By Jean Llewellyn (press release)
Photography: Sportfoto Lafrentz; Hannoveraner Verband
The 2025 FEI-WBFSH World Breeding Championships for Young Horses titles are known in dressage! The winners and placegetters have enjoyed their time on the podium and Verden witnessed tears of joy from riders sharing their emotions.
Jan Pedersen, President of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) was delighted to say: “It’s really nice to be back in Verden. This is the home of the World Championships for young dressage horses, this is where it all began, and everything looks even better than last time. It's good to be back."
Danish 5yo double
In the final for five-year-olds, presented by Madeleine Winter-Schulze, a Danish rider – Mette Sejbjerg Jensen – scored a podium double with two horses. Tears flowed, emotions ran high and the winner said almost shyly: “It was also a bit easy.” She rode the Jameson RS2 son Proud James to World Championship gold and the Lord Europe son Leonardo to World Championship bronze saying: “I am incredibly grateful to be able to ride two such high-quality horses. We prepared very carefully for this World Championships – and both the quality of the horses and the preparation really make it almost easy to ride to a medal. But I enjoyed both horses so much here. Both are great to ride, intelligent, and both are showmen. They come into the arena, grow five centimetres and rock it.”
Commenting judge Maria Colliander from Finland raved: “The trot is very active, very elastic, very well balanced, and with a good swinging back.” The judges’ enthusiasm was reflected in the score of 9.3. They were also impressed by the new world champion’s ground-covering walk and active uphill canter, awarding him 8.3 and 9.0 respectively. “Even contact, swinging back, listening well to the rider,” were the Finnish commentator’s keywords for the horse’s submission, which was awarded a score of 9.2. The charming grey also received a 9.5 for his prospects. With a final score of 90.60% it was clear that this was the gold medal.
Proud James is a son of Jameson RS2, who was bred by Dutch mare owner Yolien van Maasacker out of a Glock’s Johnson dam. “I just wanted to breed a good dressage horse,” she said. “I saw the sire Jameson and thought that with his energy and charisma he would be a good match for my mare. And I think Proud James has the best of both his dam and sire.”
The world champion is owned by Helgstrand Dressage. “I was eating dinner in Amsterdam when I received a video,” said Andreas Helgstrand. “I watched it under the table, practically between the main course and dessert, and immediately said, ‘I'm buying him’.” A good decision...
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