Interview with our Antarès rider Bryan Balsiger

Victories come one after another, the latest one being the Ascona CSI 4*, and he is Swiss champion for the third time. Our Antarès rider Bryan Balsiger, 25 years old, answered our questions to talk about his horses, their training and his goals for the season!

Give us your thoughts following your win.

“As well as the Grand Prix, this is the third time I’ve won the Swiss Championships, riding Chelsea here in Ascona. It was my number one goal of the season! I was really set on getting good results and I had good vibes with my horses from the start of the week. Dubai came 2^nd in the 1m 30 competition, Chelsea 4^th on Friday and Don Juan won the jump off.

I had a really good feeling about Dubai for the Grand Prix even if she’s still young. We’ve been making great progress over the last 3 years we’ve been riding together. Her form was good and she jumped really well. We also got a bit of luck when we needed it.

As for Chelsea’s performance, Romain (Duguet) and Barbara (Schneiper) both rode flawless rounds in the competition, which gave me an even greater incentive. I wanted to rise to the occasion and as my start was towards the end of the event, I had time to dissect the circuit. It was the icing on the cake for that Sunday!”

Tell us about your horses.

“Dubai du Bois Pinchet is a 13-year old mare and it’s her first year at Grand Prix 5* level and first time at the Nations Cup. Dubai is always improving and that’s not going to stop! I’m really pleased with her.

Chelsea Z is a 9-year old mare and she’s been a really steady performer at 3* and 4* levels. I’m very happy with her results, especially her performance at the Swiss Grand Prix.

As for Clouzot de Lassus, we are just starting to ride our first ranking events. In fact, he made the leader board last weekend in Saint Tropez.

I also ride several 8-year olds, including Special, Scarlina and Cyra. They need to do a bit more work but they’ve got great potential and have quality written all over them.

Urbanus Z is a 10-year old Hungarian who has won a lot this year. He’s also a great performer in jump offs. He made the leader board at the Derby in La Baule!

Last, there’s Don Juan, who’s a steady performer in the 1m 40 and 1m 50 events. He’s won a whole host of events this year.

I have a really positive feeling about my horses and I hope we’ll continue on this track!”

How do you get your horses ready? Do you have a special programme?

“Some times of the year are more important than others and that’s when it’s best to keep things as simple as possible. As a result, everything runs smoothly and me and my horses can share the joy together.

Otherwise, some weeks provide an opportunity to make some changes or those final necessary adjustments.”

What are your goals for this new competition season?

“I’m targeting the World Cup rounds, so I’ll focus on these key dates. The next rounds are in Oslo (from 13 October 2022) and Helsinki (23 October 2022). I want to make the final!”

Do you have a routine as a rider?

“I’ve got a fitness programme to stay fit and switch from one event to the next. I strive to be in the best shape possible because I don’t want to be a hindrance for my horses!”

Can you give us an update on Twenty?

“Twenty is still at the clinic to properly stabilise and treat her leg injury. She should soon be returning to Switzerland in one or two weeks’ time and I can’t wait to see her. She’ll be able to enjoy her retirement and perhaps provide us with her successor.”

We wish Twenty a good recovery and the whole Antarès team supports Bryan for this great season to come!