Equestrian Van Grunsven: not over the hill just yet

"Even I have to admit the new riders are refreshing," three time Olympic dressage champion Anky van Grunsven told NRC Handelsblad in an interview about her allegedly fading form.

Dressage rider Anky van Grunsven runs her equine empire from Erp, the town in the south of the Netherlands were she was born in 1968. Class rooms, guest houses, a conference hall and an educational centre are all being built here in the coming months in in preparation for the second career she plans after the 2012 Summer Olympics. After more than twenty years at the top of international dressage, Van Grunsven will work as a trainer and coach.

This year Van Grunsven was mostly in the news for the titles she didn't win. She was part of the the Dutch team that won the gold at the European Championship in Winsor in August, but competing individually, she only earned bronze. In Winsor, like other tournaments, fellow Dutchmen Edward Gal and Adelinde Cornelissen defeated her.

Dutch horse magazine Hoefslag placed her 7th on its list of the most important Dutch riders of 2009. "Dressage queen Anky van Grunsven saw her halo of invincibility crumble and missed individual victories in all major competitions," the magazine justified her low ranking. "Bullshit," according to Van Grunsven.

In her 25 years in the game, she has seen a lot of talent come and go. The only way to remain undefeated is by quiting early in your career, she said. "If I had retired after my Olympic victory in Sydney [in 2000] people might still consider me 'invincible', but I would never have won the Olympic titles in Athens and Hong Kong. As an athlete, I mainly try to follow my heart."

The questions she has had to answer about her competitive decline since the 2008 title in Hong Kong weigh heavily on Van Grunsven. "But I do not ride for others, I ride for myself," she said. "In fact, I really don't care what others think of me."

How do you look back on the past year?

"Dutch dressage as a whole has done fantastic. While the Germans were shocked by a doping case [Isabell Werth was suspended for six months after her horse tested positive for the tranquilliser fluphenazine] and the international federation had administrative problems, but Dutch riders knew nothing but success. I am not entirely happy with my own performance; I admit I rode some poor shows. But I really knew I would have a tough year after Hong Kong. I worked towards the Olympics, I won and then ... I had some motivational issues for a while."

That doesn't seem to put you back.

"No, because I know myself well enough to be sure I would get over it. Van Grunsvens don't quit, we keep going, no matter what."

A slump can actually serve as a booster, Van Grunsven continued. "I really learn from things that don't go well. Only then am I forced to consider: what went wrong, why and how can I fix it? Setbacks make me aware of why I ride. Believe me, quiting and doing something else would be the easy thing to do."

Has the thought crossed your mind?

"I went through a rough patch twice. The first time was in 1998, when I came second to Isabell Werth at the World Dressage Championship in Rome. I felt I had done better than her and that led to an emotional low which brought about the question: what am I doing it for? The second time was after the Sydney Olympics. I had lived up to that event for years and when I won the gold, I wasn't sure what to do next."

Her horse Bonfire did retire. "If I hadn’t found such a talented replacement in Salinero, I don't know how things would have ended up. Winning has never been my ambition; I just want to ride well. But I am not competing for 40th place."

A slump may not keep you up at night, but others consider it news when a competitor beats you.

"Yes, these days, I make headlines when I don't win. That surprises me from time to time."

Do you handle losing well?

She jumps up. "I didn't lose! I rode very well."

But others beat you on several occasions this year.

"Look, I used to be the only top equestrian in the Netherlands. I had to shine at two annual events: the world cup and the Dutch championship. I used the rest of the season to experiment. If I try new things now, chances are I won't win. It is part of the deal, because if I don't experiment, I don't improve myself. And you could predict that Totilas would be great," she said referring to the new star on the horizon, the horse of Edward Gal.

Are you ever jealous of Gal and Totilas? The horse is said to be worth 15 million euros.

"No, if I were jealous, I would be a very unhappy person. I consider myself lucky with what I have. Totilas is a great horse, but who can guarantee I would have the same connection with him as Edward Gal does? No, even if I had the money I would not buy Totilas. He is only nine, to completely guide his career, I would need another seven years."

She now has other things to care about, she says, her five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. "As a mother, I am not getting into any new projects. I didn't put children on this world to leave them home all the time."

How do you combine motherhood and dressage?

"Until recently I always took my children to contests. But the oldest has to go to school now, so it is becoming harder. But I knew that when I decided to have children."

People say being a mother has changed you. What do you think?

"I have become a lot softer. And I can put things in perspective better. When I see my children after a bad performance in the ring, I think: who cares? Tomorrow is another day. If you have everything your heart desires, the pressure of having to perform fades. I can now ride because I really want to, which is not unimportant, given that I have to work three times as hard for my points."

Do you think jury members think: you have been at the top for so long, it's time for some new blood?

"It seems like it. I did not receive a single point to many this past year. That is frustrating, but even I have to admit the new riders are refreshing."