3 Generations – 1 objective! When ‘young guns’ meet ‘old hands’ and ‘evergreens’

Hardly any other kind of sport combines fascination, passion and euphoria quite as well as equestrian sports.

In no other Olympic discipline do men and women compete with one another. And yet another thing makes equestrian sports so truly unique: competition between different generations in one event. From January 29th till February 1st, 2015, the audience will be able to admire riders aged between 19 and 72 years at the CSI3* International Show Jumping at GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER.

Young airiness against routine

Having just reached the age of 18, he won Olympic gold at the junior games in Singapore. He secured another nine medals in the course of his still young career at European championships. Now 22, Swiss rider Martin Fuchs is a member of the absolute world elite. In the GHPC he already won in 2012 at the CSI3* GLOCK’s Grand Prix. He can also lay claim to victories at the 5*-events at Paris, Geneva and Vienna.

Wonderboy Bertram Allen (IRL), currently number 15 on the world-ranking list, was also able to enter the GLOCK winners list of the GHPC. The Irish rider, only 19 years of age, finished the World Equestrian Games 2014 both in the individual/single as well as in the team score in an incredible seventh place, and everybody agrees – the future is his!

With Stefanie Bistan who just turned 23, Austria sends a steeply rising star into the game. This girl from Tyrol entered the finale at the World Equestrian Games 2014, became third best female rider and has been leading the top of Austria score for months ahead of her experienced colleagues. Despite both of her top horses Juvina and Bogegaardens Apollonia having been sold, this Magna Racino rider keeps fighting her way back into the world leading elite over and again, whilst also striving to be one of the top riders at the GHPC.

However, it won’t be an easy game for the young ones. Because at the International Show Jumping at the GHPC they will be meeting old hands, some of whom have been in the saddle longer than the youngsters have been alive.

GLOCK Rider Gerco Schroeder (36), for instance, has been riding for 29 years. His success story began in a similar way to that of Fuchs and co, in the junior league. There he fetched four-times gold in European championships. In 2006 and 2014 he won gold with the Dutch team in the general category at the World Championships and at the Olympic Games in London 2012 he won silver twice on GLOCK’s London N.O.P.

Marco Kutscher (GER) too, as a multiple European champion and double bronze medal winner in Olympic games, relies on his routine to which he adds a considerable amount of ambition, courage and readiness to take a risk. His compatriot double Olympic winner, world and European champion in eventing, Michael Jung, opts for the same recipe for success and is striving to enter the enduring list of favourites of the GHPC.

In line with the motto ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’, the pros have to attack to the full at every start. They certainly cannot rest on their laurels. Not only the next generation is breathing down their neck. The ‘evergreens’, aged 60 +, are back too.

They don’t grow old – they get better!

Hugo Simon is now 72 years old. However, he doesn’t tire of riding or, above all, winning! The Styrian veteran shows himself as ambitious as ever on any course. Thus he very impressively proves that equestrian sports know no age limit. The same is true for a gentlemen from Great Britain who celebrates his 60th birthday this year, John ‘The living legend’ Whitaker owns 18 Championship medals and succeeded in winning the GLOCK’s Grand Prix at the GHPC twice already. Therefore, one thing is certainly to be expected: this exceptional British rider will surely go for the hat trick on February 1st. Who will be winning this combat of generations? Watch and learn from January 29th till February 1st at the GHPC indoor arena.