A portrait interview with Rich Simon, who reports on equestrian sports for RTL, among other things.
How long have you been working as a sports journalist?
I started as a freelancer in the radio sports department in 1995 and worked there until 2007. Then I was offered a permanent position and since then I’ve been working in the RTL sports department, primarily for the radio station.
How long have you been reporting on equestrian sports and how did that come about?
I’ve been reporting on equestrian sports since 2019. At that time, the equestrian federation contacted us to see how we could improve the sport’s visibility. We agreed to produce a monthly equestrian sports magazine from March to December. I was interested and have been working on this equestrian sports magazine ever since, as long as the contract is still valid. I’ve done all the episodes from 2019 to the present day, so that adds up to quite a few.
You also follow other sports, don’t you? What makes equestrian sport so special for you?
I think it’s the only sport where the athlete works together with a living being, namely the horse. I don’t believe that happens in any other sport, and that’s something special. You don’t just have to train a horse; it also needs daily care. Horses, just like us humans, sometimes have minor ailments that need attention.
Equestrian sport virtually is a full-time job on every level, where you have to do something every day, unlike, for example, soccer, where as a hobby player you train two or three times a week and that’s it. That’s not possible in equestrian sport. You really have to go to your horse every day, and the bond between rider and animal is what makes this sport so special for me, regardless of the discipline—whether dressage, show jumping, driving, or Western riding. That’s what appeals to me about equestrian sport.
I don’t have a favorite discipline in equestrian sport.
sports journalist Rich Simon
Do you have a favorite discipline in equestrian sport? Do you prefer show jumping to dressage, for example, or what are your thoughts on the different disciplines?
No, I don’t have a favorite discipline in equestrian sport. I also find it hard to compare them. Show jumping is the discipline that gets the most attention, internationally as well, and that’s perhaps why I’m a bit more interested in those results. But I don’t mean to say that one discipline is better than the others. For me, all disciplines have the same value, and it’s also difficult to compare, for example, Victor Bettendorf’s results in show jumping with those of Nicolas Wagner Ehlinger in dressage or Marie Schiltz in driving. For me, they’re all on the same level.
How long did it take you to engage with equestrian sport so intensively in a journalistic and editorial capacity that you knew enough about it? It requires profound technical and specific knowledge.
I’m certainly not an equestrian expert and I wouldn’t give myself that title. I’m interested in equestrian sports, but it’s not like as if I’ve spent my whole life reporting on it for radio and sometimes online editors – that’s definitely not the case. Since it’s extremely technical, show jumping is the easiest for a journalist like me.
The horse has to pass an obstacle it is timed and measurable. But if I look at dressage, you need a trained eye and I definitely don’t have that in dressage. That’s why show jumping is easier for me, because the rules are relatively clear and easy to understand – easier to grasp than, for example, in dressage, which I find complicated.
Do you ride yourself or have you ever been on a horse?
I’ve actually ridden a bit. But that was a while ago and I started relatively late. It must have been around 2009, in Stegen, at the stables of Guy Franziskus, who’s a judge and a friend of mine. I had a good, positive introduction to riding there. That was a lot of fun for me, too. I remember Guy and I went riding in the woods once or twice. It was really lovely and I even tried my fortune at jumping a little.
But then it went wrong once. I fell off and broke my wrist. After that, I decided that while it had been a great experience, I should probably focus on other sports rather than desperately pursuing riding. Shortly after breaking my wrist I had a serious skiing accident and one thing led to another. So, after that accident around 2011 I haven’t ridden a horse since, but I know what it feels like to be in the saddle.
The Réiser Päerdesdeeg are, of course, the most famous equestrian tournament in the country. Which tournaments do you regularly attend, either professionally or as a spectator?
It’s true that the Réiser Päerdesdeeg is the most famous tournament in the country, so it’s a real shame it’s not taking place this year. I go to the Réiser Päerdesdeeg myself every year. But to be honest, I haven’t been to any tournaments in the country in recent years. That’s because of my job as a sports journalist, since the tournaments almost always take place on weekends. And as a sports journalist, I have most of my editorial work on weekends. I’m based in Kirchberg then, responsible for sports coverage on the radio.
Alternatively, I also help out a bit online, especially when it comes to equestrian sports. I write articles that are then posted online. As I said, I haven’t been to practically any tournaments in recent years. In the beginning, when I was still riding with Guy Franziskus, I was, as I mentioned, more or less regularly at tournaments, for example in Fuussekaul or Stegen. But not so often in recent years.
How difficult is it for a newsroom to include supposedly less popular sports, such as equestrian, in its editorial plan?
That’s a very good question, but I think we need to differentiate. I can only speak for RTL, where we have television, radio and the web. The problem with television and radio is that you only have a limited amount of time for sports. As a sports journalist, you have to weigh up what fits into the available airtime and what kind of news you want to present. But it’s quite clear: if Victor Bettendorf or Nicolas Wagner Ehlinger achieve top international results—and let’s not forget the other equestrian athletes—they will be featured on radio and television. It’s somewhat easier on the internet. The web is, I would say, “open-end.” You’re not bound to fixed broadcast times there. If a good result is achieved, it can easily be posted online, or more detailed information can be provided, as is the case, for example, on the radio, where airtime is limited and you can only briefly say: “Victor Bettendorf has won a five-star tournament.”
On the internet, additional information can be published, such as how many wins there have been in a five-star tournament, with which horse, and so on. This is a major advantage of the internet. With this goal in mind, the federation approached RTL at the time, in order to gain greater visibility, as I mentioned earlier. I think we’re implementing this well. Of course, there’s still room for improvement, but I believe the collaboration has improved enormously in recent years. I’m in regular contact with the Secretary General of the equestrian federation, Paul Engel, and if I’m not entirely sure about something, I call him without hesitation to get further details and insider information. I must say that Paul is always available. The collaboration has developed very well in recent years and it’s truly a pleasure working with the equestrian federation.
Does equestrian sport receive too little public attention?
I wouldn’t call it a fringe sport; there are far too many licenses for that. As far as the number of licenses is concerned, Luxembourgish equestrian sport ranks among the top 10 of the approximately sixty federations, to my knowledge. Therefore, I consider the term “fringe sport” inappropriate, but it is a sport—and I mean that not only here in Luxembourg but also internationally—that certainly doesn’t receive the same level of attention as, for example, football, to name just one sport.
FLSE
Translated from Luxembourgish by AI and adjusted by Paul Krier.