Text © World of Showjumping

When years of work come down to approximately 70 seconds in the ring, at the best surrounded by 40,000 spectators, nerves must hit even the most cold-blooded – or? World of Showjumping asked reigning European Champion Richard Vogel, former world number one Harrie Smolders, as well as European team bronze medallist Sophie Hinners, about how they deal with the pressure that comes with competing at the highest level of the sport.

“I think I just naturally got quite lucky to have good nerves,” Richard Vogel tells World of Showjumping. “Over the years, I have discovered that when you have done your work at home, you can feel comfortable going to the shows,” he points out. “When you have ticked all the boxes at home as you have been getting yourself and your horses ready towards a show, or towards a certain level that you want to jump on, or to make a step up, the less nerves you will feel. I believe it is because even if it goes wrong, you can lean on the fact that at least you put the work and the effort into it, that it takes for it to – in theory – go right.”

Over the years, I have discovered that when you have done your work at home, you can feel comfortable going to the shows

“I could never come from a two-week vacation, where I have not seen my horses, and then go to the show and expect it to go great,” Richard continues. “Unfortunately, when I am competing on different continents, I cannot spend as much time with each of my horses as I would like to, but then it is my responsibility to make sure that the horses are kept in shape. For example, someone like Felicia is with United Touch, to not only keep his body fit, but also to keep his mindset right. This way, if I get home on a Monday and only can ride United for two-three days before going to the show, at least I still drive there with a good feeling because I know Felicia was there. We have confidence in the program we have worked out over the last years.”

“I believe that having this faith in the program that you have takes a big part of the nerves away,” the current world no. five says. “It's easy for me to stay calm and focus on the important things. In some situations, when there's a lot of pressure, it forces me to be even more in the zone and kind of in a tunnel where I’m not so available to distractions. When it comes down to something very important and there's a lot of pressure, then you don't see so much of what's left and what's right – you only focus on what matters. For me, it's almost easier to be focused in those situations.”

“Doing your work before going to the show and being surrounded by a good team boosts your confidence,” Richard concludes. “The more confidence you have in your horse, your team, your program and obviously in yourself, the easier it is to stay calm in high pressure situations.”

“As a rider, I like to be in a position where you know it really matters,” Harrie Smolders explains. “I enjoy the adrenaline you feel when you know your round can win it or lose it – and I'm probably also at my best and totally focused when I'm really into it. As a sportsman, you try to be as much as possible in those kinds of situations; that's where you want to be at. Many times, those situations are associated with stress, but I don’t see them that way."

Having a great partnership with your horse is essential to feel calm

"For sure I don't want to be the one that's messes up for the team, and that aspect probably gives me the most nerves; I don't want to be the one that made a mistake.”

“If you have all the tools to execute your plan, then you don't need to get nervous,” the current world number seven points out. “Having a great partnership with your horse is essential to feel calm. When you can really rely on each other, there is no need to get nervous.”

“I try to not to put too much pressure on myself because I need to be calm, confident and relaxed to give a good performance,” Sophie Hinners, the third highest ranked female rider on the Longines Rankings, tells World of Showjumping.

I try to approach every show the same; you should have a solid plan, make good decisions and be focused

“However, I believe it's always good to have a little bit of pressure, this way you focus and concentrate better. I try to approach every show the same; you should have a solid plan, make good decisions and be focused, and not change what you normally do. It would be stupid to change the way you approach shows when it is a really important event, if your strategy has worked well so far.”

“I try to be relaxed and what helps me a lot is that with Deborah [Mayer], David [Will] and Richard [Vogel], I have true sports people around me,” Sophie explains about the importance of the team behind her. “They know that there are days where it can go wrong and that nobody fails on purpose. Everyone around me understands this, and it helps me a lot to work with such people. They know I always want to give my best, but sometimes it just doesn't work out – and the world doesn't end if that happens. You have to reflect on your failures, learn from your mistakes and next time do it better. Of course, we always want to succeed, but failures are part of any sport.”

26.2.2026 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.