Calvin Böckmann: The Details behind the Big Moments, Leaving Nothing to Chance

Welcome back to Beyond the Stables, the podcast shining a light on the next generation of top-level showjumpers, hosted by Alysée and Olivia.

In this episode, recorded in Geneva, we step beyond our usual showjumping world and into the fascinating world of eventing with German eventing rider Calvin Böckmann.

At just 25 years old, Calvin has already competed at the Olympic Games, reached 24th in the world rankings, and was recently crowned Under-25 Eventing World Champion alongside his horse Altair.

So, what does it really take to compete in eventing at the highest level while still under 25?

In this episode, Calvin takes us behind the scenes of his life as a professional eventing rider. He talks about competing at the Olympics while writing his bachelor's thesis, his training programme, his horses, competition pressure, and the unique lifestyle that comes with competing at the highest level of equestrian sport.

We also discover the person behind the athlete. Calvin is thoughtful, incredibly driven and, in his own words, a bit of a “nerd” although we would probably describe him as impressively meticulous and deeply passionate about everything he does.

Whether you already follow eventing, are passionate about showjumping and horses, or are discovering the discipline for the first time, this conversation offers a fascinating look at what it takes to reach the very top of international equestrian sport.

So, let’s take you back to Geneva and introduce you to Calvin Böckmann.

Before we get into today's conversation, we want to introduce you to EQUUSIR, our partner for this episode.

Calvin and Altair have just become the first Under-25 Eventing World Champions, and an achievement like that is about so much more than performance alone. It is also about understanding how your horse is feeling, how they recover, and what they need to keep showing up happy, confident and ready to do their best.

That is why Calvin has chosen EQUUSIR, and why we are so excited to be working with them on this episode.

What we really like about their approach is that it is centred around listening more closely to the horse and supporting them as a whole: their body, their mind and their nervous system. And, as you will hear throughout this episode, this is something Calvin really cares about.

Because for us, and for Calvin, the most special thing is not simply having a high-performance horse. It is having a happy, healthy horse who genuinely wants to do it with you.

If you would like to better understand and support your horse, make sure to take a look at EQUUSIR.

Episode Partner: EQUUSIR