Paris 2024: Calm Caroline guides horse through difficult Olympic dressage

By Patrick Johnston

Equestrian rider Caroline Chew showcased all her skill and experience to help overwhelmed horse, Zatchmo, get through a daunting Olympic Individual Dressage Grand Prix qualifier.

The event, held in front of a large crowd on a pulsating hot Tuesday at Château de Versailles, a former royal residence, saw Chew and Zatchmo perform a range of different exercises in a rectangle in front of a panel of seven judges.

With Zatchmo struggling with the heat, noise and cameras at the Parisian venue, Chew was left in a difficult situation.

Caroline Chew rides her horse Zatchmo during their individual dressage grand prix performance at the 2024 Paris Games.  Photo: Sport Singapore/Jeremy Lee

“It was very, very challenging, the heat was a lot,” said Chew, who was competing at her second Olympics after Tokyo three years ago.

“We have had some really, really cool days so to suddenly switch to over 30 degrees was very tough on the horse. And there was a big atmosphere, so I think the first one third of the routine was incredibly challenging, but we kept going and came out of it. I’m happy.”

Chew, who works as a lawyer in London alongside competing at equestrian, only began riding with Zatchmo last year, having rode Norwegian warmblood gelding Tribiani at the Tokyo Games and at two world championships.

She was able to calm the 15-year-old Oldenburg stallion but not before the start of their routine.

“The first few moments they were right offs, he was just a bit too overwhelmed to stay with me,” the 32-year-old rider said.

“So I kept reassuring him and he got better and better. But it’s a pity it happened here, it’s a big stage and you want to do your best but it just wasn’t there today.”

Caroline Chew rides her horse Zatchmo during their individual dressage grand prix performance at the 2024 Paris Games with Château de Versailles in the background.  Photo: Sport Singapore/Jeremy Lee

Chew managed to complete the eight-minute performance with a score of 63.351% which meant they finished 10^th in Group A. After other competitors finished their performance on Wednesday, Chew and Zatchmo were confirmed as 56th overall and missed out on the final.

Chew, the first Singaporean equestrian rider to compete at an Olympics, is vastly experienced in international competition, having competed at world championships, world cups and won five SEA Games medals. 

But even with all that experience, there is still no way of knowing how a horse will behave in the cauldron of competition, particularly one as intense as the Olympics.

“With riding it’s a lot, you are always coping with your techniques but this is a relatively new partnership for me and it’s just learning how he is and how to cope with different environments,” said Chew.

“I was just praising him, telling him he is doing well.”

Caroline Chew gives her horse Zatchmo a congratulatory pat after they complete their individual dressage grand prix performance at the 2024 Paris Games.  Photo: Sport Singapore/Jeremy Lee

Still, Chew was delighted with the opportunity to perform in Paris. Her Tokyo Games experience was solitary, with no family or friends permitted to travel to Japan because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was particularly frustrating as her family includes mother Melanie, a former jump rider and president of the Singapore Equestrian Federation, and older sister Catherine, who won SEA Games gold at team jumping in 2015.

“It’s a very different Olympics, the greatest thing for me is having my family, friends and colleagues in the stands to watch, it’s been really great.”

Caroline Chew rides her horse Zatchmo in the grounds of Château de Versailles during their individual dressage grand prix performance at the 2024 Paris Games.  Photo: Sport Singapore/Kong Chong Yew

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games takes place in Paris, France from 26 July to 11 August 2024. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.