Lottie Fry can’t keep in mind the place she was when she obtained the decision that she’d been chosen with Glamourdale for the British dressage crew on the Paris Olympics. Finest guess? “I used to be driving… I will need to have been driving”. It’s a good assumption; Lottie rides no less than 12 horses a day, six or seven days every week.
After telling her homeowners, Anne and Gertjan van Olst, she discovered “a bit bottle of champagne within the fridge, so I assumed, I’ll simply open this at noon! It was the primary thrilling second of hopefully many to come back”.
Lottie’s Olympic debut on Everdale in 2021, alongside Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin and Gareth Hughes, netted a crew bronze in Tokyo, beneath the shadow of a pandemic. Totally different challenges this time meant that travelling reserve Becky Moody changed Charlotte Dujardin with only a few days in hand.
Not splendid, however the mark of greatness is rising to the event, and Lottie says: “We had such assist crew, dealing with every thing for us and ensuring we might think about why we have been there. It introduced the crew nearer collectively and made us need this extra. The crew ambiance was very particular and supportive; we needed to get that medal. We needed to put it behind us to do what we have been there to do.”
Spoken like a real sportswoman – for whom the psychological focus is well as essential and spectacular because the bodily. A complete crew rating of 232.492% within the grand prix particular secured crew bronze, and 88.971% for Lottie’s freestyle earned her a person medal of the identical color. Each outcomes clearly illustrate Lottie’s comment when she concludes with some understatement: “I feel we introduced the optimistic again”.
Lottie Fry: “Much more motivated and decided”
The dimensions and great thing about Versailles solely redoubled her dedication to be “much more motivated and decided”. She says now, talking lower than a month later: “There’ll by no means be a setting as stunning as that. It might be a as soon as in a lifetime expertise to journey there, it takes your breath away, seeing the sector, the peak of the stand, the view of the palace. No matter you anticipated might by no means be that.”
Lottie had thought-about altering Glamourdale’s music for Paris, explaining: “He first rode it at Herning, on the World Championship, the place he received. It was very troublesome and we got here to the conclusion that it couldn’t be any higher as a result of any time we modified it, simply small items, it wasn’t nearly as good. We needed to place a French theme into it, to narrate it to Paris, and we did that in just a few of the pirouettes, which was stunning. However he already had the perfect music on the earth – why attempt to change it?”
Lottie’s focus within the run-up to the Video games was not notably the grand prix, although essential for qualifying, as she explains: “We’ve carried out lots of of grands prix and Glammy is aware of his job, he loves to enter the sector and doesn’t give me an excessive amount of to fret about. The principle focus was going into the particular for the crew and freestyle for the person.”
How does an Olympic medallist put together for these nice moments? For Lottie, she explains: “I wish to have some quiet time. I am going via the check in my head many occasions, I journey it via, I hearken to some music as properly. I at all times brush my tooth – then it means I’m recent and prepared! After I’m exterior the secure ready to get on I at all times stroll the check as if I’m holding the reins.” After which, a second along with her horse. “Earlier than the freestyle, Glammy at all times hears his music, simply earlier than I get on. I play it to him and stand with him and he at all times listens to it so he is aware of what’s arising.”
The “greatest showman”, Glamourdale
Charisma is vital for profitable dressage horses and Glamourdale is “the largest showman on the earth!” Lottie says, with apparent pleasure and delight. “He loves it, loves consideration, and desires everybody to have a look at him. The second he enters the sector he grows, he lifts his legs, and once you see him coming in you may’t not take a look at him. He’s so stunning, he has such a presence.”
It is smart that Glammy cherished his lap of honour as a lot as Lottie did after successful particular person freestyle bronze, taking within the ambiance alongside Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Isabell Werth, the 2 German riders who took gold and silver respectively. With the roar of the crowds, after the “sheer pleasure, it’s a really completely happy, particular feeling being there with the crew and the opposite groups, or as a person, on the rostrum, all feeling comparable ideas”.
Wanting again on her time in Paris, is there something she’d do in a different way? “No, I don’t assume so and it’s one thing I might by no means even take into consideration,” she says, displaying that steel-clad psychological focus once more. “It was superb, even when it didn’t go in addition to it did, you continue to know you’ve carried out your finest on the day and you may’t change it now. It’s essential to be glad about the expertise, I loved each second of it and Glammy did as properly.”
Whereas in Paris, Lottie had solely a flying go to to the Olympic village. “I had a photograph with Joe Fraser, one of many gymnasts – I stated to him, I watched you on the TV final night time!” she recollects. It was solely assembly different athletes that made Lottie respect that “simply attending to the Olympics is unbelievable and everyone seems to be inspirational”. She drove house to the van Olstzs within the Netherlands straight after the person prize-giving and press rounds, getting again by about 10.30pm.
The ladies on the yard have been prepared with Prosecco, desserts and British flags. “Glammy had all of the carrots specified by his identify”, says Lottie. The following morning, Lottie says: “I used to be straight again to driving all the opposite horses, it was a full-on day. Glammy’s had a pleasant vacation, doing enjoyable issues, stress-free. And fairly just a few followers have visited him – he’s very completely happy.” For Lottie although, no vacation. A day without work? Maybe a lie in? No. “That’s simply horse folks for you,” she says, fortunately.
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Lottie Fry waves to the gang as she go away the sector on Glamourdale following their grand prix check on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale win particular person bronze on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale helped Britain safe the crew bronze medal on the Paris Olympics
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Future
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Freelance journalist
Born in Australia and acquired up within the Midlands, Kate has ridden since childhood. After finishing her diploma and residing overseas for a number of years, she turned an award-winning BBC radio producer and Channel 4 documentary producer after which she turned a contract journalist, contributing to the Day by day Mail, The Instances, The Telegraph and others. She additionally collaborated with high jumps coach Nicky Henderson OBE, to put in writing his best-selling memoir, Nicky Henderson: My Life in 12 Horses. She owns at present cares for retrained Nationwide Hunt racehorse, Cease the Present.
