One medal behind them for the team show jumping event and the sense of purpose and focus has returned to the Saudi equestrian team. It was the first medal for Saudi Arabia at the 2012 London Olympics, its second Olympic equestrian medal and first-ever medal in an Olympic team event.
Today they face the challenging Olympic course as individuals and ride for individual gold and glory. The riders are up against talented and experienced competitors, all with top standard horses and all equally determined to snatch gold.
“I think what happened was beyond expectations,” Prince Abdullah bin Miteb, team captain, said of the Saudi team’s prospects on Monday after he finished the course with only four penalty points. He added that the team made was hoping to “make history” by appearing on the medals table for the first time in team show jumping.
Team member Ramzy Al Duhami said he had not the words to explain how much this [bronze medal] meant to the Kingdom. “We have invested so much in this sport and we hope our success here will grow the sport in our country.”
The team took a well earned rest after taking the horses out for an early morning check over and some gentle flat-work, said Chef d’equipe Rogier van Iersel . “The riders are very relaxed, had a good night’s sleep and after another inspection of the horses yesterday morning will prepare for the first round that starts at 12 noon (2 p.m. Saudi time).”
“They are in very good spirits, the medal gave them a tremendous boost and the prospects look quite promising,” he added.
Van Iersel explained that in the individual competition all riders start with zero points, none are carried forward from the team event. The jumping order will be the reverse of the medal order, putting the Saudis in third last to go. “This is an advantage, for they will know what they have to do and where the problems are on the course,” said Van Iersel.
He observed that it was difficult to say which riders in the event had the best chance of medals. “Many out there could win or take a medal,” he said, “Including us.”
While all was jubilation in the Saudi equestrian stable, reaction in some quarters has been somewhat short of gracious. During the team’s rounds, the commentators noted that it was, “fine buying horses but they (Saudi equestrian) have ridden them. Congratulations to Saudi Arabia.”
The Reuters filed a resounding accolade to Team KSA over the global news agency wires: “Saudi equestrian has achieved a goal set in 2009 — to buy great horses and succeed in London.”
This is a resounding endorsement of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s vision to create the Saudi Equestrian Fund by royal decree at the end of 2009 – with the target of providing the country with a legacy in equestrianism, a both very public and philanthropic aim. Van Iersel, who has been working with the Saudis since 2006, saw that there was depth in talent in riders, but he needed horses ready for top level competition to achieve anything at the 2012 Olympics. He has said his goal for the team was to achieve round two. The team exceeded that far beyond expectations.
“I had seen for a long time that we had top-level riders but we lacked the horse power,” he said. “And horse power comes with finding the right resources to buy these horses.” Hence the Saudi Equestrian Federation came into existence. Van Iersel noted that the team policy was not to buy young horses and to hopefully have them develop to a good level, because that route led to many disappointments. “The target is to buy proven quality,” he observed.
Whatever the money spent on the horses by any of the teams, “Still you need to sit on them, have the talent and put in the hard work to get anywhere,” he said.
Whatever the media comments in the shadow of the team’s success, the riders remain relaxed but focused on the job in hand and the stable’s vets and support team are at work to ensure that the horses are fit and rested. The final and perhaps the biggest test comes today. And insha’allah, more hardware for the Saudi equestrian trophy cabinet to shine as an inspiration for a new generation of equestrian talent.