HSJ’s interview with Geraldine Straumann

Road to the Europeans

Just before the European championships 2023 in Gorla Minore we also met with the just 18 year old swiss rider Geraldine Straumann. Despite her young age Geraldine has already proven through several competitive results and rounds that she belongs to the top level of the sport. After winning team silver in Villamoura she soon stepped her way up in the sport by already placing in several ranking classes at a 2/3 star level. Just recently this year Geraldine stepped up to the next level by clearing the 155 class of the 5* CSI Basel and by jumping her first CSI 5* GP in St. Gallen with her mare Qualoma. 

Hi Geraldine, tell us a little bit about yourself and your current string of horses.


Hi, my name is Geraldine Straumann , I’m 18 years old and I’ll compete this year in the Young Rider European Championships with my 11 year old mare, Casalor.


Is there any special horse in your career that you’re most grateful for? 

In general I believe that every horse I ride contributes something to the whole learning process and journey as a rider and also as a person but I say that there were maybe two horses which had some major impact on my career so far and that was Silver Surfer with whom we won the Team Silver in Villamura. He taught me every day something new and we had some really special bond together. And then my mare Qualoma which is an incredible big-hearted mare. With her I did my first bigger classes and shows and recently we did our first five-star Grand Prix together and she just gives me a lot of confidence with her really amazing mindset. 

How does it feel to have been selected for the European Championships? 

It is always one of the biggest goals of the season to qualify for the Europeans and when it works out, it’s a good feeling and to represent the nation is anyway always an honor. 

This isn’t your first championship. You have previously been to some other championships and have won medals. Does your previous experience and success give you confidence or do you feel more pressure? 

Yeah I mean for sure it gives you confidence as a rider because you can rely on some experience you already made in the previous years. 

Is your championship horse going through a specific program to get him to the Europeans in the best shape possible or do you keep the same program as always? Generally, I try to keep as much as possible the same before the championships, but for sure I made, for example, a plan on when she’s doing the last show before the Europeans that she has enough break beforehand or also from training wise we did a lot of condition training outside on the uphill for example, So more like small adjustments that we make. 

The full interviewn soon available on our Spotify Podcast, Kiss and Cry – Road to the Europeans. Follow us and turn on notifications so you don’t miss the release of this episode. Read the other HSJ’s interviews with the rider da selected for FEI European Championships Ch/J/YR 2023.

Foto Marta Fusetti (c)

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