Biography

It is a second visit for German team gold medallist Christoph Wahler (31) who enjoyed a successful Badminton debut in 2022. Last year with Badminton entry D’Accord Christoph placed 9^th in the 5* at Lexington – a first 5* for D’Accord.

Christoph comes from a well-known family of equestrians. In 1960 his grandfather Eugen Wahler procured the famous Klosterhof Medingen in the borough of Bad Bevenson in lower Saxony, founding one of the best known Trakehner studs in modern times. In 1982 his son Burkhard Wahler (the 1986 German eventing champion) took over continuing his father’s vision and extending the stud – it became the home of the famous leading German sire De Niro. Christoph took over the management in 2021. The stud is now well known for its sales and a diverse catalogue of competition stallions.

Christoph competed in two Junior European (2010 & ’12) and three Young Rider European Championships (2013,’14, &’15) winning two team silvers and in 2015 the individual bronze on the Irish-bred Green Mount Flight. With former Badminton entry Carjatan S Christoph enjoyed a successful 2021 coming 2^nd at the Luhmuhlen 5* and 7^th at the 2021 European Championships running as an individual for Germany. In 2022 the combination won world team gold in Pratoni and the following year European team silver.

D’Accord is 13-year-old German-bred Hanoverian gelding. Bred by Christa von Paepcke he by leading sire Diarado out of Annette by the thoroughbred Aarking. Annette is also the dam of the 5* horse C’est la Vie (also bred by Christa) and ridden by American Woods Baughman. D’Accord was sent, by his owners, to Christoph in 2022 to be sold however after a good progress a decision to keep him was made with the intention of bringing him to Badminton one day. At 17.1hh D’Accord will be one of the tallest in the field. He was formerly ridden to 3* by Svenja Eckert.