Canter thrilled by latest victory as she targets European glory
Canter will hope the win bodes well as she eyes another title when the Agria FEI European Eventing Championships return to home soil at Blenheim Palace for the first time in 20 years.
'I'm just so thrilled. Isaac [Izilot DHI] has come out this year with so much confidence,' Canter reflected on her performance in Germany.
'He's such a genuine, unique horse. Some people think he's just a bit naughty but he's genuinely spooky.
'I'm so thrilled that we've managed to build a relationship to overcome that and show him off to his best.'
Canter already boasts European Championship, World Championship and Olympic gold medals but still felt she had something to prove in Luhmühlen.
She was able to dispel last year's disappointment at the event when missing out on the title on the final day despite having more than two showjumping fences in hand.
'Last year I felt I lost the win, so to come back and feel like I really deserved the win was fantastic,' she reflected.
"I planned today in much more detail. I got caught out last year by how early everything ran [on the final day].
'Normally at Badminton or Burghley if you're near the top you've got until mid-afternoon [before showjumping], so this time I planned how I wanted the morning to work.'
Undoubtedly, Canter and Izilot DHI had to be at the top of their game as strong performances by Collett and London 52 in the dressage and cross-country required her to produce fast and fault-free rounds in both jumping phases.
Canter, who took gold in the team eventing at Paris 2024, spends most of her time outside the so-called comfort zone anyway.
'I have to do it a lot to be honest, because just doing cross-country is out of my comfort zone,' she said.
'I've got better as I've got older. I know who I am as a person. I know that I can't keep that level of being at the top of my game up all the time.
'Now I pick and choose more when I need to peak, like at Badminton. Hopefully, if all goes well and I am lucky enough to be selected, I peak at the Europeans and between now and then I cut myself a little bit of slack.'
So far Canter has seen most success — including her Olympic gold — on Lordships Graffalo, one of the two horses with whom she hopes she will be selected to compete at the Agria FEI European Championships at Blenheim Palace later this year.
But her own extensive psychological training has allowed her to be successful on a range of horses, including Izilot DHI, who has now added a second 5* win to his record.
'I occasionally have a sports psychology session to get myself in gear,' she said.
'It's often just a reminder of what it's going to feel like, how I would like to react to those feelings, what feelings might come in that aren't useful and how can I put them to one side and bring out my best.
'If I feel mentally prepared then I feel quietly confident. Horses like confidence, they're herd animals, they often have a herd leader — I've got to be that herd leader, and I've got to be a good one.'
It was Lordships Graffalo — affectionately called Walter at home — who helped Canter to claim European gold in the team and individual events in 2023. Also in that year, it was Izilot DHI on whom she won the 4*L competition at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, so she has two strong contenders for possible selection for the Agria FEI European Eventing Championships at Blenheim Palace in September.
'Walter and Isaac are very different characters, but both have amazing personalities. They are fantastic horses who clearly love their job,' said Canter.
'If I'm lucky enough to go to the Europeans, it will be lovely for people to be able to see that and to see high-level sport really close up in front of the amazing backdrop of Blenheim Palace.
'Having known both horses since they were very young, I have a bond with them and a trusting relationship when it comes to riding and competing.
'I'm a privileged person just to get to ride them every day and I want to take that into my performance as well.'
Backing up that incredibly close partnership between rider and horse is a wider team including owners, grooms, family, and sponsors like Agria, which introduced lifetime equine insurance to the UK, and sponsors Canter as well as being the title sponsor of this year's European Championships.
With form on her side and her relationship with Walter and Isaac as strong as ever, Canter remains one of the favourites ahead of the Agria FEI European Eventing Championships in September.
Agria, founded in 1890, is the only only provider of lifetime equine insurance in the UK. Find out more at https://www.agriapet.co.uk/horse-insurance/
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