Saturday’s cross country at the FEI World Championships saw a stellar performance from Australians Andrew Hoy and 17-year-old Vassily de Lassos (Jaguar Mail x Jalienny), with the pair going clear and adding just 4.8 time penalties to their PB dressage score for a total of 31.7. They are now tenth ahead of Sunday’s final jumping phase.
“I never underestimate any cross-country course, especially a Championship course,” said Andrew following his clear round.
“I had to be on my A-game all the way around; there was not one point, from when you leave the start line to when you get to the finish line, where you can say, ‘this is easy, I can now relax’. It’s all the time keeping the brain activated.
“I lost a shoe somewhere around the 7-8 minute mark, I don’t know exactly where, so I just had to take a little bit of time. The time was not easy to get, but this is what the sport is about, and for you to be at the top of the leaderboard, you’ve got to ride well. In all honesty, I think I could have gotten the time… it’s about little things that I did that I could have done better,” explained Andrew.
“What Giuseppe Della Chiesa has done with his entire team, and what the entire Aachen team has done, is not just hosting a World Championship… they have put on a world-class competition, and I think it’s an absolute credit to them,” he enthused.
“The ground is just amazing for a cross-country course, especially during these times where there are water restrictions, and so they’ve really made it happen. This is Germany’s biggest sporting event for this year, and so it’s wonderful that it’s so recognised.”
Speaking about his equine partner, Vassily de Lassos, Andrew said he just absolutely loves the horse. “He makes me look really good… [he] is the most spectacular horse.
“I’ve also got the most spectacular owner in Linda Mars and her father; for them to own the horse… I told Linda yesterday, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here, and so that’s really special.
“Vassily and the team that I’ve got around me are just exceptional, because this is why he looks so well, it’s not about what I do, it’s about the team that I have around me.”
Twenty years on from his team bronze medal with Master Monarch at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Andrew says he’s just as excited by the sport now as he was then.
“What really excites me about riding horses is, number one, developing the relationship with the horse, and then going out and working through the challenges of riding a cross country horse, the challenges of the dressage test, then the challenges of the showjumping.
“I really love being at the pointy end of whatever I do, and that’s what keeps me going. My mother in Australia is watching as well at the age of 99, so that’s really special.”
And three words to describe Andrew’s cross country round? “Exhilarating, focus, and result,” he said.
The second horse inspection for eventing is at 5.30pm AEST Sunday, 16 August (9.30am local time) with the jumping phase to begin at 9pm AEST Sunday, 16 August (1pm local time). Draws will be confirmed after the trot up.
