Simone Pearce: “Una giornata storta non definisce chi sei”

Dalla campagna australiana ai più importanti campi di gara del mondo, Simone Pearce racconta i cavalli, le difficoltà e le partnership che hanno segnato il suo straordinario percorso.

C’è qualcosa di speciale nel ritorno di Simone Pearce ad Aachen.

Appena nominata per rappresentare l’Australia ai Campionati del Mondo FEI di quest’estate, l’amazzone australiana si prepara a tornare in uno dei palcoscenici più prestigiosi del dressage internazionale. Lo fa con anni di esperienza alle spalle, tante lezioni imparate e quella serenità che nasce solo dopo aver costruito, giorno dopo giorno, un rapporto autentico con i propri cavalli.

Per chi ha seguito la sua carriera, questa convocazione è l’ennesimo capitolo di una storia costruita con pazienza, dedizione e determinazione. Dietro ogni gara internazionale ci sono cavalli che le hanno cambiato la vita, momenti difficili che l’hanno resa più forte e la convinzione che il vero successo vada ben oltre il punteggio finale.

Il cavallo che le ha rubato il cuore

Ogni cavaliere ha un cavallo che gli cambia la vita. Per Simone quel cavallo è stato Destano, anche se il loro rapporto non è nato sotto il segno del colpo di fulmine.

“Destano is definitely one of the most significant horses in my life. We had a very special relationship spanning over many years! When I first started riding him it actually was not love at first sight. My top Grand Prix horse at the time Scolari had just been sold and Destano was given to me to replace him as my hope for the Tokyo Olympics.

In the beginning I found him very big and challenging to ride and I wasn’t sure if we would really be able to come together as a good combination but slowly but surely we started to find each other and eventually things totally clicked and he became my absolute heart horse.”

Con il tempo, quella che sembrava una sfida si è trasformata in una delle partnership più importanti della sua carriera.

La rivincita ad Aachen

Tra i ricordi più preziosi della sua carriera c’è il secondo posto conquistato nel Grand Prix a cinque stelle del CHIO di Aachen. Un risultato che aveva un significato molto più profondo di una semplice posizione in classifica.

“It was my first competition back after Tokyo Olympics where I had a really bad show. Destano had an allergic reaction to the tick spray which they use before flying the horses and I wasn’t able to ride him in the week leading up to the Grand Prix at the Olympics because his skin was irritated. And by the time the test came he was a bit out of shape and I was very overwhelmed by the stress of the situation so we kind of tanked.

Going into Aachen I was very nervous if we could get our form back and be able to deliver a nice confident test again. And then on that day to have everything fall into place and for Destano to once again give me his absolute everything in the ring was just the most satisfying and wonderful feeling.

It really taught me that one bad day doesn’t define you and you have to keep believing in getting back up and giving it your all after you have been knocked down.”

Una lezione che ancora oggi rappresenta perfettamente il suo modo di affrontare questo sport.

“Boss”, il gigante buono

In rettangolo Destano impressionava per la sua imponenza. In scuderia, invece, mostrava un carattere completamente diverso.

“Destano is honestly just the most kind, brave and wonderful horse in the world. He’s so impressive with his big stature when you see him in the arena but at home he’s the most cuddle kind boy you could imagine! We all called him Boss at home, because he was in every sense the big boss of the stable!”

I cavalli che ti fanno crescere

Se Destano è stato il cavallo del cuore, Millennium è stato quello che ha contribuito maggiormente alla sua crescita come amazzone.

“Yes I’ve been very lucky to have so many wonderful horses to ride in my career. The one that stands out the most to me as a horse which really shaped me is Millennium.

When I started riding him he had quite a reputation for having a big character and it was really one of the joys of my riding career getting to work with him and find a way to understand him and have him understand me in a way that I think really allowed him to feel confident and give his all with me!

He is a truly wonderful horse and I feel very happy and proud to have gotten to be a part of his life and to also have gotten to work with so many of his great offspring.”

Per Simone ogni cavallo è diverso e trovare la chiave giusta per valorizzarlo è ciò che continua ad appassionarla ogni giorno.

Dall’Australia all’Europa

Il trasferimento in Europa non faceva parte di un piano ben definito. È stata una scelta nata quasi per caso, che con il tempo si è trasformata in una nuova vita.

“When I first moved from Australia to Europe I didn’t really have any specific goals or plans. I started as a working student/groom on a short term basis with the plan to go back to university in Australia but as time went on I totally fell in love with the industry over here and the move just sort of became permanent organically.

And the more I was here the more my goals and dreams sort of developed and grew as I did.”

Una decisione che avrebbe cambiato per sempre il suo futuro.

Sono i dettagli a fare la differenza

Il dressage è uno sport fatto di precisione, ma per Simone il punto di partenza è sempre ascoltare il cavallo.

“That’s very true. Small details really do matter in dressage. For me personally I try to approach every horse with a very open mind. I’m very willing to mould and adapt to fit each horse as I feel they need it.

I would say the thing that I try to work on with every horse though is having the same sort of balance and connection which allows me to ride with energy of the horses pushing up and out as much as possible. I like it very much when the horses feel they have the opportunity to push the nose up and forward to the connection and the freedom under my seat to lift on their own and have a positive forward energy. But that’s more of an overall principle I believe in more than a small detail.

As for specific details I really like to focus on corners. Balance, control, having the horses energy flow from the inside out and riding the lines with intention and precision.”

Il successo va oltre il risultato

Pur avendo gareggiato nelle arene più prestigiose del mondo, Simone misura il successo in modo diverso.

“There have been some great moments in the big arenas for sure. But what brings me the most pride is developing the horses to the top sport.

I love to find different ways with different horses and I feel really proud to have been able to bring a lot of different styles of horses with different strengths and weaknesses to the highest level.

For me personally that’s what I’m striving for the most. To be the kind of rider who can mould and adapt and educate all different horses and try to support them to let them be their best.”

È una filosofia che si riflette anche nei suoi obiettivi.

“I guess that kind of leads on from the last question. For sure I’m very ambitious and my dreams and goals are still far from reached for me in my career with my horses. However the thing that makes me the most happy and proud is feeling my horses really develop and feel positive in their training.

I love when they are all allowed to be individuals and follow different paths, which also means totally different time lines. And I think when you appreciate the journey just as much as you enjoy the destination it allows for the best kind of partnerships.”

Non arrendersi mai

Pearce non ha mai nascosto quanto sia stato difficile il suo percorso verso l’élite del dressage internazionale.

“I have had many many setbacks. In the beginning of my career I had not grown up in a system like they have in Europe. I’m an Aussie farm girl, far from the international dressage scene.

So starting to ride professionally took me many many years of not being successful and feeling like success was kind of impossible. I always had a natural feel and talent for connecting with the horses but absolutely no polish and certainly no idea of how to put together a test at a competition.

I really felt like a big loser in that time, riding only on small shows mostly on low levels, but steadily I started to learn and develop in my competition riding and with that my confidence grew and slowly but surely the results also improved.

I still remember my first ever win in a competition. It was an M level test five years after I first moved to Europe!

I was very lucky to have a few people along the way who saw past my greenness and really believed in me. Definitely the most significant person in my career has been Sabine Rueben. She believed in me from the very beginning and still today supports me and is a huge part of my life.”

Il sogno continua

Oggi, alla vigilia di un altro Campionato del Mondo, Simone guarda avanti con la stessa ambizione che l’ha accompagnata fin dall’inizio. Ma, più di ogni risultato, ciò che continua a renderla felice è il percorso condiviso con i suoi cavalli.

“I love my horses and the stable is my absolute happy place. I feel incredibly lucky to be where I am. I’m so grateful to be in a place in my career where I have the opportunity to create long term partnerships with horses. That’s really my biggest goal to keep producing horses to Grand Prix and enjoying the journey with them. And for sure if along the way some of them can have big success at a championship well that would just be a dream come true.”

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