Rhomberg and Colestus head to Aachen in peak form

Vorarlberg show jumper Katharina Rhomberg will start the equestrian world championships in Aachen on Wednesday with her horse Colestus in top form, ORF reported. The 33-year-old is enjoying the best season of her career, while Colestus has already performed strongly at the venue.

Rhomberg won her first five-star Grand Prix at Versilia in Tuscany in May, followed by two second-place finishes in St Gallen. She said years of physical and mental training had brought her, and her horses, to a point where everything had come together.

“I have never travelled to a championship with such a good feeling,” Rhomberg said. She acknowledged that confidence also created expectations, but said she wanted to avoid putting herself under pressure and focus fully on her horse and the course.

Olympic qualification in sight

Rhomberg’s specific target is qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The seven highest-placed teams besides the United States, which has a guaranteed place as the host nation, will qualify. Austria is not among the favourites, she said, but qualification was difficult yet achievable if all the riders were in good form.

The Austrian team has already handled its underdog status successfully, including with second place in this year’s Nations Cup in St Gallen and a team bronze at the 2023 European Championships.

Aachen’s stadium, which holds 40,000 spectators, is regarded as a centre of equestrian sport. Rhomberg said she had watched the Aachen Grand Prix on television with her family every year when she was young and had attended the event in person eight years ago. In May, she returned to the venue and finished fourth in the Grand Prix with Colestus.

She said the knowledgeable crowd fell silent during the round, making it possible to hear a pin drop, before responding with loud applause. Colestus, an 11-year-old Westphalian, had responded positively to the atmosphere and appeared to be motivated by the large audience.

Rhomberg chose Colestus over her other top horse, Cuma, who produced two clear rounds in St Gallen. She said Colestus had slightly more energy and was less likely to tire during the five-day championship.