The news came very exclusively to junior-riders.com: Germany's best young dressage horse, Wahajama, has been sold to Ann Kathrin Kroth. The former German Dressage Team Rider at the 1988 Olympic Games of Seoul payed the claimed price of 5,000,000 Deutsch marks for the black Hanoverian mare.
Wahajama first came into the spotlight at age three when she was sold at the autumn Elite Auction in Verden, Hannover, for the record price of 510,000 DM; an amount which was never reached until this year's auction. Owner Helmut Mugge from Bremervorde, who acquired Wahajama as a foal in the 1994 foal auction, saw his Warkant x Acapulco x Dirk mare depart to Gestut Hoftehof of Sonja and Gerd Knoop in Meppen.
In three years time Wahajama built out an achievements' list one could only dream of. As a three year old the inexperienced mare became Reserve Champion at the German Federal Championships. Under the Knoop ownership, Grand Prix rider Holga Finken and Wahajama formed a steady combination showing increasing performances through time.
Wahajama was the undisputed champion at the following two Bundeschampionate, winning the four (1998) and five (1999) year old dressage horse class with the highest notes each year (for instance 9.7). At the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Arnhem the black mare ended up third in her age class but was proclaimed "World's Best Young Dressage Mare".
Ann Kathrin Kroth-Linsenhoff will continue her training and aims for the 2004 Olympic Games with Wahajama as her Olympic choice. The mare will share stalls with Prix St. Georges horse Wandervogel and Grand Prix mount Durbridge.
Image by Arnd Bronkhorst
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