Office for Sports Promotion

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government provides support to improve the competitiveness of Tokyo athletes so that they can play an active role on the international stage including the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Established a certification system.

On this page, we will interview certified athletes on the theme of ``Let's grow ourselves through sports and think about a better relationship between sports and society.''

8th Maria Takada (Minato Ward) Equestrian

【profile】
Maria Takada Born August 1994, 8 in Tokyo
Studied at the affiliated school since Keio Kindergarten and is currently enrolled at Keio University.
Member of Irish Arran Riding School
Won the Junior Rider Championship at the All Japan Junior Dressage Championship in 2010 and 2011
2013-2016 JOC Junior Olympic Cup/All Japan Junior Dressage Tournament Young Rider Championship Winner

To bring attention to equestrianism and make it more familiar to people
I want to put into practice what I can do.

The trigger was my mother.I wanted a rosette ribbon, so I changed from horse riding to equestrian competitions.

Equestrian events at the Olympics have a long history.The first Olympics were held in Paris in 1900.It is the only sport in the Olympics where men and women compete on the same stage.Another feature is that the age range of the participating players is wide.This shows that differences in body size and physical strength between men and women do not have a major impact on competition.
　There are three events that will be held at the Olympics.Dressage is a competition for accuracy, vigor, and beauty of performance.``Show jumping'' involves jumping around the course as quickly as possible without making mistakes while jumping over set obstacles.“Event eventing” combines these two with cross-country.These are divided into individuals and groups.Germany has won the most gold medals to date.In Japan, Takeichi Nishi won the gold medal in individual show jumping at the 3 Los Angeles Olympics.

The general image of equestrianism is that it is a sport for aristocrats.Athletes on horseback wear tailcoats for dressage and jackets and ties for show jumping.The solemn appearance and graceful manner in which he handles his beloved horse gives off an upper-class atmosphere.
For this reason, there are young athletes who are thinking, ``I wish more people could become interested in this sport, which can sometimes feel a bit intimidating, and make it more familiar to people.'' .Maria Takada.She is currently 22 years old and attending Keio University.

"I wasn't particularly fond of animals."
　Takada first encountered equestrianism when he was in the third year of elementary school.His journey began when he went horseback riding in Chiba with his mother, who had horseback riding experience.He had always loved sports and had great physical ability, and his height, which was already 150cm, and the way he rode caught the attention of his coach, who recommended that he pursue a career in equestrian competitions.
　``I didn't take it seriously from the beginning, but I just hated losing.When I first participated in the Chiba Prefectural Tournament in fifth grade, I heard that if I finished in the top six, I would get a rosette ribbon, so I decided to do my best. I even received a ribbon.”

Since developing a sense of unity with his beloved horse Ricardo, he has achieved good results in tournaments.

When he became a junior high school student, he moved to a club that trains juniors and began seriously devoting himself to horsemanship.A horse riding form that exudes dignity with a calm demeanor. At 163cm tall, his slender spine stands out.Her dignified and beautiful riding appearance is the result of not only her innate ability but also the experience she has had in horseback riding since she was a child.People around her suggested that her dignified and good-looking beauty, which is called ``good in the saddle'', would be even more apparent in ``dressage'', so she decided to focus on this discipline.
　When he entered university, he won the JOC Junior Olympic Cup/All Japan Junior Dressage Tournament Young Rider Championship four times in a row.He was also certified as a member of the Progress Team, an athlete targeted for reinforcement by the Japan Equestrian Federation.However, he seems to have faced various struggles before achieving this result.

“In horsemanship, performance is not only determined by the human ability, but also by the horse's technical ability and compatibility with the rider.In order to reach a higher level, a horse that has acquired the skills appropriate to that level is important. You have to change horses. Horses and humans grow together, and they don't stay together forever. I'm currently riding Ricardo (a gelded horse, 17 years old). I met my boyfriend (years old) when I was a second year high school student. He is my third partner in my life. At first, I didn't understand his personality, so our relationship was in tatters. He was selfish and moody, so it was difficult to We just couldn't get along.''As a result, a tournament in his third year of high school ended in disappointing results.
　“That's when I realized that I didn't just try to make the horse suit me, I had to try to suit the horse as well, and I had to understand the horse's mentality. I realized that I would not be able to compete well if I did not develop the ability to support myself.”
　Since then, I have begun to take more care of my horses, washing them more carefully.
　``We are now good friends. Of course, there are still times when we have difficulties. We have built a solid relationship of trust with the horses we compete with, and we work together as one team, aiming for high scores with performances that only we can perform.'' want to go"

Aim for the Tokyo Olympics while acquiring social skills!

Takada is currently a fourth-year university student.While going back and forth between Gotemba and university, he continued to pursue both equestrianism and the arts and crafts.He considered getting a job after graduating, but now that he has a chance to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, he now wants to continue to master his equestrian skills as an athlete for as long as possible. He has attended the JOC Promising Newcomer Training three times, has had the opportunity to meet Olympians from the same university, and says he is increasingly inspired by interactions with athletes from other sports.
　“Past Olympians in equestrian sports have had few opportunities to interact with people from other sports like I did. Top athletes from various sports in Japan have a sense of solidarity as members of Team Japan, and are working hard to strengthen their skills. Seeing that people are sharing useful information, winning medals, and expanding the opportunities to promote their own sports, I want to actively learn from people in other sports and learn more about horsemanship. I started thinking that people should see it.”

Nowadays, the media is starting to buzz with stories about entertainers taking up equestrian endeavors, and there are many equestrian-related people who want to raise the profile of the sport in the run-up to the Olympics.Speaking of Japanese equestrian athletes, Hiroshi Hokketsu, who participated in the London Olympics at the age of 71, is famous. This is a remarkable feat because it is a sport that never retires, but if Takada, who is considered a young athlete in this sport, becomes a promising athlete for the Tokyo Olympics and performs in various tournaments, the way the sport is covered will likely become more diverse.
　Many of Takada's classmates born in 1994 have won Olympic medals, including Kosuke Hagino, Maya Baker, Yuzuru Hanyu, and Nozomi Okuhara.We will deepen our interactions with people of the same generation and work together to create a synergistic effect as we head towards the Tokyo Olympics.I also want to seriously aim for my first medal in equestrian competition since 1932.
　``I want to act with a broader perspective and learn through horsemanship so that I can not only become stronger as an athlete, but also as a member of society.''
　Takada continues to gallop around the track today with his beloved horse Ricardo.

The charm of equestrian

Dressage is performed on a rectangular horse track measuring 20 x 60 meters, and involves drawing steps and shapes based on three types of gaits: walk, trot, and canter. do.Just like in figure skating, the results are determined by the total score of two points: a ``regular performance,'' in which the content is all determined, and a ``free performance,'' in which the performance is composed of predetermined elements and performed in time with music. competeIt is a profound competition that requires precise technique and beauty.
　“The process of understanding people who cannot speak the language of horses and building a relationship of understanding and trust is a joy that cannot be found in other sports.It is a joy to see people and horses working together as one to aim for great heights.”

Tokyo x Equestrian

``The venue for the equestrian events at the Tokyo Olympics will be the Equestrian Park in Yoga.It is a historic place for equestrian events that was also the venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but it is currently closed for venue maintenance. However, there are surprisingly many places where you can enjoy horseback riding and equestrianism.The Irish Aran Riding School that I belong to is located in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, and competitions are often held at the Gotemba City Equestrian Sports Center, which is also located in Gotemba.Tokyo There is only one express bus that goes directly from here, so please come by.

[Life skills learned through sports]

In addition to communicating with horses, equestrianism is a sport where there is no difference between men and women and there is no retirement, so people of all ages, from elementary school students to the elderly, can enjoy equestrianism.By putting himself in such an environment, Takada has honed his ability to respond to a wide range of situations.The skill to communicate with any person without discrimination is an element that brings positive aspects to life.There is also a great deal to be gained as an athlete and as a person by deepening interactions with athletes of the same generation in non-equestrian fields and gaining new insights from them.