Dutch event rider Sanne de Jong, 27, has grown up with the horse she is competing at this week’s eventing World Championships; Enjoy. The 13-year-old mare, by Cartano, was bred by Sanne and her family. They have progressed through the levels together – from CIC* (now CCI2*-S) all the way up to four-star and senior championships.
“I’ve had her her whole life – I broke her in myself and we grew up together,” says Sanne, who competes full-time from her stable in the Netherlands. “We did the World Young Horse Championships at Le Lion D’Angers when she was both a six- and seven-year-old, we did our first four-star together and our first Nations Cup competition, and the senior Europeans last year too.”
Enjoy is out of Next Joey and Sanne’s mother evented Enjoy’s grandmother.
“Next Joey was never meant for breeding, but she had an accident that left her blind in one eye when she was three-and-a-half years old and was unable to pursue a career in sport, so she became a broodmare,” says Sanne. “Unfortunately Enjoy is her last foal, but I’ve ridden some of her brothers and sisters, and they all have the same mentality and love cross-country.”
Sanne de Jong got her eventing World Championships debut off to a solid start, posting a 33.4 in the first phase.
“I’m very happy as it’s the phase she finds the most difficult – she’s not built to be a dressage horse and she doesn’t really like doing dressage either,” says Sanne. “But she’s getting better and better, and even though that’s not the best mark she’s ever got, I think that was the most rideable she’s been, so I have to be pleased.”
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