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“My job as a groom helped me understand that if I wanted to achieve something, I really needed to work for it,” Andreas Kreuzer tells World of Showjumping about the very beginning of his journey at Paul Schockemöhle’s stable, where he has grown from a groom to a CEO.

Having originally joined the team in Mühlen as a groom, Kreuzer was a rider in Paul Schockemöhle's stable from 2008 to 2012 – making a name for himself with the legendary breeding stallion Chacco-Blue. With Chacco-Blue, Kreuzer placed third in the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen in 2011. From 2012 to 2014, Kreuzer rode for Otto Becker, before starting on his own. During his self-employment, Kreuzer ran a training centre in Damme, Germany, which he still operates today. However, in 2022, Kreuzer returned to Schockemöhle, and is today one of the four CEOs of the company.

To World of Showjumping, the 35-year-old tells about his journey from a groom to a CEO, why he opted to focus on the business instead of riding and how the horse market and sport of showjumping have evolved in the past years.

Born in Wipperfürth, Germany, Andreas was surrounded by horses from an early age. “In our small village, all the kids were riding, and everyone had ponies. I was also very into football, but soon enough the football games were at the same time as the shows with the ponies. Already when I was eight, I started to choose riding over football.”

With Volker's help, I stepped up quite quickly

Volker Kemper, who lived in the area, came to have a huge impact on Andreas’ riding career. “I started to be at his place daily, riding his horses and ponies, and with Volker's help, I stepped up quite quickly. When I was in the 12th grade, I figured that either I had to really focus on school and get it properly done, or focus on the riding. I spoke with my parents and with Volker, and decided that I wanted to put all my effort into riding.”

During his career, Andreas took part at four youth Europeans, winning team bronze in 2008 with Lissabon N.W. and team gold and individual bronze with Jumex Sport Atlantus in 2010. In 2008 he also joined Team Schockemöhle for the first time. “We thought it would be good for me to see something new for a few months,” he explains.

I started as a groom and as an assistant rider, and quickly realized that there were at least 20 other riders that were about the same as me, or better

However, the only position that was open was as a groom. “I started as a groom for Joy and Jasmine Chen, who were based at Schockemöhle at the time, and I also got the opportunity to ride their horses at home. Out of that opportunity, a few months turned into four years. That time gave me so many possibilities to learn about breeding, young horses, the auctions… It was an incredible experience.”

“I started as a groom and as an assistant rider, and quickly realized that there were at least 20 other riders that were about the same as me, or better. It was quite a tough time for me in the beginning to realize that, but also probably one of the most important times in my life, because it really made me work harder,” Andreas tells.

After about a year in Mühlen, doors started to open slowly. “Norbert Nuxoll was my trainer at the time, and he really made it happen for me. It all happened step by step, and Chacco-Blue was the last piece in the puzzle. It was a huge opportunity to ride a horse like Chacco-Blue, and he brought me to a different stage – both as a person and as a rider,” Andreas says.

It was a huge opportunity to ride a horse like Chacco-Blue, and he brought me to a different stage

“At the time, we already knew that he was a special horse because his mentality was just outstanding,” Andreas tells about Chacco-Blue. “Back then, I think people from the outside saw him as a good horse, but not as something unique as we believed him to be. Now, his legacy is just insane. No matter where you go, Chacco-Blue is one of the biggest names ever in breeding. Obviously, it makes me really proud that his legacy lives on. Besides being a top sport horse, he gives that extra mentality to his offspring and that's what they show week after week now everywhere in the world.”

“I was an ok rider and I worked hard to achieve my goals, but Chacco-Blue was a horse that allowed me to do things that were probably on the edge of my capabilities,” Andreas continues. “With his quality and exceptional mentality, he made me believe I could do more than I could. Obviously, that opened a lot of doors for me, and led to possibilities that would not have been possible without him. Chacco-Blue opened the door to a totally different world for me.”

Since 2022, Andreas has been back working with Paul Schockemöhle. “When I was working for myself, we were over the years consistently buying horses from Paul with my owners,” Andreas explains. “We have always been quite lucky there, but otherwise, there was not a bigger connection. In the winter, I would go to the breeding farm in Lewitz, and watch some free jumping with Paul, simply because I was always very interested in that.”

I could not imagine a life without horses, but I could imagine a life without competing

Before he returned to Mühlen, Andreas had already stopped competing himself. “My last real season was in 2017,” he tells. “I just didn't feel good enough. I could not imagine a life without horses, but I could imagine a life without competing. When I was 27, I came up with the idea to stop focusing on my own career as a rider, and instead finding good partners and put my attention more to the business part and teaching.”

"When I returned to Mühlen, Paul bought my company which is now a part of PS. Today, I'm responsible for all the riders that are based in Damme, and the team there is more or less the same as it was when I was still on my own. We have 76 horses, and a great team with many people that have been with me for many, many years. Then I have around 120 horses with their riders in Mühlen that I support and manage as a trainer," Andreas explains about his current role working for Schockemöhle. "On top of that, there's obviously also other tasks, overall things concerning the company such as structuring and planning.”

“I love it because it gives me the opportunity to connect with individuals,” Andreas tells about his approach to training others. “Every day is a new challenge because you don't only have to focus on how the horse is feeling and what is best for the horse, you also have to understand what's best for the rider and how you can help them both to be the best they can be together. Trying to get better every day and trying to understand the horses and the riders better is something I really love.”

The sport has changed a lot, and I believe it probably was a good decision to stop competing myself

“Now that I follow the sport from the ground, I have all these riders around me who are highly motivated. It's a lot of fun. The sport has changed a lot, and I believe it probably was a good decision to stop competing myself. Many things that I believed in ten years ago are not valid anymore. The sport has changed, and we have to adapt. I think that is part of life, to always adapt to new situations and just try to – without losing yourself – find the best possible solutions to whatever comes your way.” 

“I think what it takes to be a top rider didn't change so much, because first and foremost, you need to be really into horses,” Andreas points out. “You need to be listening to your horses every day and try to understand them in the best possible way. I feel like these days it's even more important, because the courses are extremely technical. There's not much time to think or to reorganize, so the communication between horse and rider needs to be perfect.”

I think mentally, you need to be even stronger than before

“Second of all, I think mentally, you need to be even stronger than before. In this sport, everything can change rapidly, and being able to live with failure is the biggest difference between good riders and the ones that make it at the top. It is not about being able to win, because many people can do that. To stay true to yourself when things are going wrong and using challenges as a source of positive energy is not as easy.”

As CEO of one of the biggest breeding and sale barns in the world, Andreas is familiar with the changes in the horse market. “More and more people are getting into the sport and want to do it at the highest level. Obviously, the horses that are able to do that are getting harder to find, so the market for top horses is really hot at the moment. As a result, the prices are getting crazy,” Andreas says.

The cost structure is going up, and many people simply cannot afford to have a horse anymore

“The cost structure is going up, and many people simply cannot afford to have a horse anymore,” Andreas continues. “For that reason, the market for amateur horses or the average kind is going down. It's important to get a clear line on where you want to be in the business, and I think that's what many people are struggling with, because everything changes so quickly.”

“I believe we need to take care that we don't lose the amateur market fully,” Andreas concludes. “If we lose that, we are just going to have an elite sport. The top sport is what everyone is aiming for, but I don't think it's the same if we lose our base and that natural passion and love for horses. I think that's going to be the biggest challenge for everyone involved; that besides aiming for sport success, we don't lose sight of the reason we are all into this sport and why we love to do it – the horses.”

18.2.2026 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.