Team Gold for Germany at 2025 European Children Championship

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2025 European Children, Pony, Junior Riders Championships

Germany clinched gold in the team competition, but it was Belgium pocketing silver that was the sensation of the day at the 2025 European Children Championships in Le Mans, France. Bronze was for The Netherlands.

The Children nations' competition unfolded on Saturday 2 August 2025 with the team test being ridden. The class was judged Eva Vint-Warmington, Malgorzata Pawlowska, Sandrin Trimborn, Thomas Kessler and Janine van Twist. The children division is open to riders aged 12 to 14 on horses competing at L-level. Two judges at E assesses the quality of riding (often a higher score) than the judges at H, C, and B who look at the technical aspect.

Third Gold for Germany

The 2025 European Children Championships in Le Mans co-incide with the Euros for Pony and Junior Riders and the team competition has been dominated thrice by Germany.

Germany's Laura Kohoutek, who was initially the team reserve and called up last minute to replace Greta Röwe, became the anchor to the team posting the high score of the day. Aboard the 7-year old Hanoverian mare Shakeela (by Secret x Royal Blend) she led Germany to gold with 82.784%.

The second best German score came from team newcomer Lilly Kasselmann aboard the 8-year old Oldenburg bred Vodka Soda (by Vitalis x Dimaggio). She finished third with a personal best of 81.067%. Marielen Theresa Osterhoff and the 10-year old Oldenburg mare Davina (by St. Schufro x Fidertanz) were right behind them in fourth place with 81.042%. Germany's drop score was still a whopping 77.825%, ridden by Lynn Sophie Soddemann on Elisabeth Max-Theurer's 10-year old Hanoverian gelding Furst Schwarzenberg MT (by Furstenball x Stedinger).

Belgium Breaks Through

Belgian chef d'equipe Alain Rauw takes a podium
selfie with his Children's team

It has been an amazing year for Belgian riders and the success at the highest levels seems to be rubbing off lower on the ladder. After Belgian Justin Verboomen beat Isabell Werth on hallowed ground in Aachen, creating great anticipation for the European Championships in Crozet at the end of the month, the Belgian show jumping team won gold at the European Jumping Championships in A Coruna two weeks ago. Today, the Belgian children broke through Germany's strangehold and forced their way on the silver step of the podium.

Leading lady is Elise van Os on the elegant 8-year old Belgian warmblood gelding Reliv van 't Amaryllishof (by Ferdeaux x D-Day) who got sandwiched in the top three, placing second with a personal best of 81.134%.

Belgium's silver effort was further supported by Leontine Lemmens on the 6-year old KWPN mare Opperfee (by Expression x Oscar) with 72.992% and Shirley Vanerom with the 11-year old BWP bred Ogami van het Beukenhof (by Sir Donnerhall x Fidertanz) with 72.084%. Belgium's drop score was from team rookie Amelie Willem on Glendale van de Kempenhoeve (by Lissaro van de Helle x Florencio) with 70.250%

Bronze for Holland

The Dutch team got bronze as Floor Kulik posted the team best score of 78.175% aboard the 20-year old Hanoverian mare Bella Rosa (by Belissimo M x Hohenstein). It placed her fifth.

Bo Leijten and the 14-year old Dutch warmblood Gentle van Wittenstein (by Wittenstein x Krack C) were 10th with 74.242%, while Marin de Baat finished 29th with 70.050% aboard Ladykiller Taonga (by Ebony x Ampere). Kat van Lee ended in the middle of the pack, 37th, with a 68.584% earning test aboard the 12-year old Hanoverian Fernandell MS (by For Compliment x Londonderry).