DSP Chakaria: Career woman becomes a grandma
Polzow (fn-press). "I am blessed with this horse," enthuses show jumper André Thieme, referring to his eleven-year-old mare DSP Chakaria, who helped him to his greatest success so far this year: winning the European Championship title. After all, equestrian sport always involves two people: horse and rider. The fact that Chakaria exists at all is thanks to breeder Martin Jürgens.
As a foal, little Chakaria was rather inconspicuous. "She was basically like any foal. However, she jumped over the feed trough once, so I already thought that this could be something," says Anna Ebel-Jürgens, the daughter of breeder Martin Jürgens. However, before the mare's talent could really reveal itself in the show jumping ring, she was given the breeding name Carelia and went into breeding. She became a dam twice, both times to Diarano (by Diarado - Patrick xx), a stallion bred and licensed by Martin Jürgens himself.
Chakaria's dam Askaria (by Askari) is also only three years old when Martin Jürgens acquires her from Hans-Joachim Wegt from Blüthen and takes her into breeding. Chakaria's sire is the Cellestial son Chap, premium stallion at the Mecklenburg licensing and then the talk of the town as a young stallion. With his choice, the breeder proves to have the right nose in every respect. "That can't be so bad if both parents later go on to compete in the Global Champions Tour," says Anna Ebel-Jürgens with a smile. Both Chap and Askaria can now boast international successes at the top level, Chap in particular with Heiko Schmidt from Neu-Benthen, Askaria with the Swiss Pius Schwizer in the saddle.
The Jürgens family is already the third generation to breed horses in the northeast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in Polzow, about four kilometers east of Pasewalk. "We were already breeding in GDR times, but it wasn't that easy back then," Martin Jürgens recounts. "My father always regretted that our breeding manager at the time could no longer witness the successes. He didn't always make it easy for us. It was very difficult to get good horses back then."
Still, Jürgen's breeding is also based on a good mare line from that time. Around 60 horses - including mares, foals and young horses - are on the farm, which Martin Jürgens converted from a dairy farm to horse breeding and sport in 2014. A step he has never regretted, as he says. It is predominantly show jumpers that are born in Polzow. "I also had dressage foals in between once, but I didn't have the riders for that afterwards," explains the breeder, who raises and trains his foals himself - with a few exceptions. Until 2013, the now 62-year-old sat in the saddle himself, but today it is mainly his daughters Elisabeth and Anna who have taken on this task, as well as son-in-law Ulf Ebel.
Anna Ebel-Jürgens and her husband are also the ones who give Chakaria her sport name. "With the breeding name, everything had to happen very quickly. But we wanted to create a connection to her mother, whom we liked very much, hence Chakaria," she says. Ulf Ebel then brings Chakaria into the sport at six years old. "Under another rider, she probably would not have become such a horse. She was very difficult and particular. But my husband is a bit of a specialist when it comes to difficult horses. That was her luck," says Anna Ebel-Jürgens. The mare's qualities, however, are obvious from the start. "She has always stood out from the very first jumps." Eight years old, she goes the first M** jumping. At the 2018 tournament in Schwanebeck, she then catches the eye of André Thieme, who has been acquainted with Ulf Ebel for some time. "He tried her out and then decided very quickly," Anna Ebel-Jürgens recalls. "We had been traveling with her until then mainly in the local region, but shortly afterwards we wanted to go a little further away to Werder to the Bonhomme Stud for the tournament. Possibly André was worried that others might take notice of her there and snatch her away from him."
Thieme's decision turned out to be quite literally the right one. In November 2018, the two will compete in their first tournament together in Lesno, Poland. In 2019, the mare gets to know the USA for the first time, where Thieme tours every spring. In 2020, they finish 14th there in World Cup show jumping at the Live Oak International (CSI3*). In 2021, the pair finally arrived at the top of the world. In the spring, they win the one-million-euro show jumping competition in Ocala, Florida, and Chakaria becomes DSP Chakaria. The prefix DSP is awarded by the Southern German breeding associations as a distinction for particularly successful or talented German sport horses. In the summer, the two then take part in the Olympic Games and crown their year of success with team silver and individual gold at the European Championships in Riesenbeck. And every time, the Jürgens breeder family is cheering along. "We are not in close contact, but of course we have followed everything. And André also sends pictures every now and then. For example from Tokyo, from the preparation area or from the stable," says Anna Ebel-Jürgens.
Is it conceivable that DSP Chakaria, or rather Carelia, will return to Polzow as a broodmare after her sporting career? "That would be nice," says the whole family as if from the same mouth. "But I'm afraid it won't happen. We haven't agreed on anything like that, and I'm sure André has other plans," says Martin Jürgens, putting a quick end to such musings. So it will probably be up to daughter Dackaria to continue the success story of Chakaria in Polzow. The course for this has been set. Dackaria, herself successful up to S level, is currently in foal to Chacoon Blue. If all goes well, Chakaria will become grandma in the spring.
Anna Ebel-Jürgens tips for young and new breeders:
We don't breed with all mares. Only with those who have a correct foundation (this is important for longevity) and who come from a good mare line. We are also happy to take mares back into breeding after they have provided their own contribution. When making a selection, we always consider: What needs to be improved on the mare? And what is your interior like? Always mating only to top performance horses is good and nice if the right rider is available afterwards. But not every rider can handle such high-performance athletes, not everyone can drive a Formula 1 car.
