Olympic champion relocates to new country for the winter

Germany’s Julia Krajewski, the 2021 Olympic eventing champion, has a new base, having relocated to Italy for the winter season.

Julia had worked out of the German national training centre at Warendorf for more than 17 years, since she left school at 19, but moved in December to the family base of her boyfriend, Italian championship rider Pietro Roman, just outside Rome. Pietro’s father Federico was the 1980 Olympic champion at the Moscow Games and his brother Luca is also an Olympian; Pietro and Luca competed at the 2016 Games in Rio.

Julia told H&H the weather is considerably warmer in Italy at this time of year and the ground in better condition.

“I took 11 horses with me and one was here already,” she said. “Moving the horses was the smallest problem – I had to move out of my apartment so it’s all that stuff, all the horses’ stuff…  just putting horses on the lorry and trailer was way easier than moving everything else! I have done the trip a few times for competitions as it’s the same area as Montelibretti or Pratoni, so I know the road.”

Julia Krajewski plans to stay at her new base in Italy until April, then return to Germany for the summer season, probably around the Warendorf area but not at the centre.

“It has benefits, being in the centre of everything, but I’m ready for a bit more peace and quiet,” she said.

Following the retirement of her Olympic champion Amande De B’Neville, who is in foal, Julia’s string for this year is headed by the promising 11-year-old Nickel 21, who won Aachen CCIO4*-S and Boekelo CCIO4*-L last year, as well as finishing 11th at the Paris Olympics after a late call-up. Julia said she may aim him at Luhmühlen five-star, but her chief focus will be a return to Aachen and championships, with the European Championships at Blenheim in September in mind.

Also among her rides is one of the three clones of Chris and Lisa Stone’s world and European medallist Chilli Morning, Chilli Morning II, who will be aimed at the eight- and nine-year-old class at Blenheim.

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