‘I’ve had her all her life’: home-bred mare helps young rider’s dreams come true at World Championships

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Published In Features
Sanne De Jong
Sanne de Jong and Enjoy at the 2022 eventing World Championships.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Dutch event rider Sanne de Jong, 27, has grown up with the horse she is competing at this week’s eventing World Championships; Enjoy. The 13-year-old mare, by Cartano, was bred by Sanne and her family. They have progressed through the levels together – from CIC* (now CCI2*-S) all the way up to four-star and senior championships.

“I’ve had her her whole life – I broke her in myself and we grew up together,” says Sanne, who competes full-time from her stable in the Netherlands. “We did the World Young Horse Championships at Le Lion D’Angers when she was both a six- and seven-year-old, we did our first four-star together and our first Nations Cup competition, and the senior Europeans last year too.”

Gemma Redrup
Gemma Redrup
Former web features editor, point-to-point editor and digital racing editor

Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.