Man is not supposed to humanize horses. But if horses could cry, the gelding “Saint Boy” would probably have sobbed as heartbreakingly as his rider, the modern pentathlete Annika Schleu, when leaving the course in Tokyo. A bad scene, unworthy of a show of excellence for which the Olympic Games actually stand. Right from the start, this horse wanted nothing like getting away from the scene.
It is unclear what the cause of his reluctance was, but he was strong. And Annika Schleu sat helplessly in the saddle, not up to the situation at all, because she had no idea about the disturbed creature that she was supposed to steer through a course. Modern pentathletes do not know the horses they are supposed to ride. They will be drawn by the organizer at short notice. A connection between rider and horse, the basic requirement for a harmonious coexistence, is not possible. The point of the exercise is completely missed.
The fact that the national coach shouted to her athlete to strike with the whip was completely wrong advice and the next act in a live-broadcast story of excessive demands. The receipt on social media also came promptly. But it is the functionaries who have to think about the consequences. A horse must not be brought into such a situation. And neither is a rider. Both have swept up a problem that began much earlier and that is rooted in the structure of the modern pentathlon.
This sport, which is actually not a sport but a combination of five sports, has often had to fear for its Olympic status and constantly reform itself in order to stay in the race. It also had to erase the traces of its historical reference, which manifests itself in the combination of swimming, fencing, horse riding, shooting and running: the connection to the military.
Despite all its efforts, the world association, which has been chaired by the German Klaus Schormann for many years, has missed the most important modernization step. The idea that riding should be part of this sport has long been outdated. The athletes may be multi-talented.
But they are at most tolerable riders who are given unacceptable riding tasks. To be clear: the discipline of horse riding has to be removed from the program of the modern pentathlon and replaced. By which? By another means of transport. Sport has a lot of possibilities. How about riding a bike?
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