Kühner achieved the only Austrian top ten places in the past 25 years at a World Cup final with ninth places in Gothenburg 2019 and Leipzig 2022. This year the tournament is overshadowed by the Olympics. “The whole year is geared towards the highlight of the season in Paris,” said the German native.
Which horse he will compete with in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in the summer will only become clear in the next few weeks. “I am in the fortunate situation that several horses are possible. I currently have five horses, all of which have shown that they can jump over difficult courses. Each horse should compete in 13 to 15 tournaments. I have a plan for every horse and then I’ll see how it develops,” explained Kühner.
APA/AFP/Anp/Olaf Kraak Things won’t get serious for Electric Blue until later
His Olympic favorite Electric Blue can take it slow this year; he started the season this month with smaller tests. With Up Too Jacco Blue and Julius Caesar, the world number eight wants to “take a little more risk” in Riyadh. I’m not known for taking that much risk, but I should take more so I know what’s up when it matters.”
Artificial intelligence is also involved
Too much risk is not appropriate because horses are the riders’ capital. They are cared for and cared for, and even brought into top shape with the help of mental trainers and artificial intelligence. “They are diagnostic tools, the horse can’t talk,” said Kühner regarding the use of AI.
“Approximately 30 points are determined on the horse. Musculoskeletal system, dynamics and movement are recorded, then we work with software. This way we can see whether the horse is moving evenly and rhythmically. If it is out of round, we can react quickly,” says Kühner. The movement profile is measured weekly to an accuracy of two millimeters.
Solarium and underwater therapy
The standard program is also impressive. “Weekly vet, weekly physio, daily solarium and chiropractic, I even work with a mental trainer for the horses,” said Kühner, describing the processes. He also has acupuncture and underwater therapy in his program.
“Often there are ten places within a second in a decision, so one step can decide whether I am first or eighth. If I don’t feel good about one step, I have no chance of taking part in the entire course. “It has to be able to take part in the best of health and confidence,” explained the European Championship bronze medalist and the team.
Prize money for the final doubled
In Paris, intensive care is said to be profitable; a lot of money is already at stake this week. The world association FEI has awarded the World Cup finals for jumping and dressage jointly to Saudi Arabia for the first time.
For the tournament on the Arabian Peninsula, where riding and horse breeding have a long tradition, the prize money was doubled compared to the previous year from 1.3 to 2.6 million euros. The German Marcus Ehning could become the first show jumper to win the unofficial World Indoor Championships for the fourth time in the huge trade fair complex Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.
2024-04-17 08:33:14
#Show #jumping #World #Cup #final #Kühner #Olympic #test
