Josef Váňa went to Pardubice on June 25^th with the intention to “get round”. He and Rabbit Hawk Wing succeeded pretty well in this. He was far from winning the race, but he qualified his partner for the Velka, and can now cross off his list one of the tasks that was to be completed. At the end of a week in which he was far from achieving what had been expected of him as a trainer, this was a positive sign. For Váňa himself, it was confirmation that his ambition to ride in the Velka again is more than empty words. After the race, we got some reactions from Josef Váňa, in which he assesses his race, his horse and other aspects of the racing on Saturday.

The heatwave at Pardubice:  “When I go cycling in the middle of the day, it’s often good and hot, so it doesn’t have an effect on me. I often go home from work by bike at midday, so it is nothing out of the normal for me.”

Rabbit Hawk Wing: “I didn’t choose him because he seemed to be an outstanding horse. It was more that he had some health problems, and some people suggested we shouldn’t take him. He had the same problem that Tiumen had had. Then we treated him, and now he’s making a comeback.”

The qualification race: “We sent Hipo Jape to make the pace, and I wanted to sit in behind him. But I didn’t get there. Apart from that, it was fine. Rabbit Hawk Wing jumped as was required, but at the end of the race it showed that he’s only been back in training for a few weeks. I gave him a reminder before the last fence, but when there was nothing there I left him alone. The main thing today was to get round, and we were successful.”

Plans for the Velka Pardubicka: “The horse is qualified, and we’ll see whether, after today, the owner will let me go on riding him. In any case, the horse will carry on with his preparation at work, and if all goes well, he’ll go to Pardubice for a shorter race in August, and then he’ll go for the September qualification race. He needs the races, and both of us have time over the summer to be a bit better next time out.”

A comparison with Tiumen:. “Their fates are linked by the type of injury they both had, but apart from that they’re not much alike. Tiumen was a well-behaved horse. Anyone could have ridden him, and he was ideal to work with. This one is not like that. However, in my opinion he may be the better horse.”

Longevity of a rider: “At work, I ride out with the young ones. And since I’m with a young collective, there’s no time for seeming to be old. Nothing in my body hurts or aches so much that I might say to myself that I can’t ride any more. So why shouldn’t I give it a go?”

The other riders, and respect during the race: “In the race, I look for a position that suits the horse. I’ve stopped shouting nowadays. If I did, the boys would all go for me. And I can do without that.”

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Translation of an interview by Petr Guth, which first appeared in the Czech-language pages of Doctihový svět.