“Can you imagine the pain of a horse being taken away from you.” Katrin Eckermann in seventh episode of Rising Above
Longines presents Rising Above: Episode 7 – Katrin Eckermann, Growing Together
“I shouldn’t have continued after the first fall, but the pressure was intense”
In one of the most powerful episodes yet, the Longines Global Champions Tour is proud to announce the release of the seventh episode in the compelling series, Rising Above, presented by Longines. Titled “Growing Together,” this episode dives into the emotional and transformative journey of top German show jumper Katrin Eckermann.
“Can you imagine the pain of having a horse you are deeply connected to being taken away from you?”. Katrin starts the episode with tears in her eyes as she reflects on the toughest moment of her career and opens up for the first time ever on how she recovered.
From her earliest memories, Eckermann’s life was intertwined with horses. “Before I even could walk, I sat on a horse. Even if I was not with the horse I tried to imitating horses at a show in the garden.” she recalls, expressing a bond that has defined her entire life. The episode explores her deep connection with her horses, describing the joy she finds in simply being around them and the unique partnership they share in the ring.
“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
She went on to add: “I was looking up to my dad. We always had this connection to the horses. It makes me so happy to grow up with them together. I think it’s a special bond. What I love to do is, for example, in the evening to go out to them in the boxes or when they’re in the field to feed them. Just to be there going around and then to be one in the ring, it’s unique.”
Eckermann’s story took a dramatic turn in 2014,
a year of both triumph and heartbreak. After winning the Longines Global
Champions Tour Grand Prix of Hamburg with her beloved horse, Firth of Lorne,
she faced a devastating setback. “I had two falls in a row at the same open
water with him,” she says talking about a competition two months later
in 2014. The pressure was intense, and continuing after the first fall was a
decision that led to her losing Firth of Lorne as the owners opted to take the
horse off her to give to another rider. “I shouldn’t have continued after the
first fall, but the pressure was intense. After the event, the owner took the
horse away from me. My shoulder was injured, but losing Firth of Lorne was even
more painful. My heart was broken.”
‘Growing Together’
captures Eckermann’s resilience as she rebuilds herself and her career,
learning to focus on riding her own horses and finding harmony in every new
partnership. Her journey is a testament to the unbreakable bond between rider
and horse and the strength found in overcoming loss. Not being able to look at
the camera Katrin recalls: “It was really hard for me. At one point, I think you
also have to have this experience to be a strong woman like I am now. I would
say I learn from this experience to focus more on riding my own horses.”
“Horses are a
family for me and it’s something special. You can’t buy it. You just feel it
from inside. It’s everything for me.” – Katrin Eckermann
The free Rising Above
series presented by Longines continues
to showcase the extraordinary lives of equestrian athletes, highlighting their
emotional and personal struggles. Watch Katrin Eckermann’s full story on the
Longines Global Champions Tour channels.
“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
The “Mdmar” website for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
