A reason to smile: Steve Guerdat secures his third Olympic medal in Versailles on Dynamix.
Image: Keystone
Steve Guerdat on his way to his third Olympic medal.
Image: Keystone
Finnish groom Emma Uusi-Simola is part of Guerdat's successful team.
Image: Keystone
Steve Guerdat shows off his latest trophies.
Image: Keystone
The man from Jura wants to savor the Olympic silver medal in Paris more than the gold medal he won twelve years ago in London.
Image: Keystone
A reason to smile: Steve Guerdat secures his third Olympic medal in Versailles on Dynamix.
Image: Keystone
Steve Guerdat on his way to his third Olympic medal.
Image: Keystone
Finnish groom Emma Uusi-Simola is part of Guerdat's successful team.
Image: Keystone
Steve Guerdat shows off his latest trophies.
Image: Keystone
The man from Jura wants to savor the Olympic silver medal in Paris more than the gold medal he won twelve years ago in London.
Image: Keystone
Bronze, gold, silver: Steve Guerdat completes the set of medals he has won at the Olympic Games since 2004. He cites the joy of equestrian sport as his recipe for success.
No time? blue Sport summarizes for you
- Steve Guerdat completes his set of medals at the Olympic Games in Paris after winning team bronze in Beijing in 2008 and gold in the individual jumping competition in London in 2012.
- He rode his horse Dynamix to second place. Although the eleven-year-old mare is an exceptional horse, she is not quite at her peak yet.
- Guerdat has no regrets about missing out on gold, but says: "I didn't enjoy the gold in London enough. I want to do better this time."
When asked about the hard work behind his countless successes, the 42-year-old gives a surprising answer. "I don't go to work. I've turned my hobby, my passion, into a profession. And because enjoyment always comes first, I can have such a long career."
Guerdat may be right with his "Sunday statements" in Versailles, but there is of course an enormous amount of work behind his successes. After all, Guerdat is not just a model athlete who puts a lot into training his horses and general fitness. Guerdat has also been his own boss since 2017. The native of Jura, who has been training horses in the Zurich region since the start of his career, bought Paul Weier's equestrian center in Elgg seven years ago. And a self-employed person is always working.
His own boss
In Elgg, he is not just the financial backer, but also the boss on the course. He leads a team with numerous employees, including Emma Uusi-Simola. The Finn was voted "Best Groom 2023" by the World Equestrian Federation at the end of last year. With this in mind, it is not surprising that Guerdat keeps mentioning his team. "We are proud of the medal. Silver is enough to make us happy."
Guerdat is not just riding Dynamix to his numerous successes. In 2024, he has registered 16 four-legged horses that he is allowed to ride in international competitions. And if he were to take his four best horses out of the stable at the same time and compete in a Nations Cup with them, he would be jumping for victory with Venard, Is-Minka, Maddox and Dynamix.
The top rider spends hours in the saddle every day. Unlike Martin Fuchs, he does not run a horse trading business as a second mainstay, but there is a constant coming and going in his stables. There is a lively (business) exchange with scouts, horse owners and dealers.
Exceptional horse Dynamix not yet at his peak
Dynamix, who was still unknown at the time, was already at the stables in Elgg during the games in Tokyo. Guerdat has now won silver with her instead of losing gold. Although the eleven-year-old mare is an exceptional horse, she is not yet at her peak. Just under a year ago, Guerdat became European champion on her in Milan and emphasized: "That was the first step towards Paris." There was still potential for improvement in terms of speed in a jump-off. That is why Guerdat did not enter the final competition of the three pairs in Versailles as the clear favorite, although none of the competitors came close to the Swiss rider's palmarès.
Guerdat is not mourning the missed gold, but says: "I didn't enjoy the gold in London enough. I want to do better this time." As Olympic champion, everything came crashing down on him and he never got to rest. "Now I have a young family. We want to take this time". Guerdat is married to Frenchwoman Fanny Skalli. They are parents to daughter Ella.
Most popular Jura rider - "you have to remember this canton"
Guerdat, who grew up in Bassecourt, is the most popular athlete from the Jura - even though he has lived in German-speaking Switzerland for a long time. He feels like a Jura native and therefore says: "You have to remember this canton. It brings Switzerland medals." He himself is no longer often in the Jura, and he has never met the shooter Audrey Gogniat - the 21-year-old from Le Noirmont won bronze with the air rifle. "But that will certainly change," says the perfectly bilingual Guerdat.
