July 19th, 2016
Danish Team Nominated for the Olympics
Anna and Pepe are among the riders appointed to the Danish national team for the Olympic Games.
Today, the Danish National Equestrian Federation finally published the names of the four dressage riders that will be representing Team Denmark in Rio de Janeiro next month.
Anna and Pepe are among the four riders, and will be joined by Agnete Kirk Thinggaard and Jojo AZ, Cathrine Dufour and Cassidy and Anders Dahl and Selten HW.
“I feel very relieved today, it feel great finally to read it black on white that we are finally appointed to the national team and will be competing at the Olympics. Now I can finally start looking forward for the greatest show of them all!” Anna answers to the question about how she is feeling this morning.
What are you most excited about?
Anna: There are many thing that I look forward to: Seeing Deodoro, where the competitions are set to take place, seeing the Olympic Village, participating in the opening ceremony… And most of all; to the second where we are entering the stadium for the first time in the Grand Prix!
In that moment, do you take time to think, “This is it. I am entering the Olympic Stadium”?
Anna: Yes you do! It is a very special feeling. I remember the feeling from when I competed at the London Olympic Games, where it started pouring down just as I was about to enter, in the Grand Prix. I said to myself that this should under no circumstances ruin my experience!
What are you most nervous about?
Anna: Pepe´s travel to Brazil, for sure!
When and how do the horses travel to Rio de Janeiro?
Anna: Pepe and Agnete´s horse, Jojo AZ, will travel together. My groom, Jane, flies ahead of them in order to be there to receive them. The horses will go to Liege by truck on the 1st August, and Agnete´s groom, Gitte, will join them on the flight. They depart on the 2nd August. I will also go to Liege to help boarding and make sure everything is okay, but I cannot fly with them. So I follow on the 3rd August. After they arrive in Rio we have one week to acclimatize before the competitions begin on the 10th August.
How do you prepare Pepe for the travel?
Anna: Since the National’s I haven’t been training him hard. Actually he is so fresh these days that he almost bucked me of yesterday! I think I will get a few lessons before we depart. But besides from that we follow our normal procedure: taking the days one by one, feeling what he needs on that particular day. It is a balance, though. I want him to be fresh for the exhausting trip but also fit to compete under maximum pressure once we are there.
Considering the Danish team, what do you see as your greatest strengths?
Anna: We are a young team with three Olympic debutants. However, all four of us have proved that we have nerves of steel, and works the best under pressure. Another strength is that we know each other well and all get along very well. The latter is always important, but even more important during the Olympic Games due to the intensity and length of the show, where we will be living together in the Olympic Village and almost be isolated from the rest of the world.
What are your expectations to the team and individually?
Anna: I think we are a rather strong team this year and we are worthy of entering the competition for the metal. We know we will need to peak at the right time but we believe it is possible and will go for it. Individually it is my aim to qualify for the freestyle, and my dream is to make it to the top-10.
Do you plan on seeing any other sports competitions during the Olympics?
Anna: In the top of my list is handball, followed by athletics and swimming. But we haven’t planned anything yet; we will see what is possible once we are there.
