What a success! At the European Junior and Young Rider Eventing Championships in Segersjö (Sweden), two Holsteiner juniors celebrated four medals with their Holsteiner horses: Nane Nikolaus Dehn was hailed as a double European champion on Zilia D by Corland-Mytens xx, bred by his grandfather Friedrich, whilst Kaja Thomsen secured (Ursula Chojnacki, Stolpe), she won team gold and an individual bronze. Donata von Preußen spoke to the two successful juniors.
How did you find the European Championships in Sweden?
Nane Nikolaus Dehn: “Actually, having won the German Championship title and the ‘Preis der Besten’ this year, I’d already achieved everything I’d set out to do, and my main goal in Sweden was a team medal. The competition grounds at Segersjö were massive. We rode in front of the beautiful castle, and the whole complex was immaculately maintained. I’m talking about robotic lawnmowers. I’ve never ridden such a good dressage test before, and I’ve never scored so many points in the arena. Zilia didn’t let the pouring rain and the wind distract her either. I’ve never experienced such a fantastic cross-country course – through the castle grounds – with so many spectacular jumps either. And the best bit was the huge crowd cheering us on; I’d never experienced anything like it before.”
Kaja Thomsen: “All I can say is: it was amazing, absolutely amazing. A beautiful venue, a fantastic cross-country course and then a gold and a bronze medal to boot. I really hadn’t expected any of that at all. Our dressage could have been a little better, but on the beautiful, yet challenging cross-country course, ‘Dabi’ put in a superb round. He’s not that experienced yet. At eleven years old, he’s a real ‘late bloomer’ and has therefore only competed at two-star level so far.”
Julia Krajewski is the national junior coach. What was it like for you to be coached by the reigning Olympic champion?
Nane: “Julia did a brilliant job from start to finish – from the preparatory camp in Warendorf right through to the championships, where she kept motivating us time and again. She even brought her gold medal from Tokyo with her to give us an extra boost of motivation. I’d also like to highlight the brilliant atmosphere. We did everything together; even the young riders were always there with us.”
Kaja: “I can only say one thing again: Julia’s support was brilliant. We were all on the edge of our seats for her and absolutely delighted when she was confirmed as Olympic champion. Julia isn’t just a top rider, she’s also a top coach. The great thing about her is that she can empathise so well with us and the pressure we’re under at a championship. What’s more, Julia is incredibly organised and a perfectionist in everything she does.”
Tell us a bit about your horses:
Nane: “Zilia is a real family project. She was bred by my grandfather, belongs to my father, and I’ve been riding her for five years. As a young horse, she was with Ingrid Klimke and, of course, received a superb training there. Zilia and I have had our ups and downs over the last few years, but we’ve pulled together and have been able to reap the rewards of our hard work this year. I’m certainly not a top rider (yet), but we’ve grown into a good team together. By the way, my grandfather is totally committed to supporting our career. In fact, he’s there at home for every training session and gives me valuable tips.”
Kaja: “Dabi belongs to my father and the Chojnacki family from Stolpe, who love to come along to the competitions with us and cheer us on. We regularly have horses bred by them in our stable. Dabi and I make a good team thanks to our mutual trust and the work we’ve put in, even if he can get a bit hot-headed at times.”
Next year, due to your age, you’ll be competing in the Young Riders category. Are there any plans in place for the 2022 season yet?
Nane: “I finished the season with Zilia, and she’s now being taken off the training programme. My aim for the coming year is for us to establish ourselves at three-star level and get back into the squad. Over the coming months, I’ll now have plenty of time for my young horse Haptika by Baracuda-Sir Shostakovich xx, bred by Manfred Johannsen of Tornesch. The mare is now six years old. This year she was in training with Sophie Leube, who, as is well known, has a ‘knack’ for young cross-country horses.”
Kaya: “I want to establish myself at three-star level with Dabi and will also be taking over Cool Charly Blue next year, who has been ridden by my father until now. Although he doesn’t have Holsteiner papers, he is of pure Holsteiner breeding: Cyper Space (by Caletto I–Lambadero–Maximus) out of a Chirac–Landgraf I–Lavallo dam. With them, I hope to compete successfully in the Young Riders category as well. “After I finish my A-levels next year, I want to focus on riding first, before I start my degree.”
