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Breeding/rider relationships

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Rudiger Wassibauer

By Agata Grosicks
Photography: Magda Pocztowska

The former coach of the Polish National Showjumping Team (2009 – 2014), two-time Olympic Games participant (Munchen 1972, Montreal 1976), Austrian Rudiger Wassibauer now stands behind the success of the youngest generation of Polish showjumpers including Weronika Minkiewicz, Michal Kubiak and 20-year-old Adam Grzegorzewski.

Grzegorzewski took the world by storm in January during the three-star CSI in Sopot, Poland, riding his own Okarino sp (Pavarotti van de Helle - Obella x Cassini II), the stallion Just A Hero BWP (Erco van’t Roosakker - Nimfe de la Pomme x For Pleasure), and stallion Azur sp (Candiavolo - Alma x Garibaldi). Interestingly, Wassibauer bred Azur himself. “The result in Sopot was incredibe because Adam won or placed in the top four in four good classes, and in the under-25 Grand Prix he scored 250 ranking points. Okarino is at the moment his number one horse, Just A Hero, his new horse, is rather complicated but can jump really well. Then, of course, there is Azur.
“At the moment we have a lot of very good young horses back home (which is near Opole in the south-west part of Poland); a very good young stallion from Holland – Hardcore (Cortland x Heartbreaker), who is a very good future prospect. And another really good horse who is now six, by Quality Time, as well as a lot of young horses by Big Star Junior.”
Q What is your opinion about the popular and dominant bloodlines of showjumping horses at the shows?

“There is of course Cornet Oblolensky and Champion du Lys. The story of  Champion du Lys is kind of interesting. He was ridden by Ludger Beerbaum and was winning high classes, but in my opinion he was not horse with big scope. But some of his offspring are doing really well. When it comes to Corner Obolensky, there is no question about this horse. He’s one of the best stallions out there. There are lot of top bloodlines at the moment, being the sire of Harrie Smoulders’ Emerald (out of a Carthago mare). But even excellent top riders and horses can have one bad show. That’s what I always tell the young riders if they have one bad round. They must become more professional, not take everything too seriously, and get more practice instead of getting depressed. ..CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BREEDING NEWS

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