#weg2018

Louise Svensson Jahde and Waikiki for Sweden.

2018 FEI World Equestrian Games Eventing

Tryon World Equestrian Games 2018 - show jumping | © Kimberly Loushin

Christian Weier and GLOBAL in the speed round

“I try to ride him like a horse that has two eyes,” said Christian Weier. “He jumps better than most horses with two eyes, so he gives me a lot of confidence. I don’t think about his eye. It can make a difference in a jump-off maybe, but in a course like this it doesn’t really affect him. The problems we had today had nothing to do with his one eye. I don’t know how he handles it, but horses have this capacity [to persevere].”

Global lost his eye in a stable accident shortly after Weier got him as a 5-year-old. A splinter entered his eye and despite treatment, the gelding developed an infection, and removing the eye was their only option.

“I do it as an amateur, and I stick to my horses; I don’t have an option,” said Weier, who is riding as an individual for Luxembourg. “I think he probably wouldn’t have made it in another stable, but he’s really tough, and he’s really my partner, and we’ve done great things. We’ve grown together, and I think he’s just made things possible for me that I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.”

Weier spends his days running his landscape architecture company during the day and rides in the evenings and on the weekends. Despite his limited show schedule, he’s shown in four FEI European Championships in his career.

“I’m proud, and I think I’m in a unique situation also that I can come here and do the championships,” said Weier, 41. “I did the European Championships, and that’s really for me the only opportunity to show what I’m able to do because on a regular basis I don’t get to the big shows. I do two- or three-star level shows mostly, but it’s easy for him.”

“For me, it’s really nice to be able to show that I can do it here also, and he did a clear round yesterday. I think today was not terrible; it was not what I was hoping for, but I think at this level you see it today there’s a lot of faults, and I think it’s fair enough. I can live with it. I’m not happy, but I’ll accept it.”

McLain Ward and Clinta at the Tryon World Equestrian Games

Speed rounds of show jumping, September 19, 2018

(My photos)

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