If there is one horse that is sure to catch your eye this year, it is Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann’s Buettner’s Minimax. The 9-year-old gelding by Marcus Ehning’s Cornado NRW seems to share a lot of the same qualities with his famous father, and is on top of that candy for the eye with his stunning looks and presence in the ring. We catch up with Meyer-Zimmermann to learn more about this gorgeous grey, who takes centre stage in the next part of our series ‘Future So Bright’.
“My husband Christoph found Minimax when he was a 5-year-old at a small show in Germany, where young rider Nils-Cedrik Stephan was showing him in the young horse classes. Minimax was a bit cheeky and playful, but you could see the scope already back then. Christoph came home and told me about him, and said we should ask for him. So we did, and the owners were really nice – actually they did not really think about selling him but told us that if the horse would get the opportunity to go to a rider in the international sport they would give him that chance.
We drove there, and when the boy went on Minimax was really playful – bucking around. I made a joke, and said to them ‘Oh, he has a funny day today’ to which the owners replied ‘No, he’s always like that!’ It was quite funny, and I remember thinking ‘Good to know’. He is still like this:Cheeky and playful – it is in his character. However, once he starts jumping he is really focused.
When I tried him, I right away had a good feeling. He had so much scope. He is not a big horse, but he has a huge stride and already back then he did everything easy.
We bought him, and when I jumped the first young horse classes with him nationally he won straight away. I showed him a few times, and he was always good. When Minimaxwas six, I had some bigger shows and not so much time for him. I thought he needed more routine, so I decided to give him to Peppi Dahlmann for a few months – as we had no show rider ourselves. Peppi had Minimax’s father Cornado when he was a young horse, and he was also a bit funny sometimes so I thought Peppi would handle Minimax good. And, I think that was a good plan as Peppi developed him up to 1.30m classes placing in several young horse classes.
We took him back at the end of his 6-year-old season, and Peppi had done a really good job with him. Then we brought him to Oliva at the beginning of his 7th year, and that was really good for him – he got to jump in different rings, also on the grass. He got a lot of experience there. After that I did quite a few young horse classes with him. He was a bit shy in the beginning, but always scopey and careful.
That summer we were thinking to take Minimax to Aachen, but on the other hand we were a bit sceptical and thought perhaps he was a bit too green for that. So, we decided to take him with to Falsterbo Horse Show as a training and then make up our minds. There he did really well, so we took him to Aachen and he was amazing. He was the best 7-year-old horse in the final ending fifth, and showed all the scope he has. When I walked the course, I remember thinking ‘Shit, this is too big for this poor young horse’ but he just went out and did it.
Our owner Jürgen Fitschen saw his great talent and bought half of him because he thought I should keep him for the sport and that was a good decision!
As an 8-year-old Minimax was placed second in the youngster final in Hamburg. Once I started to jump him the bigger classes, he immediately showed his potential. He just never struggled. In June last year, he was third in the two-star Grand Prix in Balve. Then he was second in the Saturday class in Paderborn – a 1.50m – and also won the 1.50m in Donaueschingen. Minimax’s second Grand Prix was in Oldenburg where he had one time fault in the 1.55m. Then it was the four-star shows in Stockholm. The plan was to bring Goja, but he had a tooth problem so he could not go and I had no other horse for the Grand Prix. But, then I was thinking that maybe if I do some smaller classes before going I could perhaps jump Minimax there. So, I did that and he jumpedclear in the Grand Prix. I was so, so proud of him!
After this I stepped him down again, before he went to Frankfurt and was placed 7th in the Grand Prix. This year Minimax kicked off with a second place in the 1.50m at the three-star event in Drachten.
For this season, I will again go slow with him and ride some two- and three-stars; sometimes the Saturday class sometimes the Grand Prix – but we still want to take time. Then we bring him to Oliva for the Spring MET, and step him up a bit again and after that I hope I have another top horse next to Goja.
I think Minimax has a lot from his father. He sometimes likes to do a flashy jump, he is never just normal. The feeling he gives is that of a lot of scope, and what I also like with him is that he is so flexible. He has a really nice style too.
I learned from Cellagon Lambrasco that the horses jump what they want to jump. With Goja I have a horse that can jump anything in the world, and you could always feel it and see it. With Minimax, I also think that he shows a lot – but still to date the best horse I ever had and the one I won the Grand Prix of Aachen on was the one that nobody thought could do it. So, I want to stay quiet and take my time – but I really believe in Minimax. He gives you the feeling he can do anything.”
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