Equestrian sport
After the accusations: Olympic champion Cuckoo admits his guilt
After the draw scandal in Verona, top racer Christian Kukuk showed regret. How he faced the wave of criticism and what national coach Becker had to say about it.
Olympic show jumping champion Christian Kukuk responded to allegations of improper training with his horse and admitted his mistakes. “I understand it and I really see it,” Kukuk said before his first start at the Stuttgart tournament. “I am very sorry that I brought people, our sport and also myself personally into this situation and that I let some people down.”
On his first appearance at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Kukuk finished 30th alongside Cepano Baloubet. He previously became the focus because of a video. It shows how Cuckoo rides by simply pulling the reins while training with his horse Just be Gentle at the World Cup tournament in Verona. This is not allowed in Germany, as explained by the national association FN. FEI world association officials did not react in Verona. The retraction control is an additional control installed on the drill bit in addition to the normal control. They pass through the bit ring and are held in the rider’s hand.
Familiar with hunches rather than head feelings
“This was a challenging situation for me,” Kukuk said, explaining his approach. The mare “was very excited. But these 30 seconds did not reflect at all what happened in the 45 minutes I worked with the mare. Unfortunately, my gut feelings overrode my head feelings. For me it was the best approach to take the tension out of her.” Not listening to his head was the wrong decision.
“It makes me look very bad as a role model, there are no two opinions,” admitted Kukuk, who finished third in Verona after the incident. As a result, the mare proved that she “ultimately forgave me for what was described.”
Cuckoo: Rules alone are not enough
One way to improve the situation is with clearer regulations, said the Paris gold medalist. “Ultimately, it also comes down to feelings and empathy – that’s not according to the rules,” Kukuk continued. Now it was important for him to choose a different approach in such situations.
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Many things have happened to him and the people around him in recent days, the rider from Riesenbeck blamed media criticism and negative news and comments on social networks. “I also think it’s dangerous to shorten the relationship between two living beings to 30 seconds. In a way, you’re targeted, you’re stigmatized – and I have to deal with that now.” She further explained that the messages sent to her were “terrifying” and the dynamic shocked her.
Kukuk received support from national coach Otto Becker, who said: “On the one hand, I usually make sure something like this doesn’t happen. On the other hand, it’s also about me standing in front of my riders – and Christian said it, mistakes can happen, we try to avoid them. It’s not a requirement that he stand – respect.”
dpa
