Knight Rider, Dutch Junior Team Medal Winner, Sold to Germany

Dressage

The Netherlands

Knight Rider, Micky Schelstraete's team silver medal winner at the 2022 European Junior Riders Championships, has been sold to Germany. The 8-year old bay will continue his sport career under Phelina Morzynski.

Knight rider is a Dutch warmblood gelding by Uphill out of Zozelma (by San Remo x Cabochon). He is bred by C. van Suijdam in The Netherlands.

Talent for the Future

Knight Rider first came into the spotlight selling as a foal at the 2015 Midden-Nederland foal auction. He is the full brother of the KWPN licensed Fashion Hill.

In 2021 German horse dealer Jochen Arl spotted the horse's talent and potential for the future. He secured Knight Rider for a client and put him in training with professional Anne Lene Holmen in Germany.

In the spring of 2021 Jochen saw a promising combination in the bay gelding and Dutch junior rider Micky Schelstraete. His vision proved to be correct.

Schelstraete premiered Knight Rider at the CDI Exloo in October 2021. In 2022 the pair was amongst the best in The Netherlands with international starts in Opglabbeek, Kronenberg, Exloo and Hagen. They were selected on the Dutch team for the 2022 European Junior Riders Championships in Hartpury, where they won team silver and placed 8th in the freestyle finals.

They finished the year with a double victory at the CDI Kronenberg in December.

Phelina Morzynski

Knight Rider has now been sold to Jochen Arl's long-time client and friend, German Grand Prix rider Natalie Stickling-Morzynski. The gelding will be the junior hopeful for 17-year old daughter Phelina Morzynski.

Phelina began her career as a competitive dressage rider on Antonia Arl's pony Dornröschen (by Dressman x Amir) in 2017.

Phelina Morzynski and Sacre Fleur at the
2022 Westfalian Championships

Her first horse Cooper (by Contendro x Grosso Z) followed a year later, while in 2020 she rode national Children's tests on her mom's Esteban M (by Sandro Hit x Jazz), also scouted by Jochen for the family. The past two years the chestnut Floyd (by Floriscount x White Star) has been giving Phelina experience at M and S-level.

In 2021 matchmaker Arl worked his magic again and found the 11-year old Hanoverian bred Sacre Fleur (by Scolari x Ducello) with whom Phelina is making her mark at FEI junior level. At last weekend's 2023 CDN Ankum, the pair won the junior team test with 72.072% and the M11 test with 71.765%. Phelina trains on a daily basis under the supervision of her mother, but also with Oliver Oelrich and Florine Kienbaum.

Knight Rider will be her second iron in the fire for the season.

Natalie Stickling-Morzynski

Natalie on Damocles de Massa with husband
Mark, the boss of estate Calenberg

Pehlina's mom Natalie Stickling-Morzynski is a Grand Prix rider in her own right with a clear vision on the future.

Her international show career began in 1992 on the Thoroughbred Radauti xx. Her competitive career got a major boost after she acquired her first horse through Jochen Arl, Pandoer. Her CDI debut was on Orly's Way (by Chronos x El Corona) in 2007 but she rode her first international Grand Prix tests with Pandoer (by Recruut x Amulet) in 2009.

In the last decade she has been juggling numerous roles as she dedicated her time to raising six children at her home, Estate Calenberg in Pattensen near Hanover, Germany. Their home and yard is a historic property which underwent a full renovation into a state-of-the art equestrian centre and residence it is now. Natalie and her husband Mark Morzynski have put much tender, love and care into this century-old historic property, which dates back to 1660 and sold to the family in 2011.

Back to Business

Natalie and Esteban M at the 2023 CDN Ankum

With her children coming of age, Natalie has time to re-orient herself on her passion: dressage sport. After a 10-year break from showing, she returned to the national arena in May 2022 aboard one of her brightest stars for the future, Damocles de Massa (by Bon Bravour x Almonda). Most recently she picked up showing Esteban M at Grand Prix level in Ankum, where she won the Inter A in October and placed third in the short Grand Prix two weeks later.

Natalie and daughter Phelina have an appetite and ambition for more sportive success. Natalie recently bought the Grand Prix horse Dean Martin, a Polish 2022 World Championship team horse, to gain more experience on.

With the outdoor show season rapidly approaching, Natalie will have three Grand Prix horses to ride, all scouted by Jochen, while Phelina can rely on some serious horse power in Sacre Fleur and Knight Rider.