Mary and Imperial Cavalier at the 2010 WEG in Lexington
Mary mentioned the Olympics several times during her talks over the weekend; having competed in five Games that’s hardly surprising. Each time she told us she’s gone home afterwards and wondered if she’d still be as keen and eager in four year’s time for the next Olympics. If there was any doubt about Mary’s drive for success at London, let me squash that right now!
“I don’t know why I’m still so keen, I feel very lucky that I’ve still got this real drive in me to get to the Olympics and be successful, but I have, I really have. There may be a few reasons: mainly because I still love the sport, I just love competing, I love producing these horses, starting off with these young horses who have no idea what life’s all about, who have no idea what they can possibly do with their bodies, what their future holds, and seeing how they change from event to event, how they progress – I find that fascinating. The fact that I’m also still fortunate enough to have success at the top level really keeps me going. As far as the Olympics, I’ve been very lucky and done five already so I’d better try and beat Mike Plumb’s record (laughing!), that’s one reason for trying to get to my sixth, but also I’ve been very fortunate and I’ve won a bronze and a silver medal but there’s one missing….!”
Mary focussed on Greenwich on Saturday night, comparing it hopefully to Barcelona, her favourite Games so far because the Equestrians will really be in the midst of the action, staying, sleeping and eating in the Olympic Village with all the athletes, and immersed in the Olympic culture. Mary quickly debunked the rumours that being on home soil will give Team GB an edge,
“I’m thrilled to bits it’s in Greenwich, but it’s of no advantage to the British riders, none at all. It’s going to be very different to what we’re used to. I suppose we’re so lucky in England, we have these amazing venues like Badminton and Burghley, these open, galloping estates with plenty of space, not unlike the wonderful Kentucky Horse Park here for Rolex, but Greenwich will be totally different. It’s a park, in the City; it’s extraordinarily undulating, you wouldn’t believe how hilly it is, and in an enclosed area so it will be quite a unique course to ride, for all nations, I don’t think anyone will ever have ridden around a cross country course on such undulating ground in quite such a compressed area.”
Although Mary has four horses qualified, realistically her hopes for London rest on Imperial Cavalier and King’s Temptress, and I caught up with her briefly before her voice ran out to ask about her plans for a spring campaign,
“The main stadium at Greenwich is down in the dip at Greenwich, and the last ten minute warm-up area is very small, and very close to the stadium, so those last ten minutes before you ride your test you’re going to be in a very small area next to the big, high stadium and it is high with all the seating for so many people, while the previous rider does their test, and if you’re unfortunate enough to follow, let’s say, Michael Jung or somebody, then the applause will be massive, and that next rider, you, is going to be on their horse right under that grandstand and will have to go in right as the crowds are cheering, so there’s a lot of possibilities for horses to become very tense, so that’s my main concern.”
Although competitive to her core, Mary is realistic,
“Whatever level you’re competing at, all you can do is prepare what you feel is your absolute best, and go to that event as prepared as you can be, and at the end of the day, whatever happens happens. If you end up winning that’s wonderful, but if you do the best you feel you can, and if your horse performs his best in each phase then that’s all you can ask for, and you just have to hope that that your best is good enough to win it.”
Mary was up bright and early on Sunday and spent the entire morning critique-ing riders’ videos in a “virtual clinic” before she catches her plane back home to England in the afternoon. Her event horses are back in work, and her sixth Olympic campaign will begin in earnest. As she signed many books, and as she told us before finally calling it a night on Saturday, “Horses are great levelers, but you have to focus on the positive and follow your dreams!”
Thank you again to Mary, to Area 8, to you for reading, and Go Eventing!
