The two vaulters boast a long collection of titles, as well as an equally long list of shared memories: Thommy Brüsewitz and Kai Vorberg are not only highly successful, they also constantly strive to further improve themselves and their sport. In the CHIO Aachen Podcast, they talk about why they once desperately wanted to be cowboys and pirates, which childish antics led to them being late and how multifaceted their love for horses and vaulting truly is.

They are sitting there completely relaxed in the deck chairs, recently brought out of winter storage, at the grounds of the Vaulting Club Köln-Dünnwald. They are down-to-earth, easy-going, jovial, don’t take themselves too seriously. That is why there is plenty to laugh at in the new episode of the CHIO Aachen Podcast. But, Thommy Brüsewitz and the National Coach, Kai Vorberg, also discuss setbacks, the challenges of their sport and their tremendous dedication to success.

“We can’t get through the season without doing training courses or shows because the tournaments are simply so expensive. Since we don’t make a profit out of our sport, there is no other way to go about it. A certain respect for money has been there from the onset,” says Thommy Brüsewitz, offering an insight into the reality of vaulting. While other disciplines endow large sums of money or cars as prizes, Brüsewitz and Vorberg reveal that they have received prizes like bicycles, shampoo, and jam.

Whereby they emphasise that they are by no means bitter or envious. On the contrary: “The personal memories you share with your team mates are the greatest treasure for me,” says Brüsewitz, who, like Vorberg, has won the Prize of Sparkasse at the CHIO Aachen four times. Kai Vorberg also emphasises the unconditional mutual support among the athletes. “We always wish each other the best and are happy to help each other with problems. That is what makes us idealists,” he asserts.

Even though vaulting is considered to be a niche sport and is not an Olympic discipline, the National Coach believes in his sport. “We combine many wonderful things: We introduce young people to horses and can also work with horses in a more inclusive way and with a much broader social integration. That is a genuine asset, which the equestrian sport as a whole cannot afford to relinquish.”

Of course, neither of the two wants to miss out on the FEI World Championships in their home country this year. For Kai Vorberg, who spectacularly won gold in Aachen in 2006 with his Mozart freestyle routine, it is as if everything is coming full circle. “The most important task will be not to let myself get too distracted by these special memories,” he admits. Ideally, his protégé Thommy Brüsewitz will also be there, striving to claim the last championship title in his career.

In the new episode of the CHIO Aachen podcast they reveal which factors will help them on their way to their next success and what association a dam and a ball pit have with their competitions. You can find the episode here and wherever else podcasts are available.