Acrobatics on horseback

To successfully perform handstands, lifting figures, jumps, and other acrobatic elements on a galloping horse, a lot of training is required. The youngest voltiuers train around three hours per week, while top athletes train at least 15 hours. This is because the sport of vaulting combines several challenges: strength, coordination, gymnastic skills, and balance are essential requirements. The connection between human and horse must be right not only for the athletes, but also the longe handlers must know their horse and its reactions very well. Since especially the freestyle routines are always choreographed to music, a good sense of tempo and rhythm as well as a capacity for dancing expression are also needed. And let's not forget, since insurance against injuries and unwanted dismounts from the horse is often necessary, an unconditional team spirit is essential.

From the age of five, young people learn that vaulter girls and boys can rely on each other blindly and must trust one another. Only by doing so can they later perform lift figures with three athletes on the horse and make it look effortless. The bond is strong, as is the love for the horse. Martina Seyrling, the head of the vaulting group at RC Seefeld and trainer of the top group puts it this way: “Once you lose your heart to the sport of vaulting, you are usually connected to it for life.” The animal part of the team is partly responsible for this. “Our horses and their well-being come first; they are like family members.” So the sudden death of the best horse in the stable, Don Rudi, in 2023 was a hard blow that shook the entire club out of its routine. Even the youngest club members, who only knew Rudi from the stable, shed tears in front of his empty box.

Finding a successor was not easy for various reasons. Firstly, there are not many trained vaulting horses available on the market, as their training alone takes three to five years. It takes a lot of patience for a horse to get accustomed to the movements and weight of the vaulters and to feel secure and comfortable with it. Moreover, these specially trained horses are anything but inexpensive. Their financial value starts at €50,000 and up. Finally, there must be chemistry between the animal and the team. Although Seyrling and her team found Fürst D, a Hanoverian stallion, in Kiel, the 2023 season was already over. And in 2024, they will not be competing in all classes out of consideration for the horse. With a height of 1.89 meters, the 13-year-old is also particularly tall and consistently poses new challenges for the team. “Getting on is the least of our concerns,” says Lena Bachbauer, one of the top athletes, with a smile. “Much more difficult is his slower gallop rhythm, which we had to get used to last year.”

How does one get started with this sport? In many clubs, the newcomers start in the gym with classical gymnastics training. In Seefeld, they go straight to the stable and riding arena. This way, everyone learns immediately that there's more to it than just gymnastics. First, there's the grooming of the horses, which is an essential element in the human-animal relationship: brushing, currying, picking out hooves, and if necessary, also mucking out – that's part of it, even if the smallest ones can only reach up to the horses' bellies. Some school friends may wrinkle their noses at the topic of stable work, but the newcomers don't care: "They just don't get it,” says a small vaulter, brushing the dust off her pants. In VG Seefeld, despite the glittering dresses, graceful updos, and makeup at competitions, there are no princes and princesses. Rubber boots and the smell of horses are as essential as leggings and gym shoes.

In addition to this truly impressive team spirit, there is something else admirable in the sport of vaulting: All coaches of the RC Seefeld work entirely voluntarily, and this can amount to 15 hours per week; notably even more during the preparation phases before the European Championships and World Championships. Furthermore, there is the time required for horse care. This includes grooming, feeding, mucking out, as well as the two to three hours of supplementary training that must be completed five days a week. Vaulting is only performed on each horse twice a week. These activities are carried out by coaches, athletes, and enthusiastic outsiders. Nothing can be paid for this work. The costs of the club – roughly calculated at €70,000 for stable fees, veterinary care,
farrier, feed, chiropractic and physiotherapy for all horses, plus €4,000 to €6,000 per horse for equipment – are funded by the club itself, through membership fees, smaller sponsors, and food sales at competitions.

Being part of such an event is a unique experience. Naturally, one should not be afraid of dust and horses up close, as the audience sits right in the middle of the riding arena, directly at the action. However, thanks to the top group from Seefeld, which already won its first international tournament in Portogruaro (Italy) at the beginning of the season, as well as two World Championship medalist athletes from the Pill vaulting group, Eva Nagiller and Clara Luwiczek, the sport of vaulting is offered at a world-class level.