Incheon: HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana was pleased with her performance yesterday after she just missed out on a place in the next round of dressage in the equestrian competition at the Asian Games.
Princess Sirivannavari, riding Prince Charming, was 31st with 58.079 points with the top 30 riders progressing to the next round in the individual event.
Thailand were seventh in the team event with Chalermchan Yotviriyapanit finishing in 22nd place, Pakinee Pantapa 23rd and Ravisara Wachakorn 26th.
The Princess said she was pleased with her performance after just two months working with Prince Charming.
“Overall big picture, I’m very happy that he’s very relaxed but I know that he wants to work too much sometimes, so I need to hold him back,’’ she said.
“I am pleased with my performance today, although I have to improve many things. I am happy to see people in the stands waving Thai flags and displaying banners. I did not feel under pressure.’’
The Princess insisted she’s treated just like any other athlete after she made her Asian Games debut in the dressage competition.
She said she was getting no special treatment at the Asian Games, where she is staying in the athletes’ village, just like thousands of her co-competitors.
“They treat me like friends, a normal rider,” Princess Sirivannavari said at the stables of Incheon’s Dream Park equestrian centre, after her performance yesterday.
“If they treat me as a princess I would not be here, I’d be in another stable, with beautiful decorations. Everybody has the same — the one thing they give me is respect.”
The down-to-earth royal arrived back at her high-rise accommodation late on Friday after the Games’ opening ceremony.
Princess Sirivannavari, who also competed in badminton at the 2006 Asian Games, said a blast of popstar Rihanna helped her gear up for a day in the saddle.
“For me it was no problem, it’s like: wake up, some vitamin C, a lot of water and feel fresh, good music. I listened to Rihanna this morning,” she said.
The 27-year-old is the latest in a line of royals to compete in top-level equestrianism, including Britain’s Zara Phillips, a 2012 Olympics silver medallist.
Princess Sirivannavari is not ruling out following Phillips’ example by appearing at the Olympics.
“Today is today, tomorrow is tomorrow. I want to go little by little, work hard today, work hard tomorrow and then if God wants me to go to the Olympics, why not?” she said.
Away from the sporting domain, Princess Sirivannavari is a keen fashion designer and has had two shows at Paris Fashion Week.
Her second Paris outing, inspired by 1970s and 80s hard rock, featured models poured into stretch lame cropped biker jackets and jeans, and studded biker boots.
The French connection goes beyond Princess Sirivannavari’s fashion shows, and her habit of switching between French and English in conversation.
The whole Thai dressage team prepared for the Games in France under veteran trainer Alain Francois, who says his royal protege has made great progress on her new horse.
“The horse is exceptional and the princess has a huge wish to go on so we just need time to improve things,” he said.