Gregory Cottard: "It's important to communicate with your horse!"

Gregory Cottard: "It's important to communicate with your horse!"

Today Gregory Cottard secured a home win in Bordeaux after being the only one to make a clear Jump-Off. "I just recently decided to count on Cocaine for the bigger classes. For me it was a logic step to see how we could progress to the future."

"Normally I count on Cocaine for the speed classes. I know her for about three years now, and she has always been very quick and easy to rider. I looked at her as my second horse, after Bibici. Today I can confirm it was a good choice to experiment and make her step forward." Cottard said after winning the Grand Prix.

"I ride all my horses with a simple bridle," Cottard says after being spoken about his bridle choice. "It is all about horsemanship. I did a lot of research to find the perfect bridle and bit for my horses. But I like to keep it as simple as possible. As long as you train to communicate perfect with your horse, you can keep it simple. It's a matter of understanding each other in the most efficient way."

"I really like to understand my horses," the French jumper continues. "It's through understanding them, that is also why I like to prepare mentally before every competition. I know my horses understand me through my emotions and body language, I should be able to do the same."

F. © JC Bordas