Steve is back !
Sidelined for three long months following an operation on a painful herniated disc, Steve Guerdat returned to action at Gorla Minore and continued his comeback with appearances in Rome, St. Gallen and La Baule. It was at the CSIO in France that your newsletter caught up with the Jura rider – the Olympic silver medallist at Paris 2024 and the reigning European champion – to discuss his return to the arena, his health, and the excellent form of his horses. Guerdat seemed to be in fine fettle himself during his stay in the Brittany seaside resort, putting together two superb clear rounds in the Nations Cup on Albführen’s Iashin Sitte, then triumphing in style in the legendary Derby with Easy Star de Talma, recording the only clear round of the event.
Steve, how are you?
Steve Guerdat: I’m very well, feeling better and better. The riding’s going well and though there are still a couple of issues to sort out here and there, things are going nicely.
You were out of action for nearly three months? How was your enforced absence?
A lot better than people thought, for sure, and better than I could ever have imagined. Everyone knows how much I love competition and my horses. I’ve been competing almost every week for 25 years, but I amazed myself because I got through that period really well.
It was five weeks before the World Cup Finals in Basel when the decision to stop was made. I was in so much pain, I couldn’t even think about getting on a horse. Having an operation was an obvious choice and I never gave the option of pushing myself to make the finals any thought. I’ve known for the last two years that I needed to have surgery on my meniscus, for example, but I could handle the pain. I ended the 2023 season with a damaged left meniscus and then I did the right the following year, but I was able to schedule both operations. With this one, I had to have it right away, there and then, so there was no decision to make really. I honestly couldn’t have waited another three days.
Before the operation, the doctors told me there was a risk it might take longer than planned, and when it was over I didn’t feel like climbing back on a horse. Just watching my horses jumping at home made me wince. I had chills running through my body and I felt like I could feel every vibration. But at the same time, it was great to be at home. I had an excuse for not travelling, for taking it nice and easy. It was like I’d been forced to take a break. I started physio after a couple of weeks and had two sessions a week. It was pretty basic to start off with, but the sessions were between an hour and an hour and a half long. It took up quite a bit of time and helped fill my days up, because I was also going to the stables three times a day. It was all very pleasant and time went by very quickly.
Do you see the slipped disc as some kind of warning sign? Are you going to listen to your body more from now on?
Yes, for sure. I think the condition’s still going to evolve, but right now I don’t feel like overdoing anything, simply because I can’t. When I get up in the morning, I need to do an hour and a half of exercises to get going and get some mobility in my back so I can start to get loosen. Then I can get on with my day. I make myself ride five horses, and once I’ve done that or competed in my three or four events at the weekend, I’m worn out, so there’s no way I want to do anything on top of that. I’ve found my little routine though.
Judging by your results in Rome, St. Gallen and La Baule, you look to have recovered well, and your horses too. Do you think this enforced break has been good for them?
No doubt about it. You’ll never hear me say that a break’s not good for a horse. Some people say they need to be active the whole time, but having a breather is always good for them if you ask me. Having said that, you have to be smart in getting them back into the swing of things, and that can take longer with some horses than others.
How did you feel about competing again?
I was a bit scared, because memories of the last few weeks before the operation were still fresh, especially the last few rounds. But it went off well and I felt better and better every time I competed, which was reassuring. I’ve not had any nasty surprises just yet. The only thing I’ve noticed is that some of the things I used to do without even thinking about are now pretty tiring, especially travelling or even something as mundane as walking the arena. Things are a bit trickier than before. In my everyday life, I’d say I’m back to 70% of my physical capabilities, but on horseback I feel as good as I did before.
As the reigning champion, you must have your sights set on the Europeans.
Aachen is my number one objective, ahead of the Europeans even, because I’ve never won the Grand Prix for a start, and it’s close to my heart. Then there’s the fact that, as everyone knows, next year’s world championships are in Aachen. I’m planning to ride Dynamix then. Then, looking ahead to September, there’s the Europeans, followed by Calgary. I’ll be riding Iashin and Venard de Cerisy respectively there. That gives them all a goal to work towards.
Interview by Sophie Lebeuf
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