S STYLE AND TALENT IS STILL REMEMBERED 18 LATER! - ED] Tommy 29 jumped clear up until the last fence where he just touched the front pole. “That really annoyed me,” says Gonda, “because it meant I didn’t get into the jump-off! However, we had qualified for the Olympics.” Gonda and Tommy 29 travelled with Otto Bekker, Meredith Michaels (her first season in Europe and before her marriage into the Bheerbham family) and Franké Sloothaak to shows, not competing every weekend as she only had the one horse and he couldn’t compete every week. On the weekends she was not competing, Gonda schooled Otto and Meredith’s horses left at base. Six weeks prior to the start of the Games was the Aachen International. Paul advised Gonda not to compete as he felt Tommy 29 was not experienced enough to cope with the Aachen arena. It is a daunting arena for the inexperienced horse. At the last minute Peter Gotz (who was also in Europe campaigning for the Games) and Gonda received an invitation to compete and they both accepted. “This was to be the undoing of Tommy 29’s careful preparation for the Olympics,” says Gonda ruefully.
In the first class the fourth jump was a treble (identical to the Olympic treble), next to the lake. Tommy 29 spooked badly at the first element, crashed the second and stopped at the third. Gonda gathered herself and Tommy 29 together in true professional fashion, re-rode the treble and went on to finish the course but with four additional fences down. “I had to over-ride Tommy 29 for the rest of the track and this caused him to have so many poles down,” says Gonda. The rest of the Aachen show went okay but the combination had fences down in the other classes and disappointingly did not qualify for the Grand Prix. “The incident at the treble in that first class had definitely unsettled Tommy 29 at lot,” remembers Gonda. “It was very difficult for me to sit absolutely still, never asking him to leave the ground at a fence – especially at this height. Poles apart from the thoroughbred’s I’d ridden all my life.” This became even more difficult after the Aachen setback. “Any seat or leg pressure from me before a fence made him too quick in the last stride and leaving the ground, often resulting in poles down,” says Gonda. Still at Aachen, Paul arrived at the stables on his quad bike to ask Peter and Gonda if they would like to compete in the Puissance competition. Eleven competitors and eleven prizes. Just one round could win them each 500DM. They both agreed. “Peter and I got a bit carried away,” laughs Gonda. ”We completed three rounds, having the wall down at 6 foot 10 inches. And for all our efforts, still only finished 11th – but 500DM richer!” Returning to Paul’s yard, Gonda spent the next 10 days working Tommy 29 over small doubles and trebles to get his confidence back. Their next outing was to be at Luxembourg where a South African team was entered. The team was Gonda, Peter Gotz and Tracy Kahn (née Galway). Tracy had been campaigning in the USA and had now come to Europe for the Olympics. The team event did not go well for the South Africans. Tracy’s wonderful horse King Router (a South African thoroughbred)
went lame after the first round and did not come back into jumping work in time to compete in the Olympics. A long and expensive campaign ending in a dream dashed. Gonda and Tommy 29 competed in the Grand Prix and were one of only six clear rounds. Unfortunately though, the horse felt slightly sore behind and Gonda decided to withdraw from the jump-off. The injury meant a 10-day rest and there were only 12 days left before they were due to leave for Barcelona! This meant the polishing of their performance couldn’t happen as Tommy 29 could only work at the walk.
Barcelona Olympics Tommy 29’s lease covered all expenses, including transport all shows. Paul called Gonda into his office two days before the horses were due to leave by lorry for Spain (a four-day trip) and suggested that Tommy 29 and Gonda fly as he didn’t think that such a long trip was advisable for the horse. Flying would cost Gonda an additional 5 000DM and Paul generously offered to pay half the expense. An eight-hour drive from Mulhen to Frankfurt got Tommy 29 and Gonda on to the air transport. They would be travelling with the German showjumping, dressage and eventing teams as well as with several other riders from Paul’s yard who were representing their countries at the Olympics. “This was my first experience of moving horses by air,” shudders Gonda. “We sat behind the horse stalls and what I remember more than anything was how cold it was! The Japanese rider, who was a good friend of mine, and I huddled under four horse blankets each and still froze! Something to mention is that approximately 10 tons of equipment was on that flight. Horse feed, tack, blankets, etc, for the horses flying to Barcelona. A huge undertaking which took a lot of careful planning.”
Barcelona, Gonda and Tommy 29 at the vet check, running up in casual strip
Oho Bekker, Paul Schockemöle, GB and Frankiè Sloothoak at Olympia, London
On arrival in Barcelona all the horses were immediately transported to the stables. The riders and grooms were not so lucky! It took 10 hours to clear people, tack, equipment and feed through Spanish Customs and in 40˚C heat. “Unfortunately,” says Gonda, “this and the need to get to the stables to settle my horse meant I missed the Opening Ceremony of the Games – a great disappointment. “The Olympics was a mind-boggling experience,” remembers Gonda. “The Olympic Village was incredible – the mix of cultures and different types of athletes.The Olympic accommodation was rather like that of a boarding school or university residence – generally two people to a room with a communal bathroom and kitchen per section. I shared a room with the South African runner Elana Meyer and several other SA athletes were on the same floor as us. Every 50m or so in every residence was a vending machine with soft drinks and water – all free. “The Village was not attractive,” laughs Gonda. “These eight- to 10-storey blocks had no gardens or soft furnishings – bare bones only. But it was only 50m from a fabulous beach which was enormously popular with the athletes.” The Olympic Village restaurant, which was open 24/7 and always busy, was absolutely enormous with every kind of food type you can imagine on offer. “The gees was fantastic. As a rider’s performance is not constrained by age, I was much older than the usual Olympic athletes and therefore didn’t join in the wild parties! “The security of the Village was very tight – each athlete had to carry their accreditation and identification. No stranger was allowed in! Transport to and from the Stadium at regular intervals was arranged. What was not arranged was any kind of air conditioning – and it was 38–40˚C and very humid. Us humans had small fans to help keep cool but the horses had huge standing fans outside their stables. Four-star treatment for the four-legged athletes!” After four days of getting used to the heat, humidity and routine of Barcelona, the horses and riders had their first “warm-up” class. Gonda had been advised prior to leaving Germany to only take Tommy 29 over four or five jumps in that class due to his injury in Luxembourg. The inability to school properly before leaving Germany and the lack of serious practice on arrival in Barcelona, coupled with the mishap at the treble at Aachen, now caught up with Gonda and Tommy 29.
Gonda and Tommy 29 showing wonderful style
The fifth obstacle on the track was a treble, identical to that fateful treble in Aachen, going away from the arena entrance. The first element a very big rustic oxer, one long stride to a rustic vertical then one two? stride to an (GB to confirm size and distance). “I completely underestimated the size of this treble and was still learning how best to ride Tommy,” says Gonda ruefully. “I approached with insufficient impulsion and Tommy hesitated on the last stride and knocked the front rail going in and landed in a heap. My instinct, being to never give up, made me ride as hard as I possibly could to get the one stride to the middle element. But Tommy had other ideas – he stopped and threw me off! “I had no time to feel embarrassed as Tommy ran off and was eventually caught by Kate (my groom), Russell McMillan (the SA Team Manager) and Peter Gotz. I remounted – in those days a fall wasn’t an automatic elimination – and waited for my bell to continue. Obviously now I had to ride very hard to the same treble and managed to clear all three elements. But
the treble, the stop and me falling and then riding hard had indisputably upset Tommy and we had a few fences down over the rest of the course. “I was delighted, all the same, at the way we jumped the last fence. It was a HUGE open water with a wavy plank on the landing side and Tommy jumped it beautifully. Many of the international horses, including Nick Skelton on Dollar Girl, were eliminated at that fence.” The whole unfortunate chain of events leading to this negative experience put paid to any chance Gonda had of competing in the semi-finals. “Tommy was not 100% sound the next day,” remembers Gonda sadly, “so I opted not to compete on him again in Barcelona.”
On Reflection
“I finally realised that to compete successfully in Europe, no matter how good you are, you have to be there going through the competition experience over a period of years. It cannot be done effectively by flying back and forth which many South Africans, myself included, have tried to do.The distance and cost as well as commitments at home make it practically impossible to compete abroad from an SA base. “Riding at the Olympics was a wonderful experience which I will always be able to look back on with both pride and just a little bit of ‘if only...’. That and the six months I had riding in the UK at the age of 14 (competing as an Adult under special licence from SANEF and the British Horse Society) and during which I won several major competitions, have made for very special memories.”
“Not qualifying to ride in the Barcelona Olympic showjumping final was very disappointing for me, although I did not expect to come home with a medal,” says Gonda. Gonda and Tommy 29
Some Final Words of Wisdom “To succeed in the international arena takes not only hard work and dedication but also the right temperament. One needs to be prepared to take the ups with the really bad downs with a smile. And more than a touch of humility. Sportsmanship is the name of the game,” concludes Gonda.