Steve Guerdat, the Swiss number one in the world, told the FEI who his great sports heroes are. "In the field of equestrian sports, I have always looked up to John Whitaker"
"If you ask me about my sports heroes, Michael Jordan is also high on the list. He has made many memorable comebacks throughout his career. I have always been a great sports fanatic and his story is really an inspiration to me. Normally, top athletes shine a certain period in their lives, but with him that period seemed to last forever, "said the Swiss.
"In equestrian sports, John Whitaker has always been my hero. I admire him for a variety of reasons. When John is on a horse, everything looks easy. I don't think he realizes what he has accomplished because it always happened in such a natural way. Horses react to him in a certain way and everything looks so natural and easy. He has therefore always been an inspiration to me. "
"Whether I am also a sports hero? I don't think so. I don't think I'm such a good rider. Sometimes I still have the feeling that I don't really know what I'm doing and I still make a lot of mistakes. So no, I don't understand why riders would 'look up to me'".
Source: FEI