Portrait : Greya, the World Cup winner from Kent Farrington

Christoph Zimmermann, husband of the 2010 team world champion, Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann, can still remember the first time he met Greya. The mare was five years old at the time and was in Johannes Ehning’s stable. “We are friends with Johannes,” says Zimmermann, “and he said he had a special horse that wasn’t easy.”

Zimmermann, always on the lookout for good horses, did not hesitate for long. He came, saw and swallowed. “I could tell from the first glance that she was something very special. Difficult between the jumps, but always extra good at the jump.” Difficult? Stutig? “Wild!” Christoph Zimmermann doesn’t have to think for a second. “She was wild, she didn’t like pressure on the leg.” The neck position between the jumps just as she wanted it. And no different. “Not necessarily a horse for a young horse jumping competition.” The Colestus daughter, who is registered with the Oldenburg International Jumper Breeding Association (OS), had already competed in several competitions – with mixed success. One victory, a few successes in novice and elementary class.

Bocken and Bock for apple juice

“Our rider at the time had to sit out a few bucking jumps,” recalls Christoph Zimmermann of his first encounter with the special grey mare. Greya, still owned by her breeders Wilfried and Ulrike Sandmann from Hüven in Emsland (see below), changed hands and traveled from Borken to Pinneberg near Hamburg to Hof Waterkant.

It soon became apparent that Greya made special demands on “her staff”, and not just under saddle. Water from the self-drinker? Who, pray tell, does that? Individual watering from the bucket, which may or may not contain water. But Greya didn’t always drink that either. Only with a shot of apple juice was the cool water acceptable to the lady. “At the time, Heidi Jäckel was still with us, who is now the show groom for André Thieme. She took great care of Greya,” reports Zimmermann.

Mylen Kruse takes over the reins

Initially, Mylen Kruse, then an apprentice at Hof Waterkant, was responsible for the equestrian training. “Small, small, small” – that was the motto. Not to restrict the mare, but to give her time to develop. “Gentle” is a buzzword that is often used in connection with horse training. In Greya’s case, this was a matter of course because Greya demanded a say in all areas.

“You can accompany her, she decides for herself.”

Christoph Zimmermann about Greya

From August 2019 to February 2021, Mylen Kruse rode Greya into the money a good 20 times in around 27 starts. Her last start, a 1.30 meter show jumping competition in Oliva, ended in victory. But even here, in the tranquillity of the mixture of training camp and tournament on the Mediterranean, the motto was: slow and careful. The then seven-year-old was able to compete out of competition in jumping competitions at A and L level. Such competitions were on the program in the first few weeks.

Called to higher things

During various telephone conversations that Christoph Zimmermann used to have with his friend Kent Farrington, the name Greya came up from time to time. Farrington bought half of the horse over the phone without ever having seen it live. “He must have sensed my enthusiasm,” says Christoph Zimmermann. “Today he loves Greya as much as I love her.” How did this love manifest itself? “When I was in a bad mood, I rode Greya.” That was better than any medication or any other kind of mood enhancer.

The breeding background of Greya

Wilfried Sandmann is the breeder of the World Cup winner. He did not live to see the greatest success of his breeding program. Sandmann passed away at the beginning of 2025, but his horse breeding expertise will live on, because Greya is no one-hit wonder. Various horses bred by Wilfried Sandmann, who himself competed up to 1.40 meters, and his wife Ulrike have made it to the big, and some even to the very big sport. Greya herself, who has already won the Rolex Grand Prix in Geneva, is one example. The Cornet Obolensky son Contago was fifth in the Grand Prix of Aachen under the Mexican Eugenio Garza Pérez and took part in the Olympic Games in Paris. He is joined by other internationally successful horses.

The Sandmanns’ breeding program is based on the half-blood mare Prinzessin by Perser xx. Perser xx was the three years younger full brother of Pik As xx (grandfather of Pik Bube I and II), who was influential in Hanoverian breeding. Both descended from Abendfrieden xx. Perser xx produced a number of offspring who went on to compete at the highest level. One of the best known was Patras, who was ridden by Peter Weinberg, now trainer of Belgian show jumpers. Perser xx daughters were often bred to the show jumping stallion Watzmann by Weingau. This resulted in many show jumpers.

Princess, Greya’s great-grandmother, was inherited by Wilfried Sandmann from his father. Breeding was always just a hobby for the Sandmanns, whose family business is involved in civil engineering, sewer and pipeline construction.

Greya’s father Colestus

The Cornet Obolensky son Colestus stood at the Massener Heide Equestrian Center in Unna after his licensing, discovered by Sandra Ernst. He was stationed at the Warendorf State Stud, where he was ridden by current co-bundest trainer Marcus Döring, among others. He was later ridden by several Olympic champions – Ludger Beerbaum and Christian Kukuk as well as Marco Kutscher, among others. The gray went to his last show in 2020. He has been at home in the Netherlands with Team Nijhof since 2024.

At some point, Kent Farrington also acquired the second half of the mare. It took a while before he took delivery of her in the USA. Farrington’s riding style – brisk basic tempo, calm hand – and Greya quickly proved to be a “perfect match”. But Farrington also took it easy. 1.30 meters, 1.40 meters, then smaller again.

Minor setback

The path led slowly but steadily upwards. In 2023, the mare competed at CDI5* level for the first time. However, there was also a setback when Greya had problems with a wall at a show in Canada. In other words: refused. So another gear down, no, two. Farrington himself, not one of his riders, rode the mare in courses over 90 centimetres. “She had to learn to believe in herself,” says Christoph Zimmermann. “She was always cautious enough.”

No Olympics

The confidence-building measures paid off. The Rolex Grand Prix in La Baule was one of the really big victories. Greya and Kent Farrington had previously won in Traverse City. 2024 – the Olympic year – got off to a good start. But instead of scaring the competition in front of the Palace of Versailles, the pair were denied an Olympic start: the mare arrived in Paris with a fever that did not go away in time. The dream was over.

But from then on it worked. And how. Greya won several Grand Prix in Wellington, Lexington and the Rolex Grand Prix in Geneva in December 2025. Then, in 2026, the greatest success to date: victory in the World Cup Final in Fort Worth. At this point, Kent Farrington had already owned another special gray horse for two years: Chin Grey. The Holstein stallion is a son of Greya, born by embryo transfer in 2021. His sire is Chinchero, bred by Christoph Zimmermann, who also owns the Holstein stallion Chinchero by Chopin with his wife Janne.

On a flying visit to Germany

After the show in Geneva, Kent Farrington likes to come to Hof Waterkant for a week, as he did in 2023, when Greya had just finished third in the Top 10 Final and 14th in the Grand Prix.

But host Zimmermann had said from the outset that he only had until Thursday. That was when the Holsteiner licensing was due to take place and Chin Grey was competing for the breeding license. Farrington was curious to see what the son of Greya was like. When he saw videos of free jumping at home, his curiosity turned into a desire to buy. How much the stallion should cost. “Not for sale”, breeder Zimmermann initially remained firm. However, after the huge numbers at the free jumping in Elmshorn, the interest in buying the stallion also increased at the licensing. Zimmermann explained that the stallion would only be sold “for a lot of money”. And, Farrington also had to accept that Chin Grey would have to be sold via the auction at the Holsteiner licensing.

490,000 euros

Farrington understood the reasons and also the auction principle: simply bid longer than all other interested parties. No sooner said than done: the hammer fell at 490,000 euros. Farrington had Greya’s son and the Holsteiner Verband had a price sensation: Chin Grey, currently stationed with Sven Völz in Bienenbüttel.

On April 12, the day after his mother Greya’s great triumph, the five-year-old won a novice class show jumping test for young horses in Westergellersen with one time fault. “Small, small and slow” – the concept of special horses among special horses has already borne fruit. And: Janne and Christop Zimmermann also have an Emerald son out of Greya …