Triumph for Jumping Crack Quentin at his first youngster show
Uwe Schwanz has chosen a major show as the first outing for the talented young jumper Quentin, a Bavarian Warmblood by Quartier Latin with a dam by Carthago, a 4-year old horse that is widely considered to be one of the next big cracks in the show-ring and whose first outing has been anticipated by the show-jumping public for some time. The pairing competed in the 1.10 style jumping Derby class at the Bavarian Youngster Cup and could immediately impress judges and public alike with a very good 4th place. The following day, in Saturday morning’s class with an ungodly hour, 7.30 am, start, they bettered the previous day’s result even more and placed 2nd in what was only the second show outing for Quentin. German sport horse performance breeder Georg Niedermair, whose family among others bred such horses as the famous Lord Sinclair, had travelled to the show especially on Thursday to cheer “his” horse. Quentin, who has been bred for high performance jumping coupled with top grade rideability, impressed already in the warm-up ring with nerves like steel. When another horse threw its rider and, stirrups flying, came charging past the others, most of the young horses who were being warmed up for competition tried to follow suit and gave their riders a hard time. Not so Quentin, who threw only one quick side-wards glance at the wayward horse, and then concentrated fully on his rider again and on the task ahead.
“Of course, Uwe is one of the top riders on the circuit, be it for dressage or jumping, and so one couldn’t wish for anyone better to ride one’s horse,” said Niedermair. “ The horses just trust him 100%. It is amazing how Quentin went through the ring under him, as though he had never done anything else in his life but jump at big shows.”
Rider Uwe Schwanz was also full of praise for the talented youngster. “I really do think that this horse has all the potential to make it to the very top one day. He is such an honest horse who really wants to work with you, and this is coupled with enormous talent and scope without end. When I showed him the jumps, he was hesitant at first, but then I could feel that he fully trusted me, and my judgement. So he took a quick look at the other jumps, decided that we could do this together, and when it came time for us to enter the ring, he just got on with the job, eager to please and to show what he’s made of.”
The public was also very taken with the young crack - with flattering comments being thrown back and forth among the spectators while Quentin was in the ring. And how did the equine star of this all take the fuss being made about his person? He was singularly unimpressed by all the furore, coolly walked back to his trailer when it was all over, and enjoyed cuddles by his breeder and rider before digging into his well-deserved reward carrot and forgetting everything around him!
