ANTHONY, FL (352today.com) – Three-day eventer Karl Slezak has dreamed of competing in the Olympics for years.

“I’ve had my sights set on the Olympics for a very long time,” said Slezak, who turned 42 last December.

Twenty years ago, he and a Dutch warmblood gelding named Private Ryan were short-listed for the Athens Olympic Games, but then fate intervened, and going to the event as a competitor wasn’t meant to be. He would, however, participate in another way.

“In 2004, I had my first horse qualify for the Olympics. He had a minor injury, and we didn’t get selected. But I went as a groom for my trainer at the time, Garry Roque. That was amazing to experience from a groom’s point of view. I always wanted to go, but I was hooked after that.”

In a matter of days, he’ll be going to the 2024 Olympic Games as part of Canada’s 3-day eventing team.

Slezak’s 11-year-old Irish sport horse mare, Hot Bobo, will be joining him in Paris.

The horse and horseman are no strangers to international competition. They competed at the world championships in Pratoni Del Vivaro, Italy, in 2022. Then, in last year’s Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where the combination was part of Canada’s gold medal-winning team. Slezak just missed being on the podium, finishing fourth individually.

“You never know what they’re going to do when you put them on a plane. She was born and bred in Ireland, and we brought her over as a 4-year-old,” said Slezak. “It’s a totally different story when you’re trying to go over there and compete in a short period of time. You never really know, but I thought she handled it great. She traveled well and it’s good exposure for her. She’s definitely matured a lot.”

Slezak was born in Toronto and grew up in Ontario, Canada. He has been based year-round in Anthony since 2019. He and his wife, Katlyn Hewson-Slezak, who’s also an eventer, operate Spruce Stable South. He says being in Marion County has been beneficial to helping his horses be prepared for competition at the elite level.

“We have a lot of friends and supporters who are involved in our program,” said Slezak. “It’s nice in the winter to be competing with the best of the best. There’s no better venue than some of the ones that we have here in Area III [which incorporates much of the southeast and mid-south].”

The performance at the Pan Am Games in Chile may be a harbinger of what’s to come in the Olympics.

“It was a great experience, and I was pleased with the way she went,” said Slezak. “I definitely want to finish on a better score than that [in the individual at the Olympics]. I definitely have an idea of where she’s at in that type of atmosphere. It only makes you want to try harder.”

The Olympic Games begin on Friday, July 26. The eventing competition starts the next day with dressage.