At the age of 28, he already has nine senior championships under his belt, including two Olympic Games and last month’s World Championships in Aachen, but it has taken until this week’s Defender Burghley for Robin Godel to take on a five-star competition.

The Swiss rider’s partner is the 18hh Dealer de la Bride.

“[His size] affects my ride for sure because with so big a stride, it’s hard to put him together,” said Robin.

“But I think it’s also an advantage for the cross-country, because we can hold the line and he can stay between my legs, and he’s fast between the jumps, so it’s a good thing.”

Robin, who finished 23rd individually and fifth as part of the Swiss team in Aachen aboard Grandeur de Lully, said his autumn campaigns have traditionally been focused on championship appearances, meaning Burghley has never fitted into his plan.

He said he asked Swiss team trainer Andrew Nicholson, a five-time winner of Burghley before his retirement, whether “I’m good enough to come here” and they walked the cross-country track together.

“I’m very happy with this week. Dealer was a bit tired yesterday at the end of the course. We had a bad jump in the water, and then it was hard for me to keep him with me, but he finished well, and today he jumped fantastic,” said Robin.

“With one [showjump] down, I think we can be happy.”

A two-year break

Robin has been riding Dealer for around five years.

“He did some small competitions before with another rider, and then he was injured in a four-star long competition, so we gave him two years in the field, and now he’s very fit,” said Robin.

He added that the time off in the field with the sun on his back was a good thing to help the horse mature.

“Because of his size, I think it helped him [having time off]. He’s very hot, very tense, so two years in the field with all the weather and everything, it was a good thing for him and then he came back very good.

“For sure he still needs some management for his head so that he can keep with me, but he’s a wonderful horse, and I’m very happy to have him here,” said Robin.

“I’m used to having big horses, my others are also big. In the canter training I have to give him some time between exercises and I have to prepare for each jump early so he can do the normal strides, but it’s also an advantage to have a stride like that.

“Next year, I will continue with five-star because I think he’s made for it. He’s not really a championship horse, so I want to keep him at the first five-star level.

“Before I’ve only had one horse [at this level] and I wanted to keep him for the championships. That’s why I didn’t do any five-stars. But now I’m lucky — I have Dealer who can do these classes and other horses for the championships.”

Image by Tim Wilkinson

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