The initiator and event director of the Zurich Youth Masters has been associated with horses since childhood and has himself been successful in many disciplines in equestrian sports. Today, the economist and management consultant can be found with his sons on the international racing and show jumping tournaments and occasionally climbs into the saddle himself at a tournament. Together with a committed OC, he is organising the Zurich Youth Masters in Dielsdorf in 2022, the first outdoor CSIO for young riders in Switzerland for over a decade.
Zurich Youth Masters: Why do we need an international youth tournament in Switzerland?
Yves von Ballmoos: In order to be able to face the international competition, young riders of all age categories regularly travel long distances abroad with their parents and coaches and their horses. Forced to do so, because for years there have been no opportunities to compete at a CSI-level in Switzerland, with the exception of the international youth tournament in Chevenez JU. The founders of the Zurich Youth Masters association, Toni Laurino, Philipp Jöhr, Matthias Lienhop and myself, are convinced that with a larger international youth tournament in Switzerland, a further step can be taken in the promotion of our young talent. In addition to the top young riders, the national squad members and regional riders will also benefit due to a large number of starting places for local riders.
What significance does it have for young Swiss talents?
International competition is essential for our young Swiss athletes. On the one hand, multi-day events have their own competition dynamics that cannot be simulated with the one-day events that are frequent in our country. On the other hand, it is important to learn to compete and to compare oneself in order to be able to improve. Competing with the best at the Zurich Youth Masters gives our young talents the opportunity to present themselves in Switzerland and in front of their home audience, and also to show how good the sporting level already in our country is. Not to be neglected is the promotion of team spirit within the framework of such an event as well as the opportunity to make international friends. I know from my own experience that such friendships often last a lifetime.
How do you experience the set-up and organisation of this tournament?
I am very happy about the response we have received so far and I am very grateful for the great goodwill and sympathy we experience with our initiative for a new youth tournament. We are receiving encouragement and, above all, great support from all sides, from sponsors, authorities, associations, parents, friends and suppliers. Especially the initial costs for such a tournament with a budget of almost CHF 300,000 are enormous. A big thank you goes to our OC, which works tirelessly for our event.
What challenges are still to be overcome?
Finding the necessary volunteers for the event is still a bit of a headache for me at the moment. Since we are organising this tournament without an equestrian or riding club in the background, we are dependent on helping hands that support us. We have set up a page on our website where volunteers and supporters can register. I hope that we will also experience a high level of interest in this respect.
How many participants do you expect?
We hope to welcome 150 to 200 riders at the first Zurich Youth Masters. The planned programme will allow to compete not only for national squad members but also for many Swiss riders, who might otherwise participate less in international tournaments.
The complex customs clearance of horses for entry to participate in tournaments in Switzerland represents quite a major hurdle for foreign riders. We want to spare no effort in this respect in order to be able to welcome as many international participants as possible. For example, we will take care of the customs formalities free of charge with free passports for all horses and make them available at the relevant customs offices for participants arriving from abroad.
What will be the highlights of the first Zurich Youth Masters?
I am especially looking forward to the Nations Cup, which we have on the programme in the categories Children and Juniors. As we all know, this format of team competition is one of the most prestigious events in elite equestrian sport, and it’s no different for the young riders. The team competition among different nations is accompanied by a lot of emotions like no other competition, and winning a Nations Cup is still considered to be something of the greatest a rider can achieve. Another sporting high-light will certainly be the U25 Grand Prix.
What are your future goals with this event?
First of all, we are very much looking forward to the first edition in 2022, which we are preparing with great motivation, enthusiasm and commitment, and of course we hope for a similar response from the participants, their environment and the visitors from Switzerland and abroad. In the medium and long term, we want to establish the tournament as a permanent fixture in the international calendar of events and show that, despite the somewhat difficult situation in Switzerland due to customs formalities for horses, we are able to organise an attractive, competitive and varied youth tournament, that the young riders look forward to and enjoy taking part in. A role model for us in this respect are certainly Lamprechtshausen (AUT) or Hagen (DE), which have been organising first-class tournaments for young riders for years. And for sure, we will focus on the sustainable financial and personnel management of the event, for which we are also dependent on the support and engagement from all sides in the future.
