Schölermann and Treffinger Win Gold at the 2025 European Under 25 Championships

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2025 European Young Riders and Under 25 Championships

- Text © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition)

After claiming team gold earlier in the week, Germans Anna Schölermann and Moritz Treffinger added an individual gold medal to their tally at the 2025 European Under 25 Championships in Kronberg, Germany.

The 2025 European Championships for Young Riders and Under 25 riders were held at Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff's Gestut Schafhof in the gorgeous, hilly outskirts of Frankfurt. Blessed with gorgeous weather throughout the weekend, the event was a celebration of European youth top sport.

The indivividual test, contested via the short Grand Prix (also known as the U25 Grand Prix), was held on Friday and Saturday 11 - 12 July, while the Kur to Music on Sunday afternoon 13 July 2025 wrapped up the event with a competitive finale. The ground jury for both tests included Henning Lehrmann, Christine Prip, Isobel Wessels, William Warren, and Vincenzo Truppa.

Individual Gold for Anna Schölermann

The 23-year old Anna Schölermann promoted herself as hot favourite for individual gold after topping the board in the team championship test (Intermediaire II) on Thursday. Aboard the 11-year old Danish warmblood bred Springborgs Guardian (by Hotline x Furst Romancier) she lived up to the expectations and once again produced the high score in the class, a personal best of 74.718% for the gold medal. The judges placed Anna first unanimously

An assistant rider and student of Hubertus Schmidt, Schölermann has been given the ride on the Guardian, who is owned by Schmidt's student and German young riders team gold medal winner Celestine Kindler. After the medal ceremony, trainer Hubertus Schmidt and his student jumped into the courtyard fountain to celebrate.

"Before my start today, I had about the 24 worst hours of my life," Schölermann told Horseweb about having to control her nerves. ""I think I managed to keep my nerves under control, but it was exhausting. I'd never experienced that before (being the favourite). Unbelievable."

The silver medal went to team mate Moritz Treffinger aboard Gestut Bonhomme's 15-year old Hanoverian stallion Cadeau Noir (by Christ x De Niro). They also put in a personal best round that earned them 73.025%, even though the judges were quite divided about the test with 70.641% as low score (8th place) and 75.000% (2nd) as high score.

"Pinch me please, this is absolute madness," said a thrilled Moritz, who is working as a professional rider for Gestut Bonhomme near Berlin since 2023.

The bronze medal went to Danish Sara Aagaard Hyrm aboard the 11-year old Danish warmblood bred Atterupgaards Cooper (by Charmeur x Gribaldi). They achieved a personal best of 73,000% with the judges fairly in unison about her score. Hyrm is a Danish youth team veteran, having ridden at no less than 11 (!!) European Youth Championships between 2015 and 2025. She started on ponies with Der Harlekin (2015, 2016, 2017), moved to junior level with Skovborgs Romadinov (2018, 2019, 202, 2021) and then onto Cooper, first at Young Riders level (2022), and then U25 (2023, 2024, 2025). While there were multiple team medals won, Sara had to wait 8 years to be back on the individual podium. In 2017 she won kur bronze with her pony.

"Woooow what a day! I can’t believe this happened today. Extremely proud of my beloved Cooper," said Hyrm who runs a professional stable with her sister Sandra, who competed internationally from 2013 till 2023. Sandra twice represented Denmark at the European Pony Championships on Der Harlekin B in 2013 and 2014. Her last CDI start was in July 2023 at U25 level on Cavanillas-W.

Sara Hyrm told Ridehesten, "I'm just so happy! I didn't think it would work, but during the warm-up I had a special feeling, so I went out on the track and enjoyed the whole ride! It's a huge dream come true. Cooper is just something special, and I felt it from the first second, I sat on him when he was 6 years old."

The 2023 European Under 25 champion, Felicitas Hendricks and her 14-year old Drombusch (by Destano x Dimaggio), landed just off the podium in fourth place with 72.590%. She trains with her uncle, Christoph Koschel.

Kur Gold for Moritz Treffinger

The Kur podium: Hyrm, Treffinger, Hendricks

Anna Schölermann could not make it a full hattrick in Kronberg on Sunday though. Riding to the Grönemeyer freestyle her coach Hubertus Schmidt had designed for his 2004 Olympic mare Wansuela Suerte, Anna and Guardian had a big mistake in the canter half pass and the ones could have been better. She rode the bright bay with a lower neck today and ended up with a personal best of 77,735% for a 6th place.

This left the goal open for Moritz Treffinger to score. Riding to music by the Backstreet Boys, the halt was not immobile but then they preceded with a very difficult first centerline: double pirouetts, two tempis going into ones and another double pirouette. The two piaffe turns were mediocre though with the hindlegs wide open, indicating a lack of sit and balance. The second piaffe was back-stepping with the left hind. The extended trot only achieved proper overtrack far after X on the diagonal. While no major "mistakes" were made, the stallion was pulling in the contact. Treffinger scored the high marks with the canter work, in which the tempi changes on curved lines went smoothly. They scored a whopping winning score of 80.400%

German team trainer Hans-Heinrich Meyer zu Strohen said, "the amount of difficulty Moritz incorporated was astonishing. At times, I thought he would end up with 82 percent. He has more control over himself now. I'm proud that the horse ran so relaxed and unhurried through the freestyle. That was beautiful, fantastic riding."

Danish Sara Aagaard Hyrm and Atterupgaards Cooper moved into silver medal position with a 79.925% earning freestyle. She rode to filmic musict. The passage work is elegant, but in piaffe the liver chestnut crosses behind, in the second he travelled forward. The half passes had much ground cover. Overall the contact with the bit was quite firm and more lightness and self carriage from the horse would have been nice to see at this level. The extended walk had one hoof overstep and not the clearest rhythm. The right pirouette was small, the temp changes straight.

Felicitas Hendricks and Drombusch OLD moved onto the podium for bronze after receiving 79.340% from the ground jury. They judges were not on the same wavelength though as the low score was 76.225% (5th) and the high score 81.475 % (1st). She brought funky music to the arena with a good beat and superiorly arranged freestyle in which the higher quality level stands out. Today the passage lacked some collection and in piaffe the horse needed to take more weight behind despite the clear rhythm. The gelding leaned too much on the forehand. There was good overtrack in the trot extensions and one can very clearly see the routine and experience in this Grand Prix level pair. Hendricks has been competing in the senior division for the past two years but dropped down to U25 level again with a chance to rake in a few more medals on home turf. Mission accomplished.

Last year's 2024 European Under 25 Champion Annabella Pidgley finished off the podium in a fourth place with her 13-year old Westfalian gelding Vamos Amigos (by Vitalis x Hotline). They got 77.970%, while Swiss Tallulah Lynn Nater and the 11-year old Hanoverian stallion Flynn (by Fahenheit x Sir Oldenburg) completed the top five with 77.885%.

Eurodressage took photos of all competitors in Kronberg. If you are interested to buy photo prints or digital files for social media, email us.

Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2025 European Young Riders and Under 25 Championships