The Longines Global Champions Tour has announced the release of the sixth episode of its free content series, Rising Above presented by Longines. This latest installment, titled "Becoming An Insider," showcases the inspiring journey of the talented showjumper Edouard Schmitz and how he broke into the show jumping world having not come from an equestrian background.
Reflecting on his early years, Schmitz shares, "I was definitely an outsider. As a kid, I tried a lot of sports. I think my parents knew how risk-friendly I was, and they preferred me living that risk friendliness in a pool or on a soft mat rather than on a horse. For many years, I had to beg my parents to let me get on a horse. And when I finally did, I never stopped."
Schmitz candidly discusses the challenges he faced breaking into a sport dominated by those from established horse families. "At first, I felt completely lost. I had only seen these athletes on TV before, and the first reaction was that I was not really taken into account. That's difficult when you don't come out of a horse family. Once they saw how dedicated and excited I was about the sport, they opened up and welcomed me."
Reflecting on his early years, Schmitz shares, "I was definitely an outsider. As a kid, I tried a lot of sports. I think my parents knew how risk-friendly I was, and they preferred me living that risk friendliness in a pool or on a soft mat rather than on a horse. For many years, I had to beg my parents to let me get on a horse. And when I finally did, I never stopped."
Schmitz candidly discusses the challenges he faced breaking into a sport dominated by those from established horse families. "At first, I felt completely lost. I had only seen these athletes on TV before, and the first reaction was that I was not really taken into account. That's difficult when you don't come out of a horse family. Once they saw how dedicated and excited I was about the sport, they opened up and welcomed me."