In corona times we are all ordered to stay at home, self quarantine, and do social distancing. With more time on your hands to spend online, Eurodressage launches a "Hit & Run" interview series so that you get to know the world's most famous dressage riders and personalities more closely.
Spanish Grand Prix rider Juan Antonio Jimenez made his international claim to fame with the Lusitano Guizo. He represented Spain at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, finishing 19th in Sydney and 12th in Athens. He competed at the 1999, 2003, 2005 European Championships and at the 2002 and 2006 World Equestrian Games. Jimenez returned on the Spanish team for the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam with Euclides MOR.
Hit & Run - Juan Antonio Jimenez
What is your earliest memory?
My parents riding. I have always been surrounded by horses, together with my family.
Which person alive do you admire the most and why?
Rafael Nadal.He is a great sportsman and a nice person: human and with principles in life.
When were you the happiest?
I have had many happy moments but the one I remember most is when my daughter Rocio was born.
What is your biggest fear?
The darkness
What was your first thought today?
Has the number of newly infected people and people who have died from the corona pandemic gone down ?
What is your most annoying character trait?
My shyness. I am a very shy person and I give people who don’t know me the wrong impression.
Which trait do you dislike the most in other people?
I dislike insincere people.
What is your dearest possession?
My animals
If you look into the future, what do you see?
I am always very optimistic. I see myself continue competing in the elite with better and better horses every time.
What makes you unhappy?
People with bad intentions who try to hurt other people for no reason.
What is the love of your life?
My current partner, Carlos.
What was the best choice you ever took in life?
To dedicate myself professionally to the horse world.
What's your guilty pleasure?
Dark chocolate. I try not to eat it because of my diet, but now and then I give myself the pleasure of eating some.
What do you owe your parents?
They have taught me to be honest.
Who can sit next to you at your dream dinner table?
My current partner.
What was the worst job you ever did?
A job I did in a factory for some months when I was in my twenties and all I could think about was horses.
What was your biggest disappointment in life?
When I shared a stable in the nineties with my business partner at the time and for economical reasons he disappointed me.
What would you change if you can go back into the past?
Nothing, because thanks to everything I have experienced I have learned a lot.
Name one thing that would improve your quality of life?
Right now I have everything I could wish for, thank god. I with the Covid-19 will end soon!!!
What is your biggest achievement?
An Olympic medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
What is the most important life lesson you have learnt?
That with patience and perseverance, you can achieve anything.
Where would you like to be right now?
I would be competing in Central Europe right now.
What's your favourite scent?
The scent of the Sweet Mock Orange flower.
Which character would you dress up in for Halloween?
I am afraid of those characters. I don’t think I would dress up at all.
To whom would you like to say sorry?
To anyone that I have hurt unconsciously
What does love feel like for you?
I have spent 18 years with my partner and I am more in love every day. We laugh a lot. We have different personalities and that makes us complement each other. We spend most of the day together.
When are you most relaxed?
When I have finished riding my horses and have the satisfaction of having done a good job.
What super power would you like to have?
To know what people are thinking by just looking into their eyes.
When did you last cry, and why?
A few weeks ago when I saw horrible photos of dead people form the Cover-19.
When were you closest to death?
On a flight from Lima to Madrid, when the plane started to loose altitude and we had to do an emergency landing in Colombia.
How do you want to be remembered?
As a good person.
Related Links
Juan Antonio Jimenez in Winning Mood with Euclides MOR and Grison at 2019 CDI Seville
Juan Antonio Jimenez Partners with Las Morerias to Compete at 2016 Global Dressage Festival
Juan Antonio Jimenez Returns to the Big Time with a Foursome of FEI Stars
Juan Antonio Jimenez Loses Naomy
Guizo Passed Away
Jimenez Wins 2005 Spanish Dressage Championships in Home Town
Sweden and Spain Share the Team Bronze Medal in Hagen