Nabab, a 700-kg black bear and a polished horse, munches on the juicy carrots and apples offered by the hostess with great satisfaction.
"A future Olympian needs more vitamins," laughs equestrian rider Justina Vanagaitė while gently stroking her beloved horse.
The new year 2024 started with a special message for this duo. In the hands of the rider - an invitation to compete for Olympic medals in equestrian competitions at the Olympic Games.
Although several days have passed since the announcement of the official invitation, the excitement still does not leave Justina. She admits that if someone had asked a year and a half ago whether participation in the Olympic Games was possible, Justina would have answered "no chance". However, soon the results of the duet of the stubborn athlete and the horse Nabab began to improve at lightning speed.
Mr. Vanagaitė calls his horse Nabab Kebab.
"About a year ago, I believed that getting to Paris was possible. The 2023 competition calendar was extremely difficult, stressful, requiring a lot of time, money, health and endurance. And already in 2023 in the summer I was so far away from my rivals that I didn't even doubt that I would be able to reach my goal. And finally it's official - we're going to Paris!", the future Olympian rejoices without hiding her excitement.
Participation in the Olympic Games is an important assessment both for the athlete and for Lithuania. There is really a lot of excitement and responsibility, because Justina became the first rider in the history of an independent country in the Olympic Games (before the restoration of independence, Raimundas Udrakis was the only Lithuanian rider who participated in the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988).
How does it feel to become a part of history before even appearing at the Olympics? Justina wonders aloud that maybe all the emotions of joy haven't settled down yet, because she still doesn't really understand what's happening.
"It seems like I'm dreaming. Until recently, we discussed with coach Svetlana Snarskiene that the competition is extremely high and it is practically impossible for an unknown rider from a small country to win a ticket to the Olympic Games. And today it has been officially confirmed that my dream has come true. I am very happy that I can share this honor with the representative of equestrian triathlon Aistias Vitkauskas, who also secured a place in the Games", says the interviewer.
A rested horse is a happy horse
Despite the fact that female athletes in 2024 the August travel direction is already clear in the competition calendar, the remaining eleven months will be devoted to other competitions and preparations for the Games. Although Justina states that she will not change anything in the agenda due to the Games, she emphasizes that both she and the horse feel best in terms of sports if they maintain a balance between exercise and rest.
"After a very difficult 2023 season, the horse Nabab deserved almost two months of vacation. Soon, I will continue my work as always: I will ride three to four times a week, I will hunt on other days. I have always said that an "unstressed" horse is a happy horse, so you need to maintain not only your own, but also his work, rest and happiness index. This season, I plan to go only to the most serious tournaments based on the rank of the competition and their notoriety. Since the Olympic passport is already in my hands, there is no longer a goal to participate everywhere," the equestrian athlete shares her plans for the year.
This year, in April, Justina is waiting for the final of the World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where only 18 of the world's best riders make it. An appearance at the prestigious five-star tournament in Denmark is also planned.
The horse inspired the pursuit of the Olympic Games
Unlike in individual sports, in team sports the responsibility for winning or losing is shared by the entire team. However, Justina does not feel like a solo artist, according to her, an athlete and a horse are an inseparable duo that forms a team.
"We have to know and feel each other insanely well, merge into one. During the start, there is no one else for me, only my horse, which I try to "lead through the test" in order to perform the elements of the performance as accurately and qualitatively as possible," says the athlete.
The horse Nabab was in the hands of a female rider five years ago, when he was six years old. She claims that it was with this horse that she realized that one of her sporting goals can be achieved - to participate in the Olympic Games. Justina, who has felt a passion for riding and horses since childhood, is a rider who has won recognition in various arenas. She debuted in international competitions in 2020, and became the Lithuanian champion in 2021 and 2022. For the first time in the history of Lithuania, she represented her country in the European and World Championships and was the first to start in a 5-star tournament. The first reached the finals of the World Cup. In 2022, he won in Estonia, Austria, Slovakia, in Poland in Grand Prix matches. in 2023 J. Vanagaitė won 9 GP matches in Estonia, in Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and also participated in 5-star tournaments in Herning (Denmark) and Doha (Qatar).
The Glimstedt law firm supports the athlete's talent and contributes to the significant achievements of Justina Vanagaitė.
