Interview with Mouda Zeyada: an Egyptian Equestrian pride

Mouda Zeyada and the KWPN stallion If Looks Could Kill O.h ph Stefano Secchi

The 29-year-old rider is an established representative in the world of Show Jumping.

Mouda Zeyada’s talent is internationally recognized not only for his natural talent for show jumping, but his figure represents a great achievement involving the sporting history of the Egyptian equestrian world.

His success story is an example of how determination, combined with great passion and the right mental preparation, can enable the achievement of great goals.

Born in Alexandria, Egypt in ’95, his journey in the world of horse-riding began when he was only 6 years old. In addition to being an internationally renowned rider, he also showed great devotion to study, completing a bachelor degree in Pharmacy. Spurred on by a great love for horses and driven by his marked skills for show jumping, he finished his studies and decided that his life would be entirely dedicated to horses at a high professional level.

Thanks to his strong determination, he carries his country’s name at top level in the equestrian scene, going on to compete at only 23 years old for FEI World Equestrian Games (in 2018, with Cappuccino 8) and later on, to participate in the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games riding Galanthos Shk.

His participation in the Olympics was not a personal achievement, but a huge success as a historical milestone for his Country, as it was the first time Egypt qualified a team for the Olympics in show jumping in 60 years. Mouda Zeyada’s participation provided a great demonstration of the growing level of talent and competition in Egyptian show jumping.

“I remember when, years ago, I was watching the Olympics with my mother and she said to me -This has to be your ultimate goal. All the work you do in your life is focused on this goal and you have to complete it – That’s when I realized that I had to achieve my dream and that I had to put that as my target, in front of everything.”

To be goal-oriented, ready to meet challenges: the virtues for becoming true champions

In order to achieve great results, it is certainly necessary to have excellent physical preparation, but as Mouda shows us, just as much effort must be invested in training the mind as well. “The mindset is really important” he explains, “I have learned how to clean out my mind of anything that might take me away from my goals, to focus on what really matters, when I am on the saddle. You can never perform at your best if, you don’t have a well-focused mental approach to your goal.”

“Mind over matter, If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter” is in fact his motto, which his mother often reminded him of even at a young age, and which still best represents the approach which he deals with high-level competition and builds his sporting path.

“The pressure doesn’t come so much from the heights or the technical difficulty of the course,” he says, referring to his experience as a professional rider, “but lies more in keeping the focus from start to finish, making sure above all that the horse is with you”. Mouda Zeyada’s approach is therefore based on a complete full-training, which is not only about the physical ability of horse and rider, but also contemplates mental preparation for both themselves.

He thus demonstrates that he is a rider who does not give up, to be always ready to show his best. His motivation lies precisely in his willingness to take on challenges: “the harder things get, the more I can achieve my best. I ride for a goal, and the bigger that goal is, the more I can bring out the best part of me.”

Great tenacity and a goal-oriented approach are the hallmarks that distinguish this rider, and make him to be the top showjumper he is today.

The perfect winning does not rise in the ring

Although horse and rider spend a lot of time in the arena, both for trainings and in competition, the foundation for creating a winning partnership is not built through sports performance, but the real relationship of trust starts from the ground, in the stable.

“I think the right feeling between horse and rider arises outside the ring. The horse is an animal that cannot talk, but he communicates so much to us with his emotions and his instincts. He needs to feel cared for, to be important, and to understand that you are taking care of him. The principles of horsemanship play a key role in creating the perfect pair. It takes time, patience, and it’s important to be able to wait until the horse is in the right condition to give a positive feedback to what we are teaching him.”

Respect the growth and learning timelines of horses is crucial to achieving certain results, but any sacrifice made with passion leads to great satisfaction, as his experience with Galanthos Shk, the horse that accompanied him to the Olympics shows: “we worked a lot with Galanthos, I got this horse when he was 9 years old, and it was very challenging initially with him. But when we arrived in Tokyo together, it was immensely satisfying. Getting to the Olympics with him to represent my country was an indescribable feeling.”

Who has influenced his journey

A great source of inspiration comes from the family sphere: her mother played a key role and is still an essential figure in her path, as he told us, “My mother, although she does not have an equestrain background, has always given me a lot of support. She is a very strong and intelligent woman who knew exactly how she could help me in building my career.”

Among the various professional figures from whom he has had the most support, he cites Hesham Hatab, president of the Egyptian Equestrian Federation and the Egyptian Olympic Equestrian Committee: “he is an incisive figure in my growth as a rider, able to pass on a lot to me from his great experience in the equestrian world.”

He also expresses great appreciation to Franke Sloothak, a gold medalist at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, with a bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics: “I feel like dedicating my recent successes to Franke Sloothak, he coached me before the Games and he has a great impact on my journey.”

Like any respectful high-level rider, he also pays special attention to the support of his team: “I have a really great team members by my side, who put their hearts into what they do and work with passion. They take care of every detail, they are top professional riders and grooms, without whom none of this would be possible.”

The comeback with the Mexican Amigos

“It’s amazing to be part of this team again. Last year my horse was still a bit green for certain circuits, but even though we had to work hard, we were able to collaborate and now I can say that, my horse is perhaps ranked among the best horses in the GCT and is jumping amazingly.”

The horse he proudly speaks of is the prodigious If Looks Could Kill O.h., the gray KWPN stallion who is accompanying him on this ambitious Longines Global Championship Tour, demonstrating incredible performances and great feeling with his rider.

Mouda Zeyada continues to be a prominent figure for the equestrian world, and his career is an example of dedication, talent and passion for the sport. He is one of the riders carrying his country’s honor high in stages around the world in international equestrian competitions. This promising high-level rider has a significant impact in the world of equestrian sports, not only because of his personal achievements, but also because of his contribution in the development of Egypt’s equestrian culture and standards.

R. Guatteo

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