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In 2021, Jana Wargers joined Enda Carroll’s Ashford Farm and has since then steadily climbed up the ranks and made herself a trusted member of the German A-squad. Currently ranked 32nd on the Longines Ranking, the 32-year-old was part of the German team at the 2023 FEI Jumping European Championships in Milan, Italy, with the now 15-year-old Limbridge (Guardus Limbus x Cambridge 8, bred by Ralf Pawlowski). In 2022, the two contributed to the German team’s popular home win in the CSIO5* 1.60m €1.000.000 Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup at CHIO Aachen and at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning, they placed 9th individually.

Next to Limbridge, the now 15-year-old chestnut mare Dorette (Dollar du Murier x Fighting Alpha 3, bred Stefan Leue) is another horse that Jana has been hugely successful with. In 2023, the two were a part of the winning German team at the Longines FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, and won the CSI4* 1.55m Grand Prix at Sentower Park as well as the CSIO5* 1.60m RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia at CHIO Aachen. 

“They are both in very good shape at the moment, and I'm looking forward to the season ahead as it will be an important year,” Wargers tells WoSJ. “My main goal is Paris. I know it’s very tough to get there, but I have two horses who I believe can do it, so I hope the season starts good and we get the chance to go. The Olympics is something I have always dreamed of. Competing in Paris would for sure be a highlight, but I'm already very proud of our team and the fact that we have managed to work our way up to be competing for a spot there.”

Jana was introduced to horses through her sister Kristina. “She went to the stable and when she came back home, she was so proud and told me how she had brushed a horse – and I thought it sounded so cool so I wanted to do the same,” Jana recalls. “And that's how it all started. Growing up, I spent all my free time in the stable, every weekend, every day after school… I rode for Kurt Holz for over fifteen years and he was like a second father to me; he went with me everywhere, he was the one that always encouraged me to learn and do better, and to jump the bigger classes.”

Then Jana met Michael Cristofoletti, and the two started a business together in Germany. “But then I got a call from Enda Carroll,” Jana tells about the beginning of the partnership that would shape her career further. “He wanted me to work for him in Belgium, but since Michael and I had just started on our own, I wasn’t really open to move. However, Enda sent me a horse to ride – and then another, and one more, until we ended up with ten horses from him. In the end, we decided to take the step and move to Belgium.” 

At the start of 2021, Jana and Michael joined Ashford Farm and even though they are no longer a couple, the two have made it a priority to maintain their professional relationship. “Michael is my trainer and he supports me in the best way he can,” Jana explains. “I am happy that we have managed to remain friends and business partners.” 

“At the moment, I have ten horses, but as Ashford Farm is a sales stable it depends a lot on the situation,” Jana continues to tell about the operation in Bocholt. “Usually, my group is between 10 and 13 horses and I have a very good team of people behind me. The atmosphere at Ashford Farm is positive and very supportive. I think moving here and getting the opportunity to work with these horses has been the best thing that could have happened to me. Together with the team here, we have always made a good plan, set goals and tried to reach them. We have done it all step by step and that's what I believe in; you have to progress gradually, you can't just run into things and think you will make it. You need to have a good plan and a good team – and you have to believe in yourself, as well as trust the process.” 

Limbridge and Dorette have been the two horses that Jana has enjoyed the most success with, and with one of the two, she has the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in sight for this season. “They are both very special to me. I'm very happy and proud to have them in my team of horses and grateful for the chance to keep them,” Jana says.  

“One day, Enda told me that a very good horse would be returning to the stable,” Jana recalls about how she and Limbridge became a team. “Enda had sold him as an 8-year-old so he knew him well and told me Limbridge has all the quality, even though he might not be the classical type. I had a really good feeling on him from the first jump we made together. I ride him without a bit, in a hackamore, and we have grown into a very good team. I know I can trust him; it doesn't matter how big or spooky a course is, I know that he is always there for me. That gives me so much confidence. With Limbridge, I can just go in the ring and enjoy the ride.” 

With Dorette, building a strong bond took longer. “She came back to us from Ireland and with her, the beginning was a bit difficult,” Jana tells. “She's very sensitive but at the same time she has a lot of energy and it took us a few shows to find the right way to make her happy. I think that's the most important thing with her; that she's happy. With her it is a lot about how we manage her; in the summer she goes out in the field for almost the whole day, which she really enjoys and I can feel how it helps her relax. I believe that she has the quality to jump on the highest level and I'm very happy to have her next to Limbridge.” 

“Having a close relationship with your horse is very important, and Dorette is a good example of this,” Jana continues. “In the beginning, she didn't trust me. I thought about it a lot; I tried to figure out what I could do to make her happy and to get her to trust me. With some horses, you have a better relationship or a closer connection faster, while with others it takes more time to build that bond. Since we have some sales horses as well, who are not that long in the stable, it is sometimes a challenge for me. However, no matter how long or short I am riding a horse, I always focus on creating a good connection with them. That is also what I enjoy the most; feeling that the horses are enjoying their job as much as I do, and that we go in the ring as a team. Good results are great, but it’s the connection with my horses that makes me the happiest – and the feeling of them getting better and improving.” 

Being part of the German team is something that Jana finds very motivating. “You have to show that you're good enough because we have many good riders in Germany,” she says. “The atmosphere within the team is always very good, and I enjoy being on a team with my German colleagues. Everyone supports each other and the team events are always something I look forward to. I would say that one of my biggest achievements so far was the 2022 World Championships in Herning and then I always think back to the Nations Cup win in Aachen – it was very emotional.”

Currently ranked 32nd on the Longines Ranking – as one of the six females within the top 50 – Jana believes that the most challenging part in reaching the highest level is finding good horses. “And, at one point, a woman probably thinks about starting a family – and like it or not, it will hold you back as an athlete,” she points out. “That is the only thing I can think of as the reason for the low number of women in the top ranks, because there are so many good female riders; it is definitely not about the total numbers.” 

“And once you find a good horse, I personally believe that it is very important to take your time in building them up, get to know them and find a connection,” she continues. “In our case at Ashford Farm, we have the sport side of things, but we also have sales horses, so I'm always going in between the five-star shows and the lower levels where I can produce the sales horses. However, I think it is fun to do both and I enjoy both parts equally. Sometimes it can be challenging, but I think we are working very hard and it’s a good feeling to see a horse I rode for a few weeks developed and sold.” 

Jana believes that it is possible to combine top sport and family life, and that is something she has planned for the future: After 2024, she will be moving back to Germany to be closer to her boyfriend and her family. “I have lived almost three years in Belgium and I always knew there would come a moment when I want to return to Germany, feel at home, live together with my boyfriend and build a family,” she says. “I have been very open about this with Enda and he understands. We have an important year ahead and we want to do the best we can and then at end of 2024, I will most likely move back to Germany. For sure, I would love to work together with Ashford Farm for many, many more years to come. Outside of work, we have built solid relationships and we are close friends. Our plan is to continue working together even if we won’t be based together in Belgium anymore. I'm looking forward to it and it makes me very happy and proud that we can continue to grow together and work through all these changes.” 

“I am excited about the plans we have made for the future,” Jana concludes. “And whatever the future holds, I know one thing is certain; I will always be in the saddle, riding. This sport and my horses mean a lot to me, and there is no way I could ever be without them.” 

31.1.2024 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.