‘She was scared of the piaffing dressage horses’: hippophobic mare scores personal best on Olympic stage

Italy’s Olympic bid has suffered a blow with the elimination of their first team rider, but Evelina Bertoli held up morale with a superb test on Fidjy Des Melezes to score 26.6, a personal best for the pair at this level.

Evelina has been walking on eggshells to keep her delicate mare happy and confident as she has a deep-seated fear of other horses.

“She is so scared of other horses that I have to find times to work when no one else is around,” explains Evelina, who is making her Olympic debut in Paris. “She is a very talented horse who moves well, but the atmosphere can be a serious problem.”

To help Fidjy feel more comfortable with the electric Versailles buzz, Evelina Bertoli exercised the 13-year-old twice before warming up for test – a logistical challenge given the horse phobia.

“Now the dressage horses have arrived she’s even more scared,” Evelina says. “It was a nightmare yesterday because they would come towards me in their big piaffe and passage. So this morning I rode her at 6.30am when there weren’t many horses, and again at one o’clock.

“When it comes to the arena it’s easier because there are no other horses and she wants to focus. Today was a good feeling and I could ride her for the marks.”

Evelina started riding Fidjy when the mare was eight, so she was a late starter.

“When I got her she couldn’t do changes at all, so after a lot of work, to do four good changes today felt amazing,” she says.

Evelina is looking forward to the cross-country.

“I like French courses, and this one is not too French with too many skinnies, all the ideas are very clear,” she says. “I am not the fastest rider, but my horse is very brave so I must stay focused.”

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