Rider Weishaupt the epitome of resilience

Butterflies are the norm when an athlete is preparing for some highquality competition.

But this fluttering was just a little more serious for Philipp Weishaupt.

“I arrived here on a Tuesday (June 6) and I jumped on a Wednesday. A couple of warm-up classes, getting my horses used to the ring,” related the rider, from Augsburg, Germany. “About noon I felt something was not right and for a couple of hours it didn’t really get better and it got really painful. I drove to the hospital and they told me to do surgery.”

Weishaupt underwent an appendectomy and was delighted with the care he received at the new South Health Campus hospital.

“They did a really nice job,” he said. “They were really helpful. Health care here in Canada is very good. I went out 36 hours after surgery. That was OK and I couldn’t ride for six days and then I went back in the saddle.”

Six days?

“On the sixth day,” he grinned. “They said six weeks but my English is not so good so I didn’t understand if they meant six days or six weeks.”

That impetuosity could have done more harm than good, Weishaupt agreed, looking back.

“After all the results in week two. I only rode two horses who are really easy to ride,” said Weishaupt, who missed the entire Spruce Meadows National tournament and returned for the Continental.

“But even then I just didn’t feel comfortable, it was quite painful in the stomach still, and I wasn’t on top of my game. To jump a five-star level here at Spruce Meadows you have to be super-fit and super competitive. I didn’t train for six days and then to jump directly a five-star competition was probably not the best idea, but I’m young and I’m motivated.”

Very much needing the week off in mid-series, Weishaupt returned for the Pan American and has since been putting up some nice finishes. He’s posted two seconds and two thirds, still chasing that elusive firstplace prize.

“For me, we could go another one or two weeks, no problem,” he said. “I feel like I’m just starting. My horses are jumping great, all five, super happy here, it’s an unbelievable show again. Everything here is the highest standard and I would love to stay a little longer.

“Actually last year I had to wait for that win,” he pointed out. “I had a very good summer series last year, but I had to wait also until the last week to get my first win. I have two more days to go. I feel very good. I have three more classes to jump, of course the dream would be to win the Queen’s Cup (Saturday’s Grand Prix). But there are another 42 riders who want to win it as well. It’s really tough. But I know my horse is in great form so everything is possible.”

After his fine 2016 summer at the Meadows, which included seven top-four finishes, Weishaupt — who turns 32 in a couple of weeks — went to the esteemed Aachen show in his native country and won that prestigious grand prix. He hopes for a repeat performance.

“Having the chance to ride here for four weeks, on a grass field, very similar to the one in Aachen, was the best preparation for the grand prix,” he explained. “I’m sure without the preparation here at Spruce Meadows I would not have won that Grand Prix because I had a green horse — Convall was just nine — and he picked up so much experience in the summer which made Aachen like a regular first day. It made it easier.

“Try to repeat which, if I’m being realistic, I know it’s very difficult to do, nearly impossible. But obviously I’m trying and we’ll see what happens.”

In the meantime, he will finish out his abbreviated Spruce Meadows summer series and give his stable some additional learning time at one of the world’s great show jumping venues.

“I never had a string of horses like I have right now,” he said. “The five horses I brought here, all of them are extra good. They’re very special.”