Django of Cacharel was retired from sport in 2016. Image: Michelle Terlato

Django of Cacharel

Beloved International Grand Prix stallion, Django of Cacharel, has passed away on the 20th of March 2024 at 23 years old.

Django was born at Cacharel Friesians with Carl Mitchell in Queensland, and his early days were marked by resilience as he overcame the challenges of being raised on a bottle after being rejected by his mother at birth. Yet, it was amidst his difficult beginning that Django’s true essence began to shine through – a gentle soul with an unwavering spirit, qualities that saw him purchased at four months old by Lynn and Richard Jenkin of Taskent Friesian Stud. It was there that he spent the next three years growing up, before Jeremy Janjik broke him in and their magical story begun. Django has spent nearly all of the proceeding 13 years with Jeremy.

Jeremy continued to train and compete Django, who took it all in his stride. The stallion was classified at the Friesian Keuring and he was given a star rating which put him in the top 20 per cent rating of Friesian stallions in the world. He was very well admired by the classifiers with huge accolades on his Friesian type and temperament.

Django and Jeremy went on to compete at numerous CDIs in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, and Bradgate Park in their five years at Grand Prix and, of course, a very memorable trip to New Zealand for the Horse of the Year Show. Again the crowds loved them and they were third in the freestyle on 69.95%.

Jeremy adored riding Django every day, and his heart and willingness to do the work never ceased to amaze him.

“It is hard to desbribe what this horse meant to me”

Lynn Jenkin shared her fond memories of Django on social media, writing:

“It is hard to describe what this horse has meant to me, and others in his life. You could almost say I fell in love with him before he was even born, as I was captivated by his dam the first time I saw her; she was carrying him at the time.

It was an interesting time in Friesian breeding in Australia. New bloodlines were only just starting to appear, and my own little mare was closely related to every stallion bar one. So, the decision to buy the gangly little baby colt, raised on a bucket and with a camel for a nanny, only took a few moments. If he wasn’t wonderful, could always geld him and have a great riding horse after all.

I think the biggest plan in Django’s life was the one his breeder made, because afterwards it was always an organic ‘ let’s see what happens’. When he launched into the dressage scene, apart from scaring all the other horses with his as yet unbraided mane and massive tail, we were just giving him an opportunity to ‘give it a go’.”

“He was starting to really struggle with his arthritis, having trouble getting up and down. Our greatest fear was he would go down, then be unable to get up. It was gut wrenching because his eyes were still full of life, his voice was still strong, but his body and his strength were failing. He had long since stopped cantering up the paddock for his breakfast though could still muster an impressive trot. But a trot does not serve you if you are unable to stand up. It was time to say goodbye to his physical presence, but the memory of him will be with us forever.

Farewell Django of Cacharel, you truly were the most magnificent horse it has been my pleasure to know. You will always be remembered and missed.”

Published on: 28/03/2024
Written by Equestrian Life and adapted from Roger Fitzhardinge Issue 34

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