Frederic Wandres Debuts New Grand Prix Ride, Joy Game

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2024 CDN Wellington

German A-squad rider Frederic Wandres premiered a new horse at Grand Prix level at the national show in Wellington on 11 January 2024. Wandres posted a winning ride of 70.816% in the Grand Prix aboard Joy Game.

Joy Game is a 10-year old KWPN gelding by Davino VOD out of Todusja (by Gribaldi x Jetset D). He is bred by J. Breedveld.

Jovanni B

Originally named Jovanni B, the dark bay was first trained and competed by Margriet Hingstman in The Netherlands.

The pair first came into the spotlight when Jovanni was four years old and presented in the 2018 L&R Horse Events’ Young Talent in Tolbert. A year later the pair tried for Dutch team selection in the 2019 Dutch WCYH team training and observation trials, but did not get picked. In the summer of 2019 they finished 17th in the Pavo Cup Finals.

Hof Kasselmann

Jovanni sold to Germany in August 2020 and moved to Hof Kasselmann. He sold at the 2020 PSI auction for 500,000 euro to Elizabeth Morell.

The horse remained in Hagen, was renamed Joy Game, and the ride got allocated to Nicole Wego-Engelmeyer. She rode him in the 2021 Nurnberger Burgpokal qualifier in Hagen, where they placed 8th in the Prix St. Georges Special. They also competed in Redefin and Munster.

A small year later, in 2022, owner Morell began showing him herself at M-level in Haftenkamp and Munster, but then handed the ride to Holga Finken. He showed the horse from January through April 2023 at S-level. At their last show in Zeutern they premiered at Intermediaire II level and posted 68.640%.

Frederic Wandres

In the summer Joy Game returned to Hof Kasselmann and Frederic Wandres got the ride. He further schooled the horse to Grand prix level.

They debuted in the Intermediaire II level in October in Ankum. On Thursday the duo did its first Grand Prix on U.S. soil and scored a winning 70.816%.

"He did very good for the first Grand Prix out there," Frederic told Eurodressage. "I expected sun, but instead it was raining a lot. Of course this was a baby Grand Prix but the important things which I need to feel for him to become a top international horse one day I felt already pretty well. He's still a bit green, but those things are the most important for me personally."

Frederic continued, "the first time i rode him I felt there was something special in him which can make him to a very special horse one day. Exactly this feeling I still had after my ride yesterday. I love to educate upcoming horses that’s our passion - to go all the way with them, step by step, but with a clear vision."

Feeling That Spark

Frederic and Joy Game dancing in the rain

When asked what in particular Frederic hopes to feel in the saddle of a talented horse, he replied, "when you sit in the saddle the first time you have the feeling you are kind of bonding with each other … although it's not yet there, finished and solid, but you feel something is there, a spark, that makes you nervous and excited about this horse."

Working at the horse dealing yard Hof Kasselmann as head rider, Frederic has sat in the saddle of many horses. The ones that really surfave ot the top are the horses with the right engine behind and mindset.

"I want to have hind legs that are working well underneath the body and are able to carry the weight one day. That's already a big part of what we want for them to be able to do a nice Grand Prix," he explained. "But what is most important is what happens between the ears. Duke (of Britain) is the best example for me. If you have a horse partner which is fighting together with you, as one. That is way more worth than an exceptional mover without any motivation at all. Joy Game is the right package with all of this. He will hopefully step into the hooves of his stable buddies Duke and Bluetooth."