Friday, August 24, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
2012 London Olympic Games: Louisa Hill & Antonello Perform Tomorrow... I caught up with them last week...
ROCKSTARS & SUPERMODELS
The ROCKSTARS: ANTONELLO & Trainer: Andreas Müeller
The SUPERMODELS: LOUISA HILL & her support team: Jennifer Hill (Mum), Anna Simson (Sister) and Catherine Scott…
24-07-12 – LOUISA HILL & ANTONELLO – NZL 2012
LONDON OLYMPIC TEAM – EQUESTRIAN/Dressage
1ST Test: Grand Prix – Thursday 02 & Friday
03 August (approximately 60 competitors)
2nd Test: Grand Prix Special – Tuesday 07 August
(top 11 individual in the Grand Prix)
3rd Test: Grand Prix Freestyle – Thursday 09
August (top 18 from the Grand Prix Special)
Louisa’s second Olympic Games
(Team Member: Athens 2004)
I have been eagerly awaiting meeting up with this incredible
duo and her team over the past few months, even entertaining the idea to do a
1’400km detour after Germany’s Luhmühlen International Horse Trial in June to
visit her in Munich – to bring you all a glimpse of their build-up to the 2012
London Olympic Games… However, being
realistic due to schedules, I wasn’t able to do this detour!!!
Now, just on a week out from Louisa and Antonello, or
AJ as he is affectionately and quite well known to all his fans, travel into Greenwich, our schedules fall
perfectly into place, and I find myself driving to her UK Base at Oldencraig
Equestrian Centre in Surrey.
It is rather special, as I get to meet part owner, and
“Mum-of-Olympian” – Jennifer Hill, and one of Louisa’s very close friends and
her London 2012 Groom: Catherine Scott.
Louisa’s sister, Anna Simson, bred AJ and is also co-owner with Louisa
and Jennifer.
Both Louisa and AJ seem relaxed, bright-eyed and quite
honestly, they simply radiate through my wonderful Canons! However, the past few months have held a lot
of challenges.
The relocation, travel time, climate and season changes, and
new surroundings pose a huge challenge for these stunning creatures, along with
the European events being on a completely different scale to those in New
Zealand. It has been very important for
Louisa and Andreas to choose the best events for AJ in order to both expose him
to these atmospheres, but at the same time, not to overwhelm, and possibly
cause unnecessary stress – and it sounds like they have accomplished this, and
they have some entertaining tales to tell from a few of them!
“The CDI in Vierzon-France was a bit of a mixed bag, he
wasn’t really himself. In the Grand Prix
we had a major whoopsie in the half-pass and lost important marks, but we
finished 6th (out of 18
starters), and 6th again in the Freestyle”.
This event saw them travelling 14hrs from Munich, then it
was another 10hrs from Vierzon to her base here in Surrey. Louisa wanted to make sure she gave AJ time
to recover from this long trip with plenty of time before the Olympic Games –
they have been here just on two weeks.
“Now when he sees a truck he turns into this skinny thing and
tucks up – the travelling has been really tough on him”.
It must be a nice feeling to be only 26miles from London
now!
Louisa and Andreas are very firm with the relatively young
AJ, who is just 10years old. You can see
that he trusts Louisa and he wants to give his best… They acknowledge this, but they also see his
incredible potential, and it is quite the work of art putting into practice the
training to bring out all his best qualities in this intense horse – and I
think a lot of readers will be aware that this combination has stunning,
outstanding qualities!
“He is a big horse, but he is a scaredy-cat – we just hope
that there are no gremlins hiding at the Olympics!!!!”, Louisa smiles affectionately
as she leans on AJ’s shoulder in the stable while he nudges her for potential
treats in her jodhpur pockets!!! This is
a moment I feel even more
privileged to be able to witness, we all see these
magnificent combinations competing, expecting the highest calibre of
performance and being completely collected and in controlled unison, so to see
them in this relaxed atmosphere show’s a very real and very special
relationship between them. I hope the
images bring you into this magic atmosphere here at Oldencraig Equestrian
Centre right at this moment!
A little outline on Andreas Müller – “THE COACH” (based in
Munich-Germany):
Andreas Müeller is a world renowned rider, originally from a
Show Jumping and Eventing background, he started to specialise in Dressage over
16 years ago, and with Louisa’s and Resa
Van Der Ven’s help, has tried to make it to New Zealand regularly to run
clinics to help expand Dressage in New Zealand.
“I really enjoy New Zealand”, Andreas tells me (this man has impeccable
taste!). His focus now is on training
horses to Grand Prix level and selling them - he holds the highest examination
in Germany and has produced more than 25 Prix St Georges and Grand Prix horses
from scratch.
Over 6 years ago Louisa and Andreas met at HOY and Louisa
asked if he would help her. He began
training her with AJ when he was a 5yr old and he said: “This is your horse for
London”! And here they are!
Louisa speaks on the 2012 London Olympic Games:
She realised after the 2004 Athens Olympic Games that she
spent the whole time stressing and before she knew it, it was over!
“As Catherine Scott says: Stress is a useless waste of
energy that doesn’t help anything, you are going to have enough pressure on you
anyway”!
I asked Louisa how she mentally prepares herself for the big
events, and how her mind-set is going into her second Olympic Games:
You’ve got to try to put everything into perspective and
you’ve got to remember it is a sport!
All you can do is your best and
at the end of the day you hope it is good enough. Your dream would be to do your personal best
at The Olympics. I heard recently that
approximately 15% of people do their personal best at the Olympics. There is so much pressure on you. Of course you want to do your best for your
country, for all the people that have helped you get there, of course the best
by your horse – there is all of that pressure. And, even if it goes really
wrong, you’ve got to think: you’re still alive, it doesn’t make you a worse
person, and you did what you could in that situation – you’ve got to remember
that. It’s easy to say ‘if it goes
wrong, it’s the end of the world’ – but it’s not!
“You’ve got to try to enjoy the whole experience – my goal
is to get through to the Grand Prix Special at the Olympic Games – I will be
extremely happy if we can do that – he has so much more in him, but he is still
relatively green, so to get through to this will be wonderful”.
For this Louisa will have to score in the top 11 individual placing’s
in the first Grand Prix test to go through to the Grand Prix Special. And, if it all goes right on the day, they
have every chance of accomplishing this, and then, there is the final Test, the
Grand Prix Freestyle, which will see the top 18 individual competitors from the
Grand Prix Special contend! The
performance in the Grand Prix Freestyle will determine the Individual Medals.
“It is going to need everything on the day to go right! You know what it’s like with horses, the
atmosphere is going to be huge, they are not machines and you are never going
to know how they are going to react on the day to certain things and situations
that may present themselves...”
If you have seen the “stage” at Greenwich, just imagine the
atomosphere! Then you may begin to
appreciate the intense pressure these incredibly sensitive horses are under to
focus on executing “the performance of their lives” and the trust they must
have with their partners to cope with the surroundings of what is the 2012
London Olympic Games!
I do feel extremely lucky to have been able to visit Louisa
and AJ and capture this special time for
them so close to their performance at the most incredible sporting event in the
World! I have been lucky to have had the
opportunity to follow this combination over the past two years in New Zealand
and I do form a certain relationship with all my “models” through my lens… So to be able to spend time with them away
from the bright lights and bling of the events, and to ask questions and hear
the philosophy’s behind why they love what they do, and being able to share it
with all their fans, is just pure magic! 
I also found myself nose to nose with AJ in his stable –
this incredibly stunning, and to be honest, rather intimidating beast that is
all shine and glistening muscle – and here he is blowing softly on my face and
then nudging my hands inquisitively for hidden treats!!! He has taken my breath away! Next time I must
equip myself with some Polo’s!!!
Louisa has incredible support from:
Bates Saddles (15th year’s) – www.batessaddles.com
Coprice (5th year) - www.coprice.com.au
Equestrian Sports NZ;
Dressage NZ;
Pelorus Trust; and all the people who helped get us to
Australia where we gained qualification for the 2012 London Olympic Games;
Resa Van Der Ven –
“Such a huge support and always there for me”;
Cate Wilson – Looking after the Hill Property in New Zealand
and all that goes with it;
Caroline Tibbits and Lynley Schollum – SUPERSTARS of the
Facebook Fundraiser;
All the buyers in the Auction;
Jan McIntyre, Jane Ewen and Meredith Reid – “Who are the
most delightful people one could ever meet and have worked so hard with
funding”;
The David Livine Charitable Trust;
Vet Products from Caledonian Holdings;
Mark Ewen Vets in Cambridge;
“The lovely Jill Flyger” – providing transport to the
Nationals and HOY;
Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group;
Horowhenua Dressage;
SPARC;
Abercothi Covers;
Kevin Crafar;
Barbara Thompson;
“My lovely sisters”;
Catherine Scott – “Beautiful friend who is right beside me
now!”
“I am so lucky, it is all very humbling! THANKYOU”
LOUISA HILL AND ANTONELLO, you have already struck
gold in the hearts of your fans, I hope you feel the support we are all sending
you – GOOD LUCK, YOU ROCKSTAR & SUPERMODEL!
We’ll be with you every step of the way…
“MAKING US PROUD” - NEW ZEALAND
LIBBY LAW PHOTOGRAPHY – NZL
www.libbylawphotography.com
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