class=”sc-3778e872-0 cKDKQr”>
Edouard Schmitz only knew the World Cup final from television. Now the up-and-coming showjumping rider is right in the middle of it in Omaha (USA) as the third Swiss finalist alongside defending champion Martin Fuchs (30) and veteran Pius Schwizer (60).
It is only Schmitz’s third appearance on the big stage. Last September he was part of the final of the Nations Cup in Barcelona (Sp) with the Swiss team, a month earlier he already participated in the World Championships in Herning (Dä). The rapid rise of the 23-year-old is the reward for his will and his passion for equestrian sport. Combined with the strong training – Schmitz has six horses at his disposal – and the perfect conditions at Martin Fuchs’ factory in Wängi TG, the Geneva jumped into the spotlight.
Six years in Fuchs stables
Schmitz’s horses are in the stable of the number 3 in the world. And Martin Fuchs’ father Thomas (66), coach of the Swiss team, is his personal coach and mentor. “My career would never have turned out the way it did if I hadn’t met the Fuchs family,” says Schmitz in the “Aargauer Zeitung”. He has been going in and out of the Fuchs stables since he was 17 and spends several hours a day with and on his horses when he is not taking them to tournaments.
How did this happen? In 2017, the French-speaking Swiss decided to study computer science at the University of Zurich. So a perfect shed had to be found that was easily accessible by train. The fact that his horses were allowed to move in with Fuchs made him very proud.
For Schmitz, the analytical and technical aspects of computer science training are the perfect balance to jump, requiring sensitivity, patience and composure. Because the Geneva native is also courageous and willing to take risks, he slowly but surely worked his way up to the top of the world. He is currently the third best Swiss player behind Fuchs (3rd) and Steve Guerdat (22nd) in 33rd place in the world rankings. He is even in second place among the “under 25s”.
Schmitz does not come from a traditional equestrian family. As a child he initially exhausted himself with swimming, skiing, football and judo. It wasn’t until he was eight that he convinced his parents that riding should become his great passion. 15 years later, he is now in the World Cup final. He qualified for this with two strong 2nd places at the World Cup tournaments in Bordeaux (Fr) and Amsterdam (Ho).
Schmitz’s last horse is Gamin van’t Bijveldhof, defending champion Fuchs relies on Leone Jei and Pius Schwizer on Vancouver de Lanlore.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
