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Following the first seven legs of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League 2024/2025-season, Switzerland’s Géraldine Straumann sits 17^th on the overall ranking after picking up points at the season opener in Oslo and continuing her great form in Verona. With the 12-year-old gelding Long John Silver 3 (Lasino x San Patrignano Corrado) – who with Jur Vrieling claimed team silver at the 2022 World Championships in Herning – Géraldine placed 6^th in both of her World Cup starts.

“I am very ambitious, and my long-term goal is to make it to the top,” Géraldine tells. “However, I really enjoy the whole process of trying to get there. I think that's very important; to not be too focused on the end goal but to enjoy the road while you're on it. A more specific goal is for sure to compete for my home nation Switzerland. It's always an honour to be riding in the red jacket.”

World of Showjumping had a chat with the 20-year-old Swiss – who has taken a bold move to base herself away from her family, settling in Denmark at the Schou-brothers’ Absolute Horses – to hear how she combines studying with riding at the highest level, how she is building her relationship with Long John Silver and how she deals with the immense pressure of the top sport.

Géraldine’s family was always into horses and she got the bug mostly thanks to her bigger sister Flaminia. “When I was small, we basically went every weekend to watch her compete,” she recalls. “I always found the sport fascinating, but even more so, the horses – I was always captivated by them. I started riding and got my first pony when I was six. However, I never competed in pony classes; I started riding more professionally rather late, jumping a bit on the children level. I took it very slow in the beginning.”

“For the past five years – from my last year in the children’s division until 2023 – I was training with Thomas Balsiger,” Géraldine explains. “When I started with Thomas, he had quite a big job to do because I was really lacking a lot of confidence in the ring. That was one of my main problems; I was very insecure as a rider and he really helped me with that. He helped me improve a lot and taught me about the whole planning process and how much more there is to it all than just the riding. It was very nice to work with him, and sometimes we also trained together with his son Bryan. Being on the same shows as him was very motivating for me as a young rider; I was lucky to be in a very good environment, surrounded by experienced people.”

“I always said that in time, it would be good to see another stable as well and experience some other training – a new system,” Géraldine explains her move to Denmark. “I was very motivated to do something like this. And then the opportunity came… The right thing happened at the right moment: We bought a horse from Schou, and we talked a bit about my thoughts on training. First, I just went over for two weeks in August last year and because I really liked it, we then made a plan to move there with all my horses from January on.”

Today, Géraldine is based in Denmark at Absolute Horses. “I am here with my own horses, but the rest of my family’s horses are at a stable in southern Germany,” she explains. “It's the first time that I am completely away from home – and I really enjoy it. I have very nice people around me and I really like the system and the philosophy they have with the horses. I think I can really benefit from the time I am spending here.”

“I currently have a string of nine competing horses, aged between 8 and 16. Last year, we were unlucky with some injuries. I had a few horses out for quite a long time and two of my good ones are still slowly coming back. We really gave them the time they needed, and I hope to have them back in the game for next year. At the moment, it's all a bit about trying to get a good string together, get to know some newer horses and get some back into the game, as well as keeping my other ones fit in preparation for the next season.”

“I feel like we have a very individual approach to each and every horse,” she continues to explain about the system at Absolute Horses. “The daily work is adapted based on how the horses feel. We make a plan in the beginning of the week, but there is always room for changes – it's very individual. And obviously, the experience of Andreas and Christian, as well as Lars Pedersen, who all train me, is invaluable.”  

“I believe that the mental part of the sport is one of the biggest challenges,” Géraldine points out. “Finding the right way to manage the pressure and dealing with pressure under different circumstances with different horses, is something that you have to learn. However, I believe that another huge factor is finding the right environment. Everyone is different, but I believe it is essential to understand how you are developing as a rider and in which direction you want to go, and to try to find an environment where everyone works towards the same goals. I really like having open-minded people around me. I'd say it is challenging to find the right team around you, from all aspects; from trainers and grooms to vets and farriers.”

Long John is Géraldine’s best horse at the moment. “He opened many doors for me this year,” she tells. “It is quite funny, because whenever I would be talking with friends at the shows about which horse we would like to ride for one day – any horse – I always said Long John Silver. I really, really adored him for a long time and when I was able to actually take over the ride on him, it felt quite surreal.”  

“I did feel some pressure because I knew how much he had achieved with Jur and that many people would be watching us,” Géraldine continues. “However, I have just focused on how lucky I am to be able to ride a horse like him and really took my time. I tried not to take on that pressure, nor did I try to prove anything to anyone. I have simply wanted to get to know him as I would with any other new horse – and we are still in that process, because I believe building that bond is something that takes more than a year. Over the years, you get to know your horses, and with horses, you are still learning something new almost every day.”

“He has all the quality and scope, but I believe one of his greatest strengths is his character,” Géraldine tells about the charming grey. “He has an unbelievable mind. He is always giving his very best and really fights for me in the ring, especially now. Me being a rider that does not have all the experience, I feel like he really understands that and helps me so much in situations where I might not manage to ride perfectly. I have the feeling that I can trust him. I know that he knows that I do my best, and I also know that he will do his best to help me out. I believe that's one of his biggest qualities. Obviously, apart from the competition, he is such a lovely horse, he is so cool to be with at home or while traveling. Everybody in my team loves him; he is just everything you wish for in a horse.”

“The match was not so much there in the very beginning,” Géraldine tells about the process of building their relationship. “My first show with him was one year ago and I very much struggled with his really big stride. With the time we have spent at home and at various shows, we have developed a really good partnership. I feel like we can trust each other and I believe that is one of the most important things between a horse and a rider.”

2024 has been a good year for Géraldine. “It was very exciting, especially the second-half,” she tells. “I did my first Globals this year and that really gave me the opportunity to start getting some experience on the highest level – and we had some good shows, with some nice placements and solid rounds. Later on this season, that kind of opened us the door for some new opportunities, as I was able to ride my first senior Nations Cup in Calgary. That was certainly the highlight of the year, it was an incredible experience, being there with such a fantastic team. We were also the reserve pair at the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, which was very special as well and now we have started doing a couple of World Cups. So far, they have gone very well. At the moment we have a good thing going – and we hope to keep that up.”

“Calgary was a very cool challenge to approach,” Géraldine explains about the highlight of her year. “First of all, the whole show itself was very impressive and for sure also a bit intimidating. The tradition, the history and also the family operation behind it all makes it unique. The atmosphere there is magical; you can really feel it in the air how special the place is and then of course the level of competition there is the highest possible. It was certainly a challenge, but I saw it as a great opportunity that I very much was grateful for, and I tried not to put too much pressure on myself. Of course, I wanted to do my best – as I always do – but I also kept in mind that I am very inexperienced on that level. I tried to take away as much as I could from the weekend; from my rounds, from being with the team, by watching the other riders and walking the courses of the classes I didn't ride.”

From the Swiss national treasure Steve Guerdat to the young talents like Edouard Schmitz, Switzerland is known for producing some of the best horse people in the world. “I believe we have a very strong system for the youth,” Géraldine points out. “Apart from the national teams for children, juniors, young rider and ponies, we have a talent program called Swiss Equestrian Talents for the three Olympic disciplines. The focus of the program is to scout young talents from an early age and help them develop. The program was launched last year, and in the age group that I am in, they don’t only focus on developing good riders, but developing good horse people. I think there is a huge difference in whether you are becoming a rider or a good horseperson! The program includes training with different coaches and it also includes theoretical classes and seminars on various subjects such as the horses’ general health, their nutrition and management, as well as other aspects of being an athlete such as communication with media. We get to work together with a sports clinic in Basel, where we do very detailed sports tests twice a year to learn more about our own strengths and weaknesses as well as our own nutrition. It's a really broad variety of topics that they are developing instead of just riding and I believe that this kind of approach is what makes a difference in the end.”

Géralding herself is still studying alongside her riding career. “I'm finishing my A-levels next summer,” she explains. “I changed two years ago to the British system because I could do that online, which made it much easier with the travelling and the training because it provided me with a lot of flexibility. Another factor in making it possible to do both is that you need to be disciplined. I normally sit down on Sunday evening and make a plan for the week ahead. I make a very detailed plan including all the travels and block times when I can study – and try to stick to it the best I can.”

“I'm still figuring that out,” Géraldine says about the future. “I think I would like to study further, but only if I find a good solution in combining it with the sport that is not too compromising. I am interested in so many things in the world and I believe it's good to develop your knowledge in other aspects of life as well.”

18.12.2024 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.