Olympia Horse Show Viewing Tour 2019

In Pursuit of the Beauty of Horses

Toyohiro Oshima, 59 years old, Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, Real Estate Rental Business

The reason I joined this tour was because, as someone practicing dressage, I wanted to see the world’s highest-level competition, and also the "Beautiful Royal Mounted Guard" Horse Guards changing ceremony, which I had read about in a horseback riding magazine two years ago.

We arrived in London on the night of December 16. From the next day, we spent three days, with half a day for free sightseeing and the other half for visiting Olympia.

 The Horse Guards at the Olympia Horse Show. They performed a splendid quadrille.

December 17, Second Day

I visited the National Gallery. Art appreciation is one of my hobbies. There was one painting I had most wanted to see, but unfortunately, it was on loan to another museum and I could not view it. That painting was Whistlejacket (1762, oil on canvas, 292 cm x 246 cm), a life-size portrait of a horse by George Stubbs. A fellow tour member comforted me by buying a postcard of it, but I still hope to see the original someday.

The National Gallery is famous as a museum where "you can appreciate masterpieces all at once." Due to time constraints, I focused on works from the Impressionists of the 1700–1900s and masterpieces by Baroque painters such as Rubens, Velázquez, and Rembrandt from the 1600–1700s.

 The life-sized horse portrait "Whistlejacket"

 The painting I wanted to see — bought as a postcard

At Olympia, on the second day, I watched the freestyle dressage (Kür) to music. Seeing Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester perform live was a deeply moving experience as a dressage rider. The moments when the horses seemed to dance perfectly in sync with the music were truly a feast for the eyes. It even felt as if the horses themselves were wishing to move that way, which was astonishing. The beauty of the movements shown by these superb dressage horses was unforgettable. I felt I could understand the feelings of the Impressionist painter Degas, who pursued "movement itself" in an era without cameras.

 Charlotte Dujardin performing her freestyle routine

December 18, Third Day

While pushing Mayumi Tsukamoto (FRC Manager) in her wheelchair, we went to see the Horse Guards changing ceremony.

 Ms. Tsukamoto had injured her waist due to a fall from a horse before the trip.

 At the entrance to the Horse Guards

The mounted guards who departed from Buckingham Palace marched straight down the rain-washed street, turned right at the corner of St. James’s Park, and entered the square where the ceremony was held. When the procession turned right, the four-beat sound of the hooves echoed particularly clearly and pleasantly, and I found myself lengthening my stride in an extended walk to match them! It was only about 30 meters, but synchronizing my pace with the black horses’ walk felt wonderful.

 The ceremony, which lasted about an hour, was observed right beside the mounted police officer leading the procession, together with English children. The black horses stood proud and dignified.

 The Horse Guards marching toward the changing ceremony, led by a mounted police officer, followed by a trumpeter on a white horse and mounted soldiers on black horses

After the ceremony, we toured the "Banqueting House," the only surviving part of the Whitehall Palace that served as a royal residence in the 16th and 17th centuries. We were able to appreciate the magnificent ceiling paintings by Rubens while lying on sofas and listening to a Japanese-language audio guide through earphones — it felt like having the entire place to ourselves. I only regret that time was too short.

 At the Banqueting House, appreciating Rubens’ grand ceiling paintings while lying on sofas

December 19, Fourth Day

I bought many souvenirs for myself and my horse friends, such as books and videos about the Horse Guards. I was especially surprised to find that the Japanese edition of "VALEGRO — The Making of an Olympic Champion" (authored by Carl Hester) was being sold for half the price compared to Japan.

At the exhibition booths, I was delighted to unexpectedly meet again with Mr. Tomoyuki Nagase, a Japanese horse portrait artist. I had become a fan since his solo exhibition at my riding club back in 2008. He told me, "After passing a rigorous screening, this is my first time exhibiting at Olympia in seven years." He also mentioned that he plans to establish his base in Newmarket going forward. I wish him great success.

Perhaps it was the horses he paints — the black horses — that made me want to "see the real thing" someday...

Finally, I am truly grateful to have had the rare experience of traveling alongside a participant in a wheelchair.

 As the proverb says, "Every cloud has a silver lining."