Sanna Nilsson's First Grand Prix Horse, Empress, Passed Away

Dressage

Sweden

Swedish Grand Prix rider Sanna Nilsson said goodbye to Empress, the horse that took her into her first Grand prix tests. She was 24 years old

Empress was a Swedish warmblood mare by D-Day out of Ester (by Bayron x Eloge x Romeo xx). She was bred by Roland Fransson.

Sanna Nilsson

Nilsson's international dressage career began with Juliette Ramel's KWPN geling Melvin C (by Farrington x Beaujolais) which took her to the 2009 European Junior Riders Championships in Ermelo. She made the transition to Young Riders level aboard Go Dutch III (by Gracieux x Larinero) with whom she rode the 2012 European Young Riders Championships in Berne after which the horse took her into the senior small tour and then sold to Australia (Philipp Bobic, Jemma Heran).

Nilsson continued as a senior with Empress and Don Dorn which she both competed in the international Under 25 tour in 2014.

Empress

Empress was mare performance tested in Sweden in 2003. Malin Lindholm first competed her and participated in the 2005 Swedish Young Horse Championships when the mare was 6. She took her to Grand Prix by 2012 after which she sold to Nilsson.

Sanna made her national show debut on Empress in the late spring of 2013 and rode her first CDI with her in September 2013 at small tour level at the CDI Fot. Their start was a bit wobbly with an elimination in the Prix St Georges followed by two 7th places in Fot.

In 2013 they moved to Under 25 level and gained ring experience at the CDI Barcelona and from there went to the CDI Malmo. Their last international was at the CDI Caselle di Sommacampagna (ITA) in April 2015 where they competed two weeks back-to-back in the senior Grand Prix classes. They competed at the 2015 Swedish Grand Prix Championships two months later.

Schoolmaster

The mare then continued as of 2016 as a schoolmaster for Swedish junior rider My Lahti Johansen, selling to Patrik Johansen.

The new pair only competed nationally and debuted in September 2016. A year later they moved to small tour level and alternated that with junior classes. They participated in the 2018 Swedish Junior Riders Championships. The pair competed until October 2019 when Empress was 20. She was then retired from sport.

Retirement

The mare, who was nicknamed "Emma," spent her retirement with the Johansen family with pony buddy Benton. Both passed away on 26 October 2023.

On the day the Johansen family bought Empress, My took to Instagram: "Just have to say I'm the happiest person in the world right now!! Because we have bought the world's finest horse. I must also thank the world's best Sanna Nilsson for letting me buy this fantastic horse from you."

When Empress passed Nilsson posted, "two weeks ago, heaven received the addition of another angel. "My" wonderful Emma now dances on in the evergreen meadows. I am so incredibly grateful for everything she taught me, sharing my Grand Prix debut, all the wonderful years and memories we created together!! I am also so grateful that she got the best possible end to her life with my friends and student and family, she really could not have gotten a better retirement! Emma, you will always be my little white pearl and you really showed that you can do anything if you want to! Forever and forever loved and missed."