Just one day before the most important competitions of the year get underway, the vaulters and their horses are putting the finishing touches to their preparation at Allianz Park. The German national coach, Kai Vorberg, is optimistic about his team's chances of reaching the podium, although he warns of the importance of keeping their feet on the ground and approaching the competition with focus.
Gianna Ronca gently strokes her horse's neck. Ecuador moves forward with a calm canter around the circle in Arena 3, specially covered for the World Vaulting Championships, as the vaulters make their final preparations before a small group of spectators.
«Our training is adapted to each horse, depending on what it needs. With some we simply do a gentle warm-up lap for them to settle; with others we can go straight into performing the exercise, explains Kai Vorberg. The German national coach, who was crowned world champion in Aachen in 2006 with his legendary freestyle routine Mozart, is satisfied after the session: Everything went exactly as planned and as we expected with all of them.
With Team Norka —the reigning world team champions— and other experienced vaulters with an extensive record in major championships, Vorberg considers that Germany has strong prospects for success in the Sparkasse Prize. An expectation that extends to the female and male individual categories as well as the pas de deux, team and squad events.
«When Germany competes, the goal is always to win medals. But we must remain humble,» points out Vorberg, calling for caution despite the successes reaped in recent years. The national coach explains that losing that humility in sport can cause things to go wrong quickly.
«That's why we remain focused and concentrated, hoping to guide our horses, vaulters and lungers towards the best possible result in the compulsory, technical and freestyle tests,» he adds, already with his sights set on the competitions that begin tomorrow.
For Ecuador, a horse that can always be relied upon, the final trial before the championship ended with praise and affection. Everything is ready for the world elite of vaulting to deliver their best performances at the FEI World Championship, which starts tomorrow.
All the horses passed the veterinary inspection today, meaning there is now nothing to prevent horses, vaulters and longeurs —those responsible for working the horse on the lunge line— from displaying all their work and coordination out on the arena.
Do you want to experience live how the best vaulters in the world try to make history? Tickets are available in the online shop, by phone on +49-241-9171111 or directly at the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein offices. Experience close up the fight for medals, dreams fulfilled and the transformation of the Allianz Park into the heart of world vaulting.
