Olympics: Emanuele Camilli and Odense Odeveld: A Journey to the Olympic Final

Paris, Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Emanuele Camilli’s path to today’s Olympic individual show jumping final with Odense Odeveld has been both long and dedicated. The journey began with Italian rider Antonio Garofalo, who first saw the potential in this young Belgian bay. Born in 2014 by Diamant de Semilly x Querlybet Hero. Garofalo was confident in Odense’s talent and believed Camilli would guide him to the highest levels of competition.

Camilli started riding Odense in 2022, while Chadellano PS was still his top horse.

After the 2022 World Championship in Herning, Chadellano was sold, and Odense became Camilli’s leading horse. At the beginning of 2023, Camilli had reservations about Odense’s readiness for the European Championship in Milan. However, the horse’s maturity and consistent performance soon made him essential to the team, under the expert leadership of coach Marco Porro. In Milan, Camilli and Odense qualified for the individual final, though they chose to skip it to preserve the horse’s energy for more significant future events.

Following Milan, Camilli focused on earning the points needed to secure Italy’s individual qualification for the Paris Olympics. His strategy involved traveling across the Atlantic to compete in the final five-star CSIO and CSI outdoor events of the season, opting out of the indoor World Cup circuit in Europe. His hard work paid off, confirming their Olympic qualification.

Olympic qualification is awarded to the rider’s nation, and if a horse’s form declines or unexpected issues arise, the federation can choose a different pair for the Games. Despite these challenges, Emanuele Camilli and Odense Odeveld maintained excellent form, consistently performing well and arriving in Paris in peak condition.

Yesterday, Camilli and Odense finished 8th out of 74 competitors in the individual qualifier.
This impressive result not only secured their spot in the final but also highlighted their exceptional performance on a challenging course.

Today, the final didn’t start as Camilli had hoped. An error at the first jump resulted in 4 penalties, followed by two more mistakes, placing him 21st overall. Despite this, making it to the Olympic final is a remarkable achievement. Camilli’s journey with Odense, from the initial stages to the grand stage in Paris, has been truly outstanding.

A heartfelt round of applause goes to Emanuele Camilli, Odense Odeveld, and the entire team behind the scenes who made this Olympic dream possible. Their efforts have given us an unforgettable and thrilling experience.

Animo is proud to support such a talented and dedicated rider.