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With Jana Wargers in the saddle, the 14-year-old gelding Limbridge (Guardus Limbus x Cambridge – breeder Ralf Pawlowski) impressed during the 2022-season – jumping clear rounds in the five-star Nations Cups in Rome and La Baule, the Grand Prix classes in Stuttgart, Lyon, Rome as well as St. Tropez and at the World Championships in Herning. As WoSJ speaks with some of the people who have been involved in Limbridge’s career and life – Christoph Kaufmann, Enda Carroll, Michael Hughes, Michael Cristofoletti and Jana Wargers – we discover that they all have one thing in common; Limbridge impressed all of them at the very first moment they laid eyes on him.
Too small
German rider Christoph Kaufmann bought Limbridge when he was only 12 hours old from his breeder Ralf Pawlowski. “As a foal, Limbridge was very awake, and I really liked his type and character, so I decided to buy him as soon as I saw him. He grew up at my place and he was always the boss in the field. We had 20 horses going together and Limbridge decided over all of them,” Kaufmann tells.
As a 2-year-old, Kaufmann got Limbridge ready for the stallion approval in Holstein. “Limbridge was not approved though; they thought he was too small with his 1.62cm that he measured at the time. Nevertheless, I kept him as a stallion, but never tried to get him approved again,” Kaufmann says.
“We started Limbridge up under saddle as a 3-year-old. When he was four, my wife Jasmin did the first show with him and after that I took over. Limbridge liked to test his riders and that is why my wife showed him first – so that I could see if he behaved,” Kaufmann smiles. “Limbridge always wanted to perform and at shows he gave everything. At the same time, he could be quite cheeky, and he had a strong character.”
In the German classes for young horses, scores from 0-10 are distributed depending on how the horse jumps and how ridable it is. “Limbridge always ended up in the middle on the result lists in the young horse classes – he was always clear but didn’t jump that spectacular. For me as a rider, the feeling was unbelievable though. Already when he was a 4-year-old I said he could do any Grand Prix in the world – that is how good the feeling was. He always wanted to go to the other side of the fence and definitely had that little extra about him,” Kaufmann says.
Together with Christoph Kaufmann, Limbridge was placed in the final of the Bundeschampionat (the German Championships for young horses) as a 6-year-old, and as a 7-year-old the stallion was already successful in international 1.45m classes. “At the end of his 7th year, I competed him in Opglabbeek and he jumped amazing. After that round Enda and Jos bought him – it all went very fast and was totally uncomplicated,” Kaufmann tells. “Of course, it is difficult to let go of such a good horse, but when you only have one horse for the bigger shows you don’t get that far.”
“I think Limbridge has found his perfect rider in Jana. As his rider you need to believe in him, and you need to find the connection with him – I think Jana really is his perfect match in this sense,” Kaufmann finishes off.
One of the best buys
Enda Carroll of Ashford Farm and Jos Lansink bought Limbridge in November 2017. “We saw Christoph compete Limbridge on a Saturday evening. On Monday we tried him and bought him straight away,” Carroll says. “I was crazy about him. He was so elastic in his body and his eyes were so smart. What he could do over the jumps was incredible and he had the eyes of a genius. He is definitely one of the best buys I have ever made.”
It was Michael Hughes that tried Limbridge for Ashford Farm that Monday back in 2017. “He was incredible! I can clearly remember the day we tried him. I couldn’t really canter around to get to the jumps – he was quite strong, and I like the horses to be very soft – so I trotted around the corners and the feeling over the fence was like nothing I felt before,” Hughes smiles. “Limbridge is unbelievable and so intelligent. As a young horse he learned very quickly and got better and better each day – it was so easy to get him to progress.”
“I rode him for about five months and his scope was not normal. Any size of jump, you could just sit there and let him do the job. The less you did, the better he jumped. That is definitely his best quality,” Hughes explains.
Came back to stay
When Limbridge was eight, Hughes had stepped him up to 1.55m level and the stallion was sold to Eve Jobs. Together, the two went on to jump at five-star Grand Prix level. “Eve had two very successful seasons with Limbridge, before Jana took over the reins in 2021,” Carroll tells. “That same summer, Eve was here at our place and she noticed what a good combination Jana and Limbridge was. Eve was excited for Limbridge to stay in the hands of Jana, so in the end we swapped horses – we got Limbridge back and Eve got VDL Highpoint that my wife Stefanie had been successful with."
“Now that Limbridge is back, we will never sell him. He left Ashford once, and we feel like it was meant to be for him to come back. Our long-time goal is the Olympics in Paris 2024, and we hope to be able to keep him sound and happy until then. He will be 15 next year and if everything goes the right way and he stays healthy, we think Paris is very realistic,” Carroll says when looking forward.
“Limbridge is an outstanding animal, and he really has the eye of a genius. He is hyper intelligent, and you need to manage that intelligence. We have to keep him calm in his mind, since he easily gets himself nervous. While he is sensitive, he also knows how good he is and that he is the star of the stable so you need to stay on top of him in a positive way. Like all geniuses, he can also be a bit corky. Massive compliments to Jana, as well as to Michael Cristofoletti – who regularly flats him. They have an unbelievable partnership on how to make Limbridge ready for the right day,” Carroll says.
“At Ashford, we are extremely proud of Limbridge and Jana, and extremely pleased that they crossed paths. Jana is super talented, and Limbridge brought her back to five-star level – where she is supposed to be. The two of them really trust each other. Jana has total faith that Limbridge would do everything for her, and he has the same trust in her. I would like to thank Eve Jobs for taking the decision to leave Limbridge with Jana, and also Jos Lansink – my business partner for the last ten years – for keeping Limbridge for Jana to ride,” Carroll closes off.
100% perfection
Michael Cristofoletti has been a big part of the team around Limbridge since the stallion came back to Ashford Farm in 2021. “Jana and I have been working together for a long time; I always help her with the horses and now especially with Limbridge. I flat him and help Jana when jumping. Together with Enda, we make a plan for all the horses,” Cristofoletti explains.
“The first time we jumped Limbridge, it was clear that he was something special. Also, when flatting him – and especially at shows – you can really feel the power he has,” Cristofoletti says.
“Limbridge has one-of-a-kind character. He knows when it is time to be good, like in Sunday’s Grand Prix or in the Nations Cups. Better horses tend to have that ability, but there are not many horses as consistent as he is,” Cristofoletti continues.
And consistency was the main focus for the team around Limbridge last year. “With the World Championships being Jana’s first championship, our focus was to be consistent and not to go all in in every jump-off. The goal was to be good at the Nations Cups and aim for the championship. This year with more experience, we obviously aim for the Europeans but will also try to be in front of some Grand Prix classes – always with the Olympic Games in Paris next year in our minds though,” Cristofoletti says.
“We all work very closely, and it is really exciting to keep Limbridge for Jana. As a rider, it is a gift when you are able to keep a horse like him – a horse you know can win every time you go into the ring, or to jump double clear in a Nations Cup,” Cristofoletti says.
“Limbridge is very motivated and needs a bit of extra work. He has a strong character, not in a bad way – but he gets a bit over-excited and needs to be kept under control. He knows he is good and gets spoiled in the stable. Sometimes it goes to his head, so we need to keep him on his feet,” Cristofoletti laughs. “You can feel on the flat where he spooks left and right that he wants to play around, but then he goes into the ring and is just incredible – his mentality is so positive, and he is like a rocket in the arena. It is 100% perfection.”
A horse of a lifetime
“For me, Limbridge he is a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” Jana Wargers says. “He is so smart and has everything a top horse needs. I have no words for him really. He can be a bit grumpy in the stable, but in the ring, he is like a machine. I feel so safe with him and trust him a 100%. I never feel scared that it would be too big or that he would spook. Instead, I have the feeling that he is always fighting for me. He is also so smart that he knows exactly when it is time to focus. I really can’t say anything negative about him – he is just a lovely horse!”
After Wargers got the ride on Limbridge in 2021, it all went very fast. “Limbridge had already been very successful with Eve Jobs, so he was ready to go. I got some nice results and I’m very thankful to the German Chef d’Equipe Otto Becker that gave us chances. The World Championships in Herning was a dream come true.”
“Limbridge did try to play around with me during our first bigger class together in Opglabbeek. He did the first jump and then it was a right turn where he tried to go left. I managed to react faster than he expected, so I took him by surprise, and it never turned into a big thing and after that he has never done anything wrong,” Wargers says when asked about Limbridge’s past preference to test his riders.
“At home, he can be a bit spooky during the first minutes and after that he is really good to ride. He is intense to work, so I always take my time with him. Then he goes to the field and goes out hacking a lot to keep him relaxed and happy,” Wargers tells.
“My focus for 2023 will be on the Nations Cups and it would be nice to compete in Aachen again. The Europeans is of course a goal for this year. We try not to do too much but do some nicer shows and then hopefully reach the goals in Milano this year and at the Olympics in Paris next year,” Wargers says.
“Limbridge will definitely stay with us, and I really want to thank Enda for that. Many people have asked for him, but Enda wants to keep him for the sport. Limbridge is 14 now and really sound, so hopefully he will be around for a few more years,” Wargers says about the future.
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