On the Line

Quick. Imagine a German press conference. Did the word “bling” come to mind? If not, you haven’t seen video of Paul Schockemöhle’s press conference/full service bar/nightclub setting from yesterday. From the neon-lit bar tables to Totilas’ sparkly sparkly browband (and at this point, those very well could be real diamonds), the event that announced Matthias Rath as the living legend’s new rider was very. . . well, blingy.

I know that’s not even a word, but the Totilas saga continues to be like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Decked out in full show gear, plus white polos, bell boots and that browband, Edward Gal’s former mount was literally paraded before the European press with his new rider. His new rider who is all of 26 years old! Rath is the luckiest dressage trainer in the world right now, and he knows it. The guy can’t stop grinning, but neither would you if you’d landed the ride on the God of all horses!

He’s no Edward Gal, but Rath’s got a few qualifications under his belt; he was part of the German team that won team bronze at WEG, and he comes from a long line of German dressage trainers. Also notable are Rath’s white-blond hair and matching eyebrows that lend themselves to an uncanny resemblance with Schockemöhle. Go to his uber-fancy website and check out the photos. You’ll see what I mean. Just saying.

In Eurodressage’s coverage from the press conference, Rath said he’s received hate mail from people who are angry at him for accepting the ride on Totilas. Come on people, do we hate him, or are we just jealous? In any case, Rath doesn’t look too perturbed. And there is already (how could there not be?) a Facebook group supporting him. The “Save Edward Gal and Totilas” Facebook group that I wrote about previously has disappeared. And as Facebook is the barometer of all this is relevant these days, I think it’s safe to say that the tide has officially turned.

Enjoy the video; even if you don’t speak German it’s quite compelling.