Following the Japanese eventing team's bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics, marking Japan's first equestrian medal in 92 years, the Japan Racing Association (JRA) community celebrated the historic achievement on the 30th.

Trainer Manabu Ikezoe, who served as the captain of the Meiji University equestrian team, shared his pride, "Yoshiaki Oiwa was my coach during my university days, and Kazuma Tomoto was a freshman when I was in my fourth year. The Meiji University team was incredibly strong back then." Reflecting on the challenge, Ikezoe added, "Equestrian sports are dominated by European countries. At one point, I thought Japan would never win a medal in my lifetime. To see my seniors and juniors achieve this is just incredible."

Trainer Kazuyuki Ogata, a Chuo University equestrian team alum, expressed his joy, "Oiwa has been a friend since our university days. He was always in a different league, not just in terms of skills but as a person. I hope this success encourages more people to take up horse riding."

Taro Kasahara, a rider for trainer Yasushi Shono's team and a former JRA employee who competed in show jumping, recalled his experiences with Tomoto, who was his senior, "In the British equestrian world, everyone knows Tomoto. He possesses qualities that cannot be imitated."

Additionally, jockey Kayata Komaki, with a background of winning the All-Japan Showjumping Championship, praised the team, "I knew many of them and was rooting for them. I understand the difficulty of winning a medal in equestrian sports, and I think it's truly amazing what they've accomplished."