Horse lost 100 kilos

Carinthian riding ace fell into a deep hole

Gerfried Puck

(Bild: GEPA )

Carinthian riding ace Gerfried Puck recently suffered from the after-effects of the "Olympic crash" and spent almost three months at home in his adopted home of Salzburg. Top horse "Naxcel" was also ailing, and all the traveling was not good for the four-legged friend. From Wednesday, however, the duo want to really step on the gas again at the World Cup in Verona.

Survived! Carinthia's riding ace Gerfried Puck fell into a deep hole after the Olympics in Paris. Mentally and health-wise. "I was listless, I always felt unwell. I often went to the doctor and had everything checked out. But nothing was found."

It was certainly also the effects of the unsatisfactory performance in France - the rider from Klein St. Paul had to settle for 59th place in the individual competition and missed out on the final with the team in 13th place.

Horse "Naxcel" was also ailing, even during the games. "He always had a slight fever. We found out that he was travel sick. All that traveling and flying doesn't do him any good. People get that too. He had lost a lot of weight. He normally weighs 650 kilograms, but in Paris he only weighed 550."

To the World Cup in Verona
The duo had gone into hiding in their adopted home of Salzburg for three months - but things have recently picked up again. In Cagliari (Italy) they took third place in the Grand Prix of a four-star tournament, and at the three-star event in Samorin (Slovakia) they won the GP. Tomorrow, Puck will start at the World Cup tournament in Verona, where he shone two years ago with second place in the main competition. "Maybe I can pull off another surprise."