They took the hearts of the Hamburg crowd by storm: Simon Heineke and 18-year-old Cordillo took second place in the Hamburg Derby, making the world\u2019s most difficult course look almost like a style competition \u2013 and in doing so provided one of the most beautiful and emotional moments of this traditional tournament. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an interview with spring-reiter.de, the 33-year-old show jumper \u2013 who was born in Varel, Lower Saxony, and has made his professional home at the Herz family\u2019s Moorhof in Wedel since 2012 \u2013 talks about his early days, big dreams, setbacks, his training philosophy and mental strength, and he reveals how he wins his horses\u2019 trust, what rituals he follows and what\u2019s still on his bucket list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When and how did you catch the horse bug? Was it love at first sight?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke laughs:<\/strong> No, not at all. At first, I just played football and dreamt of a professional career. My sister, who\u2019s two years older than me, rode horses and she always wanted to take me to the stables, but I thought it was a bit daft. When I was about 12, that changed. I went along once, partly because there were a few girls at the stables. Then I decided I wanted to start riding after all, but only on condition that I didn\u2019t have to groom the horses or muck out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, my mum wouldn\u2019t have it and said, \u2018Right then, you can carry on playing football.\u2019 My sister relented and promised to get the horse ready for me. Later on, of course, I did that myself too \u2013 learnt everything from scratch \u2013 but that\u2019s definitely how it all started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have your friends at school and your football mates accepted your new hobby? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: That was a huge deal for me, especially during my teenage years. I was in the football club back then; I was captain and had loads of friends. Then, when I was 13, I competed in my first E-level show jumping event. It was raining; my mare wasn\u2019t shod, so she slipped at the back whilst turning on the wet grass and fell. Looking back, it was, of course, completely amateurish. In that fall, I fractured my metatarsal bone eight times. That meant football was, of course, completely out of the question. But I could still ride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, that was the start of a difficult period, without football or my friends. Most people didn\u2019t understand equestrian sport; many thought it was a sport for girls. There were evenings when I felt really sad at dinner. Then I\u2019d say to my parents, \u2018Why am I actually doing this?\u2019 I\u2019d had it all before \u2013 I\u2019d played football, had a huge circle of friends \u2013 and now I\u2019m riding and I don\u2019t have that anymore. Luckily, things got better when I was 15 and the first parties started. Suddenly I knew loads of pretty girls who rode horses, and some of my mates asked: \u2018Wow, we think that\u2019s cool \u2013 can we come along sometime?\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you share a horse with your sister at the start?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: Yes, exactly. My sister rode in an L-level dressage class at a competition, for example, and I jumped in an M-level class \u2013 all on the same day. We couldn\u2019t afford two horses. We bought the mare when she was five and she did brilliantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When did you realise that you wanted to make show jumping your career? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: By the age of 15, I couldn\u2019t imagine doing anything else. Partly because my best friend, Greta Funke, was already training to be a horse manager at the time. Naturally, my parents weren\u2019t keen at first. My father is a railwayman through and through. It was a bit of a shock for him at first, but he got over it and is fine with it now. Neither of my parents comes from an equestrian background; my mother used to ride as a hobby, but my father had absolutely no connection to the sport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I then did an internship with Hergen Forkert in Bremen and subsequently completed a three-year apprenticeship in breeding and animal husbandry with Harm Thorm\u00e4hlen. After that, I spent another year riding at the Moorhof with Carsten-Otto Nagel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What did you learn from Carsten-Otto Nagel, the World and European team champion?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: A great deal. I\u2019ve obviously picked up his riding style \u2013 that calmness on the horse. I also owe a great deal to Carsten-Otto Nagel. It was with him that I rode my first \u2018S\u2019 level show jumping competition, my first 2-star and 3-star \u2018S\u2019 events. I\u2019ve also been given horses by him time and again \u2013 horses that perhaps weren\u2019t good enough for him, but which were, of course, brilliant for me to learn on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But you\u2019ve also had a lot of setbacks due to injuries\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: Yes, I\u2019d had problems with my adductors for over six years; I\u2019d seen lots of doctors, taken plenty of painkillers, and just carried on. Until I could hardly go on any longer. At some point, I got in touch with a doctor in London. The operation was very expensive \u2013 that was quite a hurdle for me. Should I go ahead with it, or not? In the end, it was simply a question of whether I\u2019d have the operation or give up riding. Fortunately, my parents were very supportive. And looking back, it was absolutely the right decision for my health, because I\u2019m pain-free now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve just come second in the Hamburg Derby with Cordillo, an 18-year-old Derby veteran, and have been training for around three years under the master rider and two-time Derby winner Achaz von Buchwaldt. Has this collaboration given your career another boost? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: Yes, I\u2019d definitely say so. It\u2019s on a whole different level now. With Achaz, it\u2019s not just a coach-pupil relationship. We\u2019ve got almost a grandfather-grandson relationship. It works incredibly well. And that psychological aspect \u2013 the way he simply says, \u2018OK, you\u2019ve got to believe in yourself, you\u2019re strong enough, you can do it.\u2019 That was something I had to learn first. The training itself has much more forward momentum, too. Before, it was always the case that every canter stride had to be controlled, everything had to be perfect down to the last detail. Achaz, on the other hand, doesn\u2019t look for the fly in the ointment; instead, he encourages me, says, \u2018This and that were brilliant,\u2019 and we look ahead. This positive attitude and this encouragement have given me an incredible amount of self-confidence and a more relaxed mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Would you say you\u2019re a perfectionist and tend to be hard on yourself and your performance?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: Yes, absolutely. For example, if I\u2019m feeling a bit down after a round because it didn\u2019t go as I\u2019d hoped, Achaz comes straight over to me and says, \u2018Come on, let\u2019s carry on \u2013 we\u2019re in great spirits.\u2019 I used to dwell on little things for ages. Now, thanks to Achaz, I can often put situations behind me more quickly. Before, I suppose I was often too hard on myself. These days, I\u2019d say it\u2019s a healthy balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which horses are you currently pinning your greatest hopes on?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: I would have found it easier to answer this question last year, because Early Bird, for example, was still in top form back then. She\u2019s had an operation and is now back in training, but she was definitely my best horse. (Simon Heineke has won, amongst other things, in Brussels and the Grand Prix at the Fehmarn Horse Festival in 2025 with the Holstein grey mare, editor\u2019s note). Cascadella is also out of action at the moment, taking a break due to injury. At the moment, I\u2019d say it\u2019s the Holsteiner Caballero Grande. He\u2019s only nine and has made great strides. Although he\u2019s still incredibly green, he placed well at the CSI4* in Hohen Wieschendorf and went clear, finishing eighth, in the second qualifier for the Hamburg Derby over 1.50m. He was a bit tricky at first, until he got the hang of the whole course. Not because he didn\u2019t want to or couldn\u2019t, but because something was throwing him off. Then came some faults that were actually quite out of character for him. He\u2019s really big, but he\u2019s actually still a total baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, thanks to his greater experience and the other horses\u2019 injury-related absence, he\u2019s suddenly at the top of my horse rankings. I do get the feeling that this has an effect on a horse and that it realises it too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My dressage pony is Call Me Pretty. She wins a lot at her level, has an amazing attitude and is simply a brilliant horse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How many horses do you have in your stables, and how many do you ride each day?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: I currently have ten horses on my list, and I actually try not to ride more than eight horses a day. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And where do you get your horses from? Do they always come from the Herz family\u2019s stud?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: Exactly. We used to breed quite a lot, but we\u2019ve cut back significantly now, and we do buy in some young horses from time to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s a typical day like for you at home when you\u2019re at Moorhof?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: The handy thing is that I live just one street away. When the weather\u2019s good, I usually cycle or walk. When I\u2019ve got both dogs with me, I walk so they can get some exercise. I usually start at about 7.30 am. By then, my groom, Andrea, has had the first horse ready. I ride until about midday, and then carry on in the afternoon. Every Tuesday we have dressage lessons. That\u2019s a compulsory part of the programme and definitely helps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Achaz, training is always very flexible; we usually train once a week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you build that bond with your horses?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: I\u2019d definitely say I\u2019m quite intuitive, and I can tell very quickly if something\u2019s wrong with a horse or if something seems off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I already have a brilliant bond with all my horses. I spend a lot of time with them and do quite a lot myself. Not because I don\u2019t trust others to do it. I definitely put the bridle on myself, and I usually put the saddle back on myself as well. At competitions, if possible, I always like to give the horses a jog myself beforehand. Seeing them run, perhaps even going for a graze with them or leading them around \u2013 just building that bond \u2013 that\u2019s really quite important to me. I also ride a lot in the woods and, if the opportunity arises, I try to head down to the North Sea beach. The horses need this change of scenery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A horse like Cordillo, in particular, might only see the sand track once every two or three weeks; otherwise, he\u2019s either at the racecourse or in the woods, because he gets bored really quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When are you going to set off on horseback?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: Usually in winter, when they are between 3 and 4 years old. As a rule, we take our time with the young horses. They generally don\u2019t compete in their first competitions until they are around five and a half years old. You can see from our horses that they have long careers in the sport, and that speaks volumes. Cordillo, for example, is 18 years old; he\u2019s just come second in the Hamburg Derby, having already won the Derby with Nisse L\u00fcneburg back in 2019, and has consistently finished among the top placings in recent years. And he\u2019s still in top form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (2023: 6th place, 2024: 5th place, 2025: 6th place and 2026: 2nd place, editor\u2019s note). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Would you like to compete on the Global Tour \u2013 travelling around the world every weekend from one 5-star competition to the next? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: That\u2019s a big dream, of course, and I used to have it very strongly \u2013 and I still do\u2026 Perhaps a bit less so than I used to, because I\u2019ve realised that if your goals are set too high, it tends to be rather frustrating. A while ago, I used to keep telling myself: \u201eOh, riders your age are already doing this or that.\u201c But I\u2019ve realised \u2013 partly because I\u2019ve been working with sports psychologists \u2013 that it doesn\u2019t make sense to set your goals too high. It\u2019s better to take smaller steps and then see where you end up. Of course it\u2019s a dream, but it\u2019s only achievable if everything falls into place. As things stand at the moment, it\u2019s not possible, and you have to be honest about that. Naturally, it\u2019s a huge dream to ride in Aachen one day. But I think I\u2019m fine with it and won\u2019t be terribly frustrated if it doesn\u2019t work out in my lifetime. It was a childhood dream just to ride in the Hamburg Derby at all. That happened for the first time four years ago. I hadn\u2019t expected to finish second this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IWill you be competing in the Hamburg Derby again next year?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>: Yes, I hope so, but not with Cordillo \u2013 rather with Caballero Grande, who did a brilliant job in his debut this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How difficult is it for you to get entry permits for international tournaments?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke:<\/strong> It\u2019s generally difficult to get entry to good competitions because there are simply so many riders who are strong at this level. In fact, the only chance you have is to compete in working competitions abroad \u2013 be it in the Netherlands, Belgium or Poland \u2013 to prove yourself.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s what we do too. But we also ride in plenty of domestic competitions, because I believe German tournaments need to be supported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year I won the Fehmarn Grand Prix; there were only three clean rounds. I wouldn\u2019t say that was any easier than it is now in Peelbergen or places like that. But the significance is different. I reckon these days you can win a national competition somewhere and it hardly carries any significance at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which is your favorite tournament and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke:<\/strong> Hard question. Right after Hamburg, the horse festival arrives on Fehmarn, because Fehmarn holds a special place in my heart. I am very good friends with the K\u00f6hlbrandt family. It\u2019s really like a holiday with a tournament and has a lot of charm to it. I won my first 3-star Grand Prix there, and I had some very good years there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which horse of your colleagues would you like to ride?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke laughs<\/strong>These are two very clear choices: United Touch S and DSP Chakaria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have a specific ritual before an exam?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke smiles<\/strong>Yes, I am quite superstitious. I always have a specific riding outfit and a specific tournament shirt for the most important competition. I tie the necktie at the beginning of the tournament and if the day of the tournament went well, the knot stays in place; if not, I take it off. And if the horse went well, I leave everything as it is; if it didn\u2019t go well, I change something. For example, I might only put on the left rein at first and then the right one and the next day maybe the other way around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you be contacted after a not-so-good round, or is that difficult?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke:<\/strong> In the past it was super difficult; I needed a really long time to get there, and I even got emotional and said things that hurt others afterwards. Today I have learned to deal with my emotions, thanks in part to Achaz. Then I take a step back, ride a lap, sit in the stable, do it with myself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, it\u2019s similar to a football player who has been in the game for 90 minutes, comes off the field, and immediately wants to tell the camera something about their performance\u2026 Of course, there\u2019s also often disappointment and frustration involved, because you know that you just haven\u2019t been able to do it right now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Three things that are still on your bucket list? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke, who previously was allowed to compete in the Nations Cup in Drammen<\/strong>I would like to ride in Aachen, win the Hamburg Derby, and ride for Germany again in a Nations Cup competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What do you say to critics who say that horse racing is animal cruelty?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>I think it\u2019s very important to show critics how to handle their horses and what they do for the horses. Cordillo went on to win the Derby again at the age of 18. And there have really been many horses in the past who were still successful in the Derby at a very old age, or even won it, such as the 19-year-old Hello Max, who won with Gilbert Tillmann in 2013, or the 18-year-old filly who won in 1996 with Achaz von Buchwaldt. All of this is only possible if you handle the horses well and train them in a way that keeps them healthy, so that they feel comfortable, even in their minds. If a horse doesn\u2019t want to do this sport or no longer wants to participate from a mental standpoint, then it doesn\u2019t work. And that speaks for itself. Therefore, I believe that we need to be more transparent and show more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you see the development in equestrian sport \u2013 is the sport becoming increasingly elitist? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Heineke<\/strong>One thing is clear: The gap is widening. In the past, horse racing was more of a rural sport. It was, for example, possible for a father who is a craftsman to finance a horse for his daughter or son who wanted to ride. This segment is increasingly disappearing, which of course is also bad for the breeders. The sport has simply become very expensive, when you look at the box prices and the high veterinary costs \u2013 this development is completely unhealthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interview was conducted by Corinna Philipps for spring-reiter.de <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" They have captured the hearts of the Hamburg audience: Simon Heineke and the 18-year-old Cordillo jumped to second place in the Hamburg Derby, making the world's toughest course look almost like a high jump \u2013 and thus providing one of the most beautiful and emotional moments of the traditional tournament. In an interview with spring-reiter.de \u2026 Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":99392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allgemein","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99379"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99405,"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99379\/revisions\/99405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spring-reiter.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99379"}],"curies":[{"name":"well played","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}