Horse of the Year: Django has his fans

Jeremy Janjic on Django of Cacharel, at the Horse of the Year in Hastings. PHOTO / PAUL TAYLOR

NOT many horses have their own Facebook page, a fan base and a friendship with a camel, but Australian visitor Django does.

The black Friesian Stallion, Django of Cacharel, and his rider Jeremy Janjic, are in Hawke's Bay to compete in the dressage discipline in the Farmlands Horse of the Year competition.
Mr Janjic said the horse, nicknamed Djanx, was unique thanks to his unusual upbringing.

"Django is a really special horse. He was bottle fed when he was a baby after he was rejected by his mother, so it is really surprising that he has turned out like he has," he said.

"Normally when horses are bottle fed, they don't have as much respect for humans when they grow up so for him to have come as far as he has is really great," Mr Janjic said. "He was also best friends with a camel growing up."

Django's Facebook page has a following of just under 2500 people. The site is regularly updated with pictures of the Friesian and his progress at each competition he attends.

Horse and rider are set to take the stage at HOY for the first time tomorrow. They are said to be the first international combination to travel from offshore to compete, said a HOY spokesperson.

The Friesian is ranked 244 in the world and is classified in grand prix class - a class reserved for Olympic level horses.

Django's results from Horse of the Year will go towards his world title ranking which, Mr Janjic said, should open more doors for the duo.

Mr Janjic said he and Django were very excited to be in New Zealand despite the bad weather.

"This is the first time we have competed internationally and it is very exciting. I am really pleased to be representing my country and this is the first time I have had to do it overseas.

"The weather here is actually better suited for the horse because he is a Friesian and they are used to a colder climate, so that is great," he said.

"I am mostly here because I want to show people what a beautiful horse he is. Every time we ride past people, they end up with a smile on their face, he makes people happy and I really enjoy that."

Mr Janjic said Django was an example of a horse that had attained huge success despite his breed and upbringing.

"It just shows that it doesn't matter what breed the horse, if they are trained right, they can go really far."

Horse and rider have ridden alongside big equestrian names, Olympic equestrian competitor Mary Hanna and World Equestrian Games competitor Maree Tomkinson.

The horse will return to Australia next Monday alongside Mr Janjic, following his final dressage competition on Sunday.