A topic that interests and involves: historical research, and more, on the sporting horse, its riders, its drivers, the events that involve it as a protagonist.
This time a nice surprise in a splendid book, small in size and pages, but very rich in photographs, documents, narratives, discoveries: “Paris 1900, the first Italian laurels. Story of a knight who discovered himself as an Olympian” (Giorgio Bottalo Trissino dal Vello d’Oro. Editorial Delfino, Milan, 2024, Euro 22.00).
In short, it is the story of the twenty-two-year-old knight from Vicenza, the second lieutenant Gian Giorgio Trissino, written by his great-grandson who bears the same name as him. Trissino won the first Italian Olympic medals in history, in the Second Olympics in Paris: a silver and a gold.
The Paris Olympics, as far as equestrianism was concerned, were an unusual event to some extent, as the results of those competitions were accepted as “Olympic” only after long discussions. The modern Olympic Games were still looking for an adjustment as regards the sporting activities to be practiced, which were the most disparate, even rod fishing and tug of war were foreseen…. like at a fair! Medals were not given to the winners, but cups, trophies of various types and even cash prizes.
Trissino had essentially trained in Pinerolo Military School, from which he left in 1898. His master instructor had been Federigo Caprilli, nine years his senior, who followed him to Paris, as a friend and coach. Caprilli wanted to nominate Trissino for the “hippique concours” of the French capital, which were held over three days, between the end of May and the beginning of June. The two arrived on May 27, with the three horses – three Irish hunters – that Caprilli had chosen for the races, equipped with rich cash prizes.
On May 29th Trissino came fourth in the show jumping, 31st second in the long jump. On June 2nd the height jumping competition was held, to which Trissino showed up with the two horses with which he had competed in the previous days. Back then each competitor could compete with multiple horses, which is not permitted today. In the first test the horse Melopo he touched an obstacle at 1.80 m and was disqualified, obtaining fourth place.
Trissino then used Orestes, his favorite horse, and qualified for the final by clearing 1.85 m. There were two left: him and the French knight Dominique Maximien Garderes. They came to a tie and the first prize of four thousand francs was split in two.
Trissino and Caprilli remained friends and competed together numerous times, until Caprilli’s death in 1907. Ironically, Trissino, who passed away in 1963, never knew he had been an Olympic champion, given that the International Olympic Committee awarded the official recognition of “Olympic race” at the Paris sports competitions only in 1992.
