Tom McEwen on the Olympics, his rising stars and his plans for the longer term

On this unique, subscriber-only interview, Tom McEwen explains how changing into an Olympian has (and has not) modified his life, reveals a few of his up-and-coming equine stars to look out for, plus what he’s specializing in for subsequent season and past…

Twin British eventing Olympian Tom McEwen reconsidered his reply when requested whether or not the Olympics – most just lately his efforts in Paris, the place he helped safe workforce gold with JL Dublin (Dubs), additionally ending fourth individually – has modified life for him in any respect.

“Somebody requested me this the opposite day and I stated no, however I feel it in all probability has,” explains the 33-year-old, who additionally gained workforce gold and particular person silver on the Tokyo Olympics aboard Toledo De Kerser. “It doesn’t change your life in a financial means, though it might probably assist with sponsorships, and when it comes to the enterprise I’m working day-to-day, it modifications nothing actually.

“However then in different methods, it does change your life as a result of an Olympics will increase the general public consciousness of our sport – you possibly can’t fairly consider how many individuals have paid consideration and watched. Like going to the health club, people who aren’t horsey there now know what it’s about to a sure diploma and that’s as a result of the Olympics means one thing to everybody. They may not understand how you get a dressage mark, or what the hell a time penalty is, however they perceive the precept.”

Tom McEwen (centre) celebrates on the Paris Olympics on his lap of honour along with his workforce mates Ros Canter (left) and Laura Collett (proper).  Credit score: Peter Nixon

Tom provides that though new alternatives within the type of sponsorships and house owners may come up off the again of an Olympic look, he feels a way of wanting to present one thing again to equestrianism too.

“It supplies us riders with the chance to present again to the game, whether or not that is likely to be instructing at Pony Membership or serving to on the RDA,” he explains.

Life after the Olympics

JL Dublin was in Adam Brief’s succesful palms receiving top-class care all through the Paris Olympics. Credit score: FEI/Benjamin Clark

Upon arriving again within the UK from Paris, “Dubs” wasn’t put in a discipline for a vacation instantly, as Tom explains.

“We began letting him down by hacking him out and slowly lowered that, fairly than simply instantly placing him out on a vacation whereas he was at peak health. He then did go on vacation and frolicked within the discipline with Toledo.”

Tom says that he had a dialog with Dubs’ house owners, James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston about plans for the remainder of the season.

“Clearly Paris completed so early within the season that there was a dialog available about whether or not Dubs would compete once more this 12 months, however it was a straightforward determination to make ultimately to let him have a vacation as he had such a busy first half of the 12 months,” states Tom, referring to the truth that their path to Paris included a win within the CCI4*-S in Kronenberg within the Netherlands in March, second within the CCI5* in Kentucky, USA in April and second within the CCI4*-S in Luhmühlen, Germany in June.

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin had a busy 2024 spring season, together with travelling to the UA for Kentucky five-star. Credit score: Amy Dragoo

Tom McEwen’s equine stars of the longer term

Wanting forward, Tom has another stars in his string that he says we must always observe for future reference. The primary of those is Isa, a 10-year-old gray mare, who was imported from Germany in the beginning of this 12 months.

“I actually like Isa – she’s superior and I feel she actually confirmed it at Blenheim,” says Tom, who completed seventh with this horse within the CCI4*-L at Blenheim in September. “She had performed loads of three-stars with a woman referred to as Charlotte Whittaker, who lives in Germany, and James and Jo Lambert have been searching for a horse so as to add to my string. It’s the primary time I’ve seemed for one thing slightly older and I actually struggled to search out her – it took me an awfully very long time and it’s additionally taken me a little bit of time to get to know her as she’s very a lot a mare and at all times did no matter suited her and didn’t actually care a lot for what I used to be asking her typically.

“We’re constructing a bond and she or he’s super-exciting. She is going to in all probability intention for the CCI4*-L at Bramham subsequent season.”

Tom McEwen describes Isa, a 10-year-old mare who came visiting from Germany in the beginning of the season, as “superior”. Credit score Peter Nixon

In addition to Isa, Tom has an arsenal of top-class seven-year-olds in his secure. The primary of those is Shannondale Arnold, who, have been it not for selecting up eight faults within the remaining showjumping section within the British Eventing seven-year-old championships at Cornbury in September, would have completed runner-up.

“These two fences, each within the treble, have been annoying, however he’s super-exciting; a really trendy kind and athletic by way of his physique. His flatwork is ceaselessly enhancing too,” says Tom, whose subsequent one to observe is fellow seven-year-old Maestro, with whom he gained the British Eventing seven-year-old championship, and who’s owned by Toledo’s house owners Fred and Penny Barker.

“He’s a correct modern-day sports activities horse – he’s fairly blood but additionally fairly small,” feedback Tom. “He jumped on the FEI WBFSH Leaping World Breeding Championship for Younger Horses at Lanaken along with his earlier house owners River Lodge underneath Michelle Kenny and could be very sensible.”

Tom’s remaining one for us to observe is one other seven-year-old referred to as Quintus, who just lately completed eleventh within the seven-year-old World Championships at Le Lion D’Angers, and is owned by Deirdre Johnston and Jane Knight.

“He’s an enormous, nice huge horse and a rangy mover,” feedback Tom. “Everybody thinks he seems too huge and rangy on the flat and then you definately watch him throughout nation and he’s so mild on his toes.”

Tom states that “all three of those seven-year-olds are extremely thrilling and every one brings one thing barely completely different to the desk”.

“It is going to be attention-grabbing to see how every of them progresses. Everybody advised me when Toledo was a seven-year-old that he was too good a jumper and too cautious and he’d by no means have sufficient blood to make it spherical a five-star, however take a look at the horse he was.”

Tom McEwen thanks Toledo De Kerser after the pair scored their first top-level victory, at Pau in 2019. Credit score: Libby Legislation Images

Talking of Toledo, Tom says that the now 17-year-old with whom he gained his first five-star at Pau in 2019 is doing properly following his career-ending harm at Burghley in 2023.

“Toledo is unlikely to occasion once more however he loves being energetic as he will get bored in any other case, so he will certainly do one thing, whether or not that’s Harriet [Tom’s wife] carrying on hacking him out or slightly bit extra – no choices have been made but, however he’s at present being introduced again into work.”

Tom McEwen on his future plans

When it comes to future plans, huge occasion success is on the forefront of Tom’s thoughts – together with a 3rd Olympic Video games.

“I very a lot need to get to LA [for the 2028 Olympics] and obtain outcomes like those we managed in Tokyo and Paris. Clearly Paris was superb, however I didn’t fairly do the dressage check I do know I can do – not day-after-day goes to be spot on, however the remainder of the competitors was completely excellent for us individually, however it’s what it’s – you possibly can bitch and whine about it, however it’s not going to make any distinction.

“The check wasn’t all the way down to me feeling the strain, it was simply a kind of issues that didn’t fairly work out. So sure, getting again to LA is an enormous intention. For me it’s additionally at all times in regards to the workforce first – I used to be obsessive about any workforce sports activities I might do whereas rising up – I simply love the workforce setting.”

Whereas British workforce success stays an enormous motivation, particular person five-star success can be excessive on Tom’s to-do record, as he says frankly: “I need to cease mucking up round British five-stars at some point!

“I need to win Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky – it’s simple to say and a thousand instances more durable to do. I really feel like I’ve been getting myself in actually good positions – Kentucky this 12 months [where a fence down relegated Tom and JL Dublin from first to second] was simply a kind of issues in that he jumped rather well and one half simply wasn’t adequate on my behalf. Generally issues like that occur, however in case you can put your self in that place most of the time, in some unspecified time in the future, it should begin coming off.”

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin on the best way to ending second at Kentucky 2024. Credit score: Amy Dragoo

However attaining main accolades on a horse isn’t the one factor Tom McEwen has in thoughts for the longer term.

“I’ve performed a marathon and I used to be advised I grew to become actually grumpy whereas coaching for it, in order that a part of my life is over!” he laughs. “Somebody talked about doing an Iron Man triathlon, and though I’m not a fantastic swimmer, I believed it seemed like a cool problem, however I feel I higher relax with issues like that as I can’t be moody and drained midway by way of a season.

“I’ll undoubtedly give myself extra challenges to do although and Harriet and I are actually blissful to be welcoming our child. In that respect, we’ve bought new challenges forward and I’ll attempt giving being a dad a go!”

What about Tom’s future inside the sport of eventing additional down the road?

“I actually admire the people who maintain down a job and go eventing too – folks like Lauren [Innes], who goes round Badminton and Burghley, that’s super-impressive. Possibly in a while in my using profession, I’d go down completely different avenues and do various things. I don’t actually know what but – I’ve bought issues in thoughts – however eventing and using is a tough world and I need to be open-minded about it.

“It’s important to be very single-minded whilst you’re a aggressive athlete. I’d fairly wish to go showjumping in a while in life or in a number of years’ time, however for the time being, my important and sole intention is eventing and making an attempt to nail out a number of higher outcomes.”

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H&H options, racing and point-to-point editor

Gemma is an skilled journalist, having been a part of the H&H workforce since 2014, who’s captivated with all equestrian sports activities, together with racing and point-to-pointing. She has loved using out for prime trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took half in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting skills have taken her to quite a few five-star occasions round Britain and Europe, in addition to European championships.