After a few successful months with Justin Verboomen, Djembe de Hus has been sold; the sale was announced today by Eurodressage . 3-year-old geldings French Champio in 2018, French 4-year-olds Champion with 89.80% in 2019, French of 5-year-olds Champion with 92% in 2020, and 13th at the 6-year-old World Championships in 2021, 4th at the Pro 1 Dressage Championship in 2023, Djembe de Hus made his Grand Prix debut in Le Mans at the age of 8. He competed with Jessica Michel Botton in international competitions in Ornago, Aachen, Hagen, Le Mans, Jardy, and Ermelo. They were selected for the Nations Cup in Falsterbo and were also among the French team pre-selected for the French Olympic Games. (voir ICI ). Firstly ridden by Alizée Froment for six months, Djembe de Hus finally joined Justin Verboomen in the 2025 spring ; a fruitful partnership as they took third place in the Belgian Championship at the end of May, won in Troisdorf for their CDI debut, and distinguished themselves in Mechelen and Neumunster where they won the Grand Prix (see HERE ). The chestnut gelding has now been sold in Switzerland, through dressage horses dealer Dominique Mohimont, to an amateur rider who does not aspire to compete at the highest level. picture :stefan lafrentz vr classics

Just over a year after Java Dulce joined her stable, Laura Graves made this days a triumphant return in Wellington. Born in Norway at JJ Horses stables, this Danish gelding by Jazz was trained up toGrand Prix level by Emily Miles. Together, they took third place at the 2022 US Championship. Lightlly competed internationally, Java Dulce nevertheless won in 2022 at Ocala and in 2023 at Mill Springs. He competed in CDI events for the last time in April 2024, achieving a Grand Prix score of 66.609%. Entered in a "test of choice" Grand Prix with Laura Graves on Friday, Java Dulce won with a score of 68.748%; a simple warm-up, as the bay gelding competed in another Grand Prix the next day, achieving an impressive 74.348% with 8's for the half-passes, extended trot, piaffe, collected walk, and pirouette to the right ; a score to make him think about the World Championships in Aachen.

Un peu plus d'un an après l'arrivée dans son piquet de Java Dulce, Laura Graves effectuait ces dernières heures à Wellington un retour en fanfare. Né en Norvège aux écuries JJ Horses, ce hongre danois par Jazz était éduqué au Grand Prix par Emily Miles : ensemble, ils prenaient en 2022 la 3 ème place du Championnat américain. Relativement peu sorti en compétitions internationales, Java Dulce s'imposait néanmoins en 2022 à Ocala et en 2023 à Mill Spring. Il concourrait en CDI pour la dernière fois en avril 2024 dernier avec un Grand Prix à 66.609%. Engagé avec Laura Graves sur un premier Grand Prix "test of choice" vendredi, Java Dulce s'imposait alors avec un 68.748% ; un simple échauffement puisqu'aligné dès le lendemain sur un Grand Prix, le bai obtenait cette fois un impressionnant 74.348% avec 8 dans les appuyers, au trot allongé, au piaffer, au pas rassemblé, dans la pirouette à droite. De quoi songer aux Championnats du Monde d'Aix la Chapelle.

Although the Grand Prix fell into Danish hands, the Swedish dressage fans were finally able to enjoy a home victory for Maria von Essen & Invoice, who beat Patrik Kittel & Touchdown. The 46-year-old rider and the son of Jazz already delivered a solid Grand Prix performance on Friday, even though the gelding remained a bi reserved. Yesterday, in the freestyle test, he finally showed his full talent, particularly in the collected exercises, all set to the theme of Les Misérables. Visibly moved, the rider, who was a member of the Swedish team at the European Championships in Crozet, commented, " Invoice was magic! He was magic! He was with me from beginning to end, despite the huge crowd today. That music always gives me goosebumps. I almost cried. " Awarded a score of 82.645%, they also achieved a new personal best. Patrik Kittel and his horse Touchdown, winners of the 2024 World Cup Final, achieved a score of 81.920%, despite some areas for improvement in their piaffe. Second in the provisional standings, the ever-expressive rider explained, " It was incredible to be in the ring today. I've been riding in Gothenburg for many years. I received a standing ovation when I entered, and Touchdown was very enthusiastic. We had a few minor issues with the canter, but it was a fantastic test. It was dressage at its finest today. Dressage is more vibrant than ever! " Carina Cassøe Krüth and Heiline's Danciera finished third this time with 81.240%. " We're well-positioned in the World Cup standings, and if we have enough points, I'll definitely be going to the final ." The World Cup circuit continues in 's-Hertogenbosch in 3 weeks. crédit photo : FEI/Kim C Lundin

Si le Grand Prix de l'étape Coupe du Monde tombait dans le giron danois (voir ICI ), le public suédois a finalement pu apprécier une victoire à domicile de Maria von Essen & Invoice qui damaient donc le pion à Patrik Kittel & Touchdown. La cavalière de 46 ans et le fils de Jazz avaient déjà proposé un solide Grand Prix vendredi même si le hongre restait encore un peu sur la réserve. Hier, dans la reprise libre, il montrait finalement tout son talent, en particulier dans les exercices rassemblés, le tout sur le thème des Misérables. Très émue, celle qui était membre de l'équipe suédoise des Championnats d'Europe de Crozet commentait " Invoice était magique ! Il était magique ! Il était avec moi du début à la fin, malgré la foule immense aujourd'hui. Cette musique me donne toujours la chair de poule. J'ai failli pleurer ". Récompensés d'un 82.645%, ils décrochaient aussi leur record personnel. Patrik Kittel et son Touchdown, vainqueurs de la Finale Coupe du Monde 2024, obtenaient un score de 81,920 %, malgré des piaffers toujours perfectibles. Second du classement provisoire, le toujours très expressif cavalier expliquait " c'était incroyable d'être en piste aujourd'hui. Je monte à Göteborg depuis de nombreuses années. J'ai reçu une ovation à mon entrée et Touchdown était très enthousiaste. Nous avons rencontré quelques petits problèmes au galop, mais c'était une reprise fantastique. C'était du dressage à son meilleur niveau aujourd'hui. Le dressage est plus vivant que jamais ! ". Carina Cassøe Krüth & Heiline's Danciera étaient cette fois 3 èmes à 81.240 %, " nous sommes bien placés au classement de la Coupe du monde, et si nous avons suffisamment de points, j'irai sans aucun doute en finale ". Suite du circuit Coupe du Monde à s'Hertogenbosch, dans 3 semaines. Résultats complets ICI crédit photo : FEI/Kim C Lundin

Chablis, l'alezan avec qui Valentina Truppa atteignait le haut niveau dans les années 2010 est mort. Né au Danemark, chez le renommé Morten Thomsen, ce DWB par Castro et Leonardo, issu de la même mère que Zap Zap ) permettait à Valentina Truppa de remporter la Finale de la Coupe du Monde Jeunes Cavaliers alors organisée à Francfort et d'être Championne d'Europe Jeunes Cavaliers à Stadl Paura en 2006 et Nussloch en 2007. A compter de 2008, ils évoluaient sur le niveau Grand Prix et en particulier sur le Sunshine Tour en Espagne, à Wellington et Palm Beach en Floride, Aix la Chapelle, à Treffen sur les CDI à l'époque organisés par la famille Glock Ils s'imposaient à plusieurs reprises sur les internationaux italiens d'Arezzo où ils atteignaient même les 72.872% sur le Grand Prix, Turin, Caselle di Sommacampagna mais également à Vidauban, Lipica, Fritzens. La carrière sportive du petit alezan s'achevait lors des Jeux Olympiques de Rio donc ils terminaient 52 èmes après un Grand Prix à 65.971%. Chablis avait 29 ans. Valentina Truppa évolue toujours sur le Grand Prix : elle participait d'ailleurs aux Championnats d'Europe de Hagen en 2021 avec Ranieri et prenait ce week-end la 5 ème place du Grand Prix de San Giovanni in Marigano avec Smile di Fonteabeti à 65.326%.

Chablis, the chestnut gelding with the one Valentina Truppa reached the top level in the 2010s, has died. Breed in Denmark by the renowned Morten Thomsen, this DWB by Castro and Leonardo, from the same dam as Zap Zap, brought Valentina Truppa to win the Final of the Young Riders World Cup organized in Frankfurt and to be European Young Riders Champion in Stadl Paura in 2006 and Nussloch in 2007. From 2008, they competed on Grand Prix level and in particular on the Sunshine Tour in Spain, in Wellington and Palm Beach in Florida, Aix la Chapelle, in Treffen on the CDIs at the time organized by the Glock family. They won several times on the Italian internationals in Arezzo where they even reached 72.872% on the Grand Prix, Turin, Caselle di Sommacampagna but also in Vidauban, Lipica, Fritzens. The sport career of the small chestnut gelding ended at the Rio Olympics, where they finished 52nd after a Grand Prix score of 65.971%. Chablis was 29 years old. alentina Truppa still competes in Grand Prix CDI: she participated in the 2021 European Championships in Hagen with Ranieri and this past weekend took 5th place in the Grand Prix of San Giovanni in Marigano with Smile di Fonteabeti, scoring 65.326%.

Faciles vainqueurs du Grand Prix, Isabell Werth & Special Blend ont fait coup double en survolant aussi facilement que logiquement la reprise libre à 82.66%. Special Blend 3, toujours enregistré auprès de son ancien propriétaire Andreas Helgstrand mais récemment vendu à Natalie Stickling-Morzynski, élève d'Isabell Werth, a donc fait étalage de son talent lors la libre, s'exprimant sur un programme classique initialement composé pour Emilio " cette libre est vraiment très difficile et je ne savais pas trop ce que Special allait faire car il n'a pas l'habitude de ce genre d'ambiance, mais il était très concentré " expliquait la germanique, ravie d'entendre 2 000 spectateurs l'accompagner sur sa ligne finale " le public était tellement enthousiaste et s'est mis à applaudir, c'est vraiment spécial. J'adore cette sensation à la fin d'une reprise [...] " La reprise d'Isabell Werth a notamment mis en valeur une pirouette piaffer complète juste après l'arrêt d'entrée et 22 changements de pied au temps sur une courbe entre les pirouettes au galop. Au terme de son retour en Floride pour la première fois depuis 15 ans, elle commentait " je tiens à remercier l'équipe du concours, car c'était vraiment impressionnant. Je ne m'attendais pas à ça. Il y a une énorme amélioration dans tout l'environnement ici – les chevaux, l'équitation – et c'est formidable. Nous devons internationaliser davantage le dressage et il y a assurément ici beaucoup d'énergie et d'enthousiasme, ce que j'adore voir et partager. Je suis presque certaine de revenir l'année prochaine ". La seconde place est revenue à Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu & Jaccardo pour le Canada à 79.250% et la 3 ème à Julio Mendoza Loor & Jewel's Goldstrike à 78.165%. Résultats complets ICI crédit photo : Centre Line Media

German dressage megastar Isabell Werth stamped her own brand of riding magic on the Zen Elite Equestrian FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix Freestyle, producing a 82.66% performance. She and Special Blend 3 were making their CDI freestyle debut during the ‘Friday Night Stars’ sold-out evening showcase at the 2026 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.  Flipping the second and third places from the qualifying grand prix class, Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu landed the runner-up spot with a massive new personal best on Jill Irving’s 12-year-old, Jaccardo. The Desperado x Jazz gelding scored 79.25% with a high-energy, maximum throttle performance. Ecuadorian rider Julio Mendoza Loor finished third, meaning the top three athletes represented three different continents. Mendoza Loor rode his 2024 Paris Olympics mount Jewel’s Goldstrike to 78.165%. Riders from six different nations filled the top six places in the high-scoring class.  Special Blend 3, who is still registered to former owner Helgstrand Dressage but was recently sold to Werth’s student Natalie Stickling-Morzynski, belied his inexperience in the freestyle, dancing enthusiastically to a classical compilation originally designed for Werth’s Olympic team gold medal-winning horse, Emilio. Special Blend only got the call-up to fly to Florida a few days before the show after Werth’s intended horse, DSP Quantaz, got a small swelling on one leg.  “ This freestyle is really, really difficult and I was not sure what Special would do because he’s not experienced in these kinds of atmospheres, but he was very focused,” said Werth, who was delighted to hear 2,000 spectators clapping along to her final centerline. “This crowd was so supportive and started to clap, which is something special. That end to a test is a feeling I really enjoy, and it’s how you know why you’re still in the saddle in a competition .” Werth’s test showcased a full piaffe pirouette right after the entry halt and 22 one-time changes on a curving line between canter pirouettes. It was a masterclass in her signature fusion of extreme technical difficulty and jaw-dropping ease of execution. Hundreds of people were filming her performance on their phones, and then showed their appreciation with a standing ovation.  “ I’d like to thank the show team because it was pretty impressive here,” continued the seven-time Olympian, who last competed in Wellington a decade and a half ago . “I didn’t expect that it would be like this. There’s a huge improvement in the whole environment here—the horses, the riding—which is great to see. We have to make dressage more global and for sure here there is a lot of energy and enthusiasm, which I love to see and be a part of. I’m pretty sure that I’ll come back next yea r.”   Fraser-Beaulieu entered the arena on a mission to finish as the highest-placed rider in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ – North American League in her quest to qualify for the Final in Texas in April—and achieved it with aplomb. She punched the air in delight on completion of her Britney Spears-themed freestyle put together by Tom Hunt.  “ I couldn’t leave anything hanging because I had a lot on the line ,” said Fraser-Beaulieu, who trains with Ashley Holzer. “ This was Jac’s first Friday night, and he’d never been into an atmosphere like this, so I was a bit nervous because there were so many people, but he came into the arena and was like, ‘Let’s go!’. He was on my aids the whole time .” Last-minute tweaks to her floorplan added to Fraser-Beaulieu’s apprehension, but the test came together beautifully, with 16 one-time changes down the centerline and piaffe between the two walk sections. “ This was the first time I actually went through the newer pattern,” she admitted. “I just wanted to be on my music, mistake-free, and show power. I think I accomplished that today. Jill and Ashley insisted on the Britney [Spears] music, and I was a little shy about it at first, but everybody seems to like it, and the crowd gets involved .”   Mendoza Loor—who became the first dressage rider ever to represent Ecuador at the Olympics in 2024—wiped away a tear and pointed down at Jewel’s Goldstrike in gratitude after his final halt.  “Riding ‘Goldie’ is a joy every time,” said the rider from Columbus, NC, who co-owns the Bretton Woods 15-year-old gelding with his wife Jessica Mendoza . “ I paid $20 for this horse, and he’s taken me to the Olympics, taken me here—and every time he gives me 100%. He never lets me down, and that’s why I cry all the time because this horse has made me who I am. There aren’t enough words to explain how good he is and how much I love him .” Full results HERE crédit photo : Centre Line Media

Each season, the Doha CDI 5* is one of the major competitions of the year: not so much for the spectators who come to appreciate the performances, 'cause all the seats are consistently and desperately empty, but rather because of the generous prize money and a promised "all-inclusive" experience. With €150,000 in prize money—€30,000 for the Grand Prix, €20,000 for the Special, and €100,000 for the Freestyle—the CDI 5*, World Cup and Nations Cup legs apart, is one of the few competitions where dressage riders can hope to win some money, still far from the astronomical sums offered in show jumping. Despite this, only one pair from the current world number 10 made the trip: Carl Hester and his horse Fame. We almost forget it, but Carl Hester is no stranger to Doha: he presented Wanadoo there in 2017 and Nip Tuck in 2015. The British rider, rarely seen outside the UK, entered Fiona Bigwood's son of Bordeau in his first non-European international competition. Still a little high and short, the KWPN was today faulty in the two-tempies changes ; a return rewarded with a 75.848%. Sandra Sysojeva & Maxima Bella are already starting their 23rd competition since they began this level two years ago. The energetic Oldenburg, as always, displayed her serious work, marked by the quality of her piaffe/passage. She nevertheless lost some points at the end of her first extended trot, where she became spooked. The Polish team finished second with 74.283%. Finalists at the European Championships in Crozet, where they finished 12th, Nadja Aaboe Sloth and Favour Gersdorf could well find again this year their way to the Danish team for the World Championships in Aachen. Consistent without being spectacular, the 13-year-old DWB by Foundation was today faulty in the one time tempies and scored 72.565%. Full results HERE