It was once again a story of the last being the best once again in the five-year-old class of the dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses... And another amazing story after Denmark's Victoria Vallentin and her mare Lyngbjergs St Paris (Blue Hors St Schufro x Blue Hors Rockefeller, breeder Bente Borjesson) won with a tremendous score of 91,20% – including 9.5 for trot and perspective.

Judges' chairperson Monique Peutz was full of compliments: "It was elegance throughout the whole test, lightfooted in trot, and an amazingly good hind leg."

On Thursday the final rider, Frederic Wandres and the Oldenburg-bred stallion Fashion Prinz (Fürst Romancier x Sarkozy, breeder Gestüt Lewitz) overtook Victoria Vallentin and her mare, but now finished third after receiving 9.0 for his walk the very end of the test took over the win from Victoria Vallentin and her mare, now Fashion Prinz and Wandres finished third, albeit with the highest score for his walk again at 9.7. Certainly, today's canter could have shown more energy.

Runner-up was the Hanoverian stallion Vitalos (Vitalis x De Niro, breeder Josef Bramlage and owner Helgstrand/Schockemöhle showed by Leonie Richter, who scored 90.6. His breeder was so over the moon that he ran from his seat as soon as it was clear his stallion had earned the silver medal. Bramlage still owns the stallion's dam, Vitalos, and also has a full sister who is four years old.

The new world champion, Victoria Vallentin has been riding her mare from the age of two-and-a-half, and was similarly over the moon, explaining that it was only with the help of some sponsors that she was able to keep the mare and now look forward to producing her up to Grand Prix. It was a happy day all round.

Claartje van Andel