Rubinell, Maddison Vallender's internationally competed junior riders' horse, has found a new owner and rider in Australian pony rider Tess Baker.
Rubinell is a 16-year old Hanoverian bred mare by Romanov out of Pamina (by Don Larino x Warkant). She is bred by Birgit Drexler-Gormann.
Hayley Gilbert
Rubinell was acquired at the 2009 Hanoverian foal auction in Verden by Australians Hayley and Lynette Gilbert and imported as a weanling as part of the Hanoverian Horse Society of Australia 'importation of fillies' program.
The Gilberts named her Sugarloaf Rubinell and she was trained and competed by Hayley under this name. Their career highlight was becoming the 5-year old champions at the 2014 Australian Young Horse Championships in Werribee. In a sweeping finals, Helen Langehanenberg test rode the mare to reward her with the title of Champion of Champions.
The pair went on to show nationally up to Intermediaire II level under the supervision of Robert Harrisson Schmerglatt.
Rubinell also produced embryotransfer foals including a 2013 born colt Sugarloaf Belafonte (by Belissimo M) and the 2015 born filly Ooh La la (by OO Seven).
In June 2023 Gilbert decided to sell "Ruby" and announced her sale on Facebook. "Unfortunately or fortunately I am in a place in my life where I am rushing through my days trying to tick a box and complete my tasks, but there is never anytime to ‘stop and smell the roses’. And I have many roses that need smelling," said Hayley.
Maddison Vallender
The new duo made its international show debut in February 2024 at the CDI Bawley Point, where she won the junior team and individual test and freestyle. From there they went to the CDI's in Sydney, Caboolture, Melbourne, and Werribee winning 8 out of 11 tests. At Melbourne in November 2024 they competed at Young riders level for one CDI but decided to drop back down to junior level for the rest of their partnership.
In 2025 the pair claimed another five international wins at two CDI's in Bawley Point and Werribee, before decided to sell the horse. Her impressive string of victories made the pair rise to third place on the FEI World Junior Riders Ranking of April 2025.
"To pursue a dream of riding in Europe we have made the very hard decision to put our beautiful Rubinell up for sale," Vallender posted on social media.
Tess Baker
The 15-year old Baker has been competing internationally since 2023 with the FEI pony Hilkens No Kidding (by Nemax x Champion de Luxe), who was imported from Belgium where Julie Opsomer had shown him in his first CDI in Le Mans in October 2020.
European Dream
Vallender will be moving to Europe next month to train and compete under the guidance of Australian Olympian William Matthew.
Aside from her successes as a junior rider and national level small tour rider, Vallender is Australia's highest ranked international Under 25 rider with her 14-year-old gelding Ronan R (by Regardez Moi x Richmeed Medallion).
In January 2025 Maddison purchased the 8-year old Hanoveian mare Isla Bonita (by Ibiza x San Amour), previously owned by Michaela Massenberg and shown up to S-level by Daniel Oster and Lisa Malin Schöning.
Photos © Derek O Leary
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