Excerpts from article in Billed Bladet #22, 2011.
Nathalies sejr - Nathalie's victory.
Written by Casper Nielsen.
It wasn't just the CP couple who were in Bernstorffs Park last weekend. Princess Nathalie was there as well, as one of the competitors, riding on her mare, Fabienne. Her parents (Nathalie's that is) were there too, to cheer.
Nathalie won in "dressur" - don't know what that's called in English. It's that peculiar competition where the horses are made to walk and act in a most unnatural way.
Anyway, our reporter had a chat with a very busy Nathalie, whose wedding is now only eighteen days away and she said: "But I have the best husband in the whole world. He's incerdibly sweet and supports me in everything. Alexander is on paternity leave at the moment, so he looks after little Konstantin in the morning, where I ride and then I look after him in the afternoon. My husband will start working again in July and then we'll have to arrange some au-pair girl, but so far the arrangements works.
Q: Your own parents put you in the saddle when you were four. When will you do the same with Konstantin?
N: "I haven't yet put him on a horse. that's way too dangerous. Many have their children on the saddle in front of them, but way too much can happen.
If the horse is suddenly startled and jumps to the side, it can go wrong. You would blame yourself forever. I'll wait until he can walk on his own. But honestly. He should decide himself what he wants. Perhaps he'll say: Mom, you can forget about those horses, I'd rather play football (soccer *) or tennis. - We certainly won't pressure him into doing something".
Q: Have you become a more cautious rider after you have become a mother?
N: "No, on the contrary. I'm neither afraid or anything. Got it much more under control. Fabiene has the right attitude. She is used to travelling, she walks forward, there gearknob is set on full speed and that's good. You can never have too much energy". (**)
Q: Will there also be horses at your upcoming wedding?
N: "I actually don't know. There will be a big tent on the lawn next to riding arena. But I doubt there'll be horses in there".
(*)
Needless to say. How the Americans can call their mixture of handball and wrestling for football is beyond me. I mean, American football consists of a number of armoured brutes who are banging their heads together, when they are not attempting to kick a peculiar shaped ball, invented by a prankster, through a kilometer wide goal.
And just so the players are not getting lost the field is full of stripes...
They ain't got much stamina either as they are constantly having breakes.
In contrast we have genuine football, a noble and refined sport, which require stamina, dexterity, feel for the ball, sense of tactic and an advanced cooperative level from the players.
(**) She'll eat those words big time!
Just wait until sweet little Konstantin can walk and not least run on his own and he is full of energy from the moment he wakes up until his exhausted parents tie him to the bed in the evening.