Text © World of Showjumping

“You cannot see the process as hard work, as effort, as sacrifice – you have to enjoy it,” Henrik von Eckermann – current world number one, newly crowned World Cup Champion, double World Champion and Olympic Team Champion – says when asked about what he sees as the biggest hurdles for riders trying to reach the top of the sport.

While equestrian sports have a tradition for being considered elitist, the current prices on horses, increasing international show fees, as well as rising general costs, have enhanced its reputation – some question whether the sport is moulding into something only accessible for the wealthy. However, looking at the current world ranking, the top fifty – with a few exceptions – do not hail from wealthy families but rather from equestrian backgrounds, and most of them have simply worked their way up. And while money can buy horses, it cannot buy the feeling and knowledge needed to form a successful partnership. “Truly understanding your horse is the most important key to success,” von Eckermann – himself a shining example of where hard work can bring you – tells World of Showjumping.

“Many times, I hear people use money as an explanation, or an excuse, saying that if you don’t have the money, you don’t have a chance,” von Eckermann begins. “However, how I see it, is that if you don’t have the money, you have to find a way – and there are ways. No matter how you do it, the way to the top is very long and bumpy.”

“In my own case, I felt it was like climbing a ladder, and as I tried to climb up, I fell many times, but I kept going,” von Eckermann tells. “The main point is to not see the ladder as your enemy, but as your friend; and you have to enjoy the process. This is where I think many get it wrong: They see the process as hard work, as effort, as sacrifices. This is not how I see it. Yes, there are times when you fall off the ladder and you hurt yourself, but as long as you are healthy enough to climb, you can always keep going. If you get unlucky with health, then that is another situation. I believe that the one who tries the most has the most luck.”

You cannot see the process as hard work, as effort, as sacrifice – you have to enjoy it

“People are very quick to look for excuses. I have a feeling that in our whole society this is like a disease; instead of trying, people find an excuse not to even try,” von Eckermann points out. “We cannot find excuses when we are riding either; we have to see what we can do better and where we can improve. Finding excuses does not bring you forward.”

“Naturally, not everyone is going to succeed, and you do need a bit of luck on the way,” von Eckermann continues. “Myself, I have been lucky many times in my life, but I also took the opportunities that were in front of me and did something with them. You have to grab those opportunities and make the most of them. No one is going to do the work for you.”

Von Eckermann believes that the challenge of making it into the top sport today is not so much about the lack of money, but rather about the lack of patience. “Patience is the problem,” he says. “The last ten years have been a fantastic success for me, but before that… It was not always easy. I am 41 now and when I look at the youth in the sport today, saying they don’t get a chance – for me, they haven’t even started yet. When you are twenty, you have such a long way ahead of you – and most of all, you need patience. Even though the sport has changed since I started, I still believe that if I was to start all over again today as a young rider, I could still follow the path I took and it would still be possible to succeed.”

You really have to understand your horse, I cannot stress enough how important this is

“In my role as a trainer, I try to share my knowledge but first of all make everyone understand how much more there is to our sport than just the riding,” von Eckermann continues. “You really have to understand your horse, I cannot stress enough how important this is. The relationship you build with your horse is always going to be the base for any success you might have.”

“As a new parent, I believe parents play a big role as well when it comes to young riders. In my own case, as an example, of course I would like my son to get a good horse and good results – if he someday chooses to ride – but I know the most important part is to learn the basics right,” von Eckermann says. “There are no shortcuts in our sport, and even though it would be easy for me to give my son a shortcut, I think it would only do harm in the long run. Any shortcut you take, will catch up on you – that is a given in our sport.”

There is nothing more important when it comes to working with horses than respecting time and having patience

“I think there are possibilities, and where there is a will, there is a way – I am a firm believer in this,” von Eckermann points out. “It might not work out, but that goes for everything in life; we are all destined to do different things and not everyone is going to make it as a professional rider. It is the same as for a normal business, people say it takes money to make money but so many people became wealthy from starting with nothing. However, I believe the current top riders are great examples of where hard work can take you. Just two examples are riders like Kent Farrington or Marlon Zanotelli, who started from nothing. Today, people only see them surrounded by all these good horses and the wealth that comes with the top sport, but they both worked their way up – and there are many examples of riders who have done the same.”

“In our sport, looking after our horses should always be kept as the priority,” von Eckermann concludes. “Through education, we have to make sure that horsemanship is passed on to the younger generations. However, the sport has to evolve; we cannot say that everything was better in the past, there are many aspects of the sport and the community that can and should improve. We should not be looking backwards. If we want our sport to be bigger and grow, we also have to be open to change. However, there is nothing more important when it comes to working with horses than respecting time and having patience.”

11.4.2023 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.