Winning in Doha – Borja Carrascosa and Ein Traum
Words – Christopher Hector
Pix – Stefano Secchi / CHI Al Shaqab
With some of the major players on the international dressage team battling it out in Europe for spots in a World Cup final in Gothenberg, it was up to three of the stars of the future to make the running at Doha and fight it out for lion’s share of the €70,000 in prize money (not to mention a place on the honour board of past winners that features such luminaries as Princess Nathalie, Patrik Kittel and Isabell Werth).
Two of the three are lining up for the Spanish team at the Europeans later in the year while one is aiming to be in the French team after previously competing for Spain!
Borja Caracossa met Belgian born, German based trainer, Jean Bemelmans when Jean was the Spanish coach and Borja was a Junior Rider. Borja came to Germany to work with Jean, and then Jean sent him off to learn his craft at PSI. Borja spent five years with the Kasselmann family and it was there he met Alex Brenninkmeijer and Carrascosa Brenninkmeirjer Dressage was born, in stables near Krefeld, with Jean Bemelmans as coach and adviser.
The second, Juan Matute Guimon, though the Spanish born, grew up in the US where his father is a trainer in Florida. He took US citizenship in March 2018, then in October that year announced that he was moving to Europe to study and train in Spain. Juan has already represented Spain on a number of occasions as a Junior and Young rider.
The third of this talented trio, Morgan Barbançon Mestre, rode for Spain at the 2012 Games but has recently switched her allegiance to France – while training with German maestro, Dorothee Schneider.
It would seem that it’s not only the Warmblood studbooks that are breaking down traditional geographic boundaries…
Morgan’s horse, Sir Donnerhall II is also something of a boundary hopper. He first made his mark in 2012 as a breeding sire and a competitor – siring three licensed sons (including the Oldenburg Reserve Champion) out of his first crop, and winning a bronze medal at the World Young Dressage Horse Championships. His foals were registered in Oldenburg because even though he has been leased to the Hanoverian State Stud Celle in 2010, the Hanoverian Commission refused to license him. By 2013, he had headed north to Scandinavia, and found his rider – Morgan Barbançon Mestre, whose Olympic ride Painted Black was coming to the end of his distinguished career.
Sir Donnerhall II is both beautiful and spectacular, with Morgan still trying to harness the dark brown stallion’s amazing athleticism.
The flying changes are big, almost too big, much the same with the canter pirouette, big but not entirely even, the extended canter is breath-taking, the half passes lovely…
There is so much flamboyance and excitement there, it all just needs to be toned down, smoothed out, then watch out world… and Dorethee with her history of working with Sandro Hits is just the trainer to help make that next step.
Even his best friends would be hard put to describe Juan’s Don Diego as handsome, the Don Frederico (out of a Wolkenstein II mare) gelding is a very plain bay and to cap it off, is long and a bit strung out and when he moves, has a tendency to fall on his forehand.
Still he is beautifully schooled and tactfully ridden. Don Diego took Juan to his first championship, the 2012 Junior Euros in Berne, and the journey hasn’t finished yet.
Last to go in the Freestyle, Borja and Ein Traum (‘a dream’ in English) and that’s what the voice over on the specially composed music announces – here comes a dream. The music for the Kür was composed by the Barcelona company, Dressage & Music, who first made their name producing kürs for Beatriz Ferrer Salat.
When you look at this wonderful horse, you once again thank the Borgmann family for rescuing the Westfalien ‘E’ line. Ein Traum was bred by Norbert Borgmann, and is by their stallion, Estobar NRW out of a Florestan mare.
The gelding is so attractive and such a wonderful mover, there are little hiccups along the way, but nothing can hide the talent. They finish with some brilliant one handed passage and are on their way to first spot on the podium and a place on that prestigious winner’s roll of honour.
Still, it was a mixed decision, and while only one judge scored Borja the winner, none hated him. Two judges thought Juan the winner, while Andrew Gardner had him 7th, the split was wider for Morgan, again winning with two, but 11th with Leif Törnblad. In truth, any of the three could have won, but in the end it was Ein Traum on 75.375, Don Diego on 75.250 and Sir Donnerhall II with 74.875.
Once again the real winners were CHI AL SHAQAB and equestrian sport…
It was great to catch up with Borja after his win:
Your horse was seriously cute, but I was worried, there were just little things that must have cost marks happening now and then – how many more marks are there there when you iron them out…
“I was very happy with the result but of course there are so many things we can improve. He was the youngest in the test, just ten, and it’s funny because you saw this horse when you came to Germany last year, and I think he is improving every show, every month and still there is much more to come, we just need more time, we need to get stronger, to get more experience. He’s competing with horses that are fifteen, sixteen, that have so much experience and he’s the youngest, he’s like a baby. I’m very proud and happy.”
He was the nicest horse, his conformation…
“He’s very pretty, his face is very expressive…”
What next?
“This is my biggest win with this horse. We were competing in the last year in December in Frankfurt, and he was with 74, then last month in France, 74 again. We changed a little bit in the freestyle, to make it more difficult, and it is working quite well.”
Talk me through your music…
“The music is from Dressage&Music, one of our sponsors, and I had this music with another horse, but we adapted it for him. I think this freestyle shows a little bit my character, it’s really funny music that you can enjoy, it’s like the horse, his whole character.”
Specially the voice over when you came in…
“This was an idea from the owner and it is something different to say a dream is coming, that’s his name Ein Traum, so it was funny. When you ride a freestyle in a big event like this one, it is nice to show something different.”
What is the main aim this year, the European Championships?
“That is mydream! It will also be very nice to be in Aachen again this year and then the dream will be to be in the European Championship, to be part of the Spanish team.”
Are you still working with Jean Bemelmans?
“Yes, of course, and most of the results for this horse are from the work we have been doing together, Jean and me, working many years together now.”
He is such a good trainer…
“I love him, I love him. We have a very good connection, he gives me a space, he respects my ideas and I take his ideas, it is a combination that is working well.”
It is a nice team you’ve got at your stables…
“I’m very proud of our team, it is so nice working with them.”
And to meet the team, watch them work out in the gym, and sit in on a training session with Borja and Jean, all you have to do, is click the link:
Christopher Hector was flown to Doha by Al Shaqab, organizers of CHI Al Shaqab, and thanks them for their hospitality and the team in the press room for all their assistance…
