Queen Quinn G Makes it Three - Wins 7-YO Finals at 2025 World Young Horse Championships

- Text © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition)  
-- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS!

Reigning World Champion Quinn G made it a triple as she won the 7-year old finals at the 2025 World Championships for young dressage horses in Verden on Sunday noon 10 August 2025. Only two other horses preceded her in this feat - Sezuan and Fiontini. All three of them are Danish warmbloods.

A Great Effort from Verden

The 7-year old finals were the first of two championship classes that wrapped up the 2025 WCYH on Sunday. This year the WCY returned to the original show grounds in Verden, Germany, for a three-year cycle after the Hanoverian society hosted the pilot project in 1997 and held the event from 2001 till 2015, before it rotated to Ermelo (NED).

With the hearts of the fans and riders bound to Ermelo for its great atmosphere and outstanding organization, Verden had the hard task to match their version of the show to Ermelo. The organising committee has much experience hosting shows, but did its best to look at Ermelo for the secrets of their success and made a very good effort to re-create the "Championship feel". Considerably helped by gorgeous summer weather, Verden absolutely succeeded in hosting a fabulous 2025 edition and is open for more improvements next year. 

"We had five really great days, the feedback from the riders is really good, but of course we already have some ideas on what we can do even better next year," said show directr Wilken True. "We want to develop the World Championships even more into an event for spectators and visitors, make it even more diverse. The auction and our charity campaign were the first building blocks on the way. We are really proud to be able to host the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses again and we will do everything we can to keep them here in Verden for as long as possible."

A few things stood out in 7-year old finals and division:  the majority opted to ride their horses in the double bridle and a small minority pumped up their horse's sugar consumption before going into the arena. The winner, however, showed that it all can easily be done in a snaffle. Horses with big trots tend to score higher in all three gaits, even when the walk and canter --- the two most important gaits for Grand Prix --- were not as good.

Queen Quinn G

The chestnut Danish warmblood mare Quinn G (by Quaterhit x Fassbinder x Lauries Crusador xx), bred by Helene Geervliet, is a world class horse, one with Grand Prix written all over her. She convinced judges and crowd of her qualities as a 5-year old under Betina Jaeger, and last year as a 6-year old under owner Fiona Bigwood. After winning the preliminary round on Friday with 80.177%, almost three percent ahead of the second placed pair, she was the undisputed favourite for gold and the World Champion title hattrick.

Bigwood and Quinn G were fourth last to go in the class and the British Olympian entered the arena with her mare in a different frame; still in a snaffle, but a bit more closed and up in front. The trot work was engaged from behind and ground covering, but the first S-line of half voltes was big and in the second there was a slight loss of rhythm.

The half pass right had good crossing and ground cover. The rider could have a bit more of an independent seat in the saddle, although Fiona's injured left leg still hasn't fully healed and it have an effect on her seat. The extended and collected walk were very clear in rhythm, the walk pirouette right had a bit loss of activity and in the right one Quinn took one big step. The canter is engaged, powerful with beautiful striding but in the right canter half pass she leaned on the forehand and also in the canter extension the weight could be a bit more on the hindlegs. The flying changes were sweeping and fabulous with particularly the three tempi changes being outstanding. Quinn G threw in one extra, unscripted flying change after the right pirouette but the experienced Bigwood was quick to fix this. 

The judging panel for the finals included Henning Lehrmann, Sven Rothenberger, Mats Eriksson, Alice Schwab, and Clive Halsall with Rothenberger providing the public commentary.  The panel praised the mare for being "such a light footed horse with a good hind leg and a lot of ability to do everything you wish from her." They commended the "super changes and in the pirouettes she is really sitting." Concerning the submission they remarked that "in the trot with the long reins she could stretch better and what needs to improve towards the future is the "lighter contact and self carriage."

Fiona was beaming when the final score hit the board: 81.650% with 9.3 for trot, 8.8 for xalk, 9.2 for canter, 8.5 for submission, 9.2 for general impression and a technical score of 73.500%

"I didn't sleep very much last night,’ admitted Bigwood. "I was really nervous. She gives you so much and I just wanted to show off what a great horse she is. She has so much energy and yet you can still bring her back to a walk, keep the reins long and she goes straight into a superb walk through her body. She just has a great attitude to life. She's not a typical chestnut mare, she's a great chestnut mare."

"Because of Fassbinder"

Breeder Helene Geervliet was lost for words "It's actually too big to comprehend, to be part of something so big. I'm so privileged to have reared this horse. Fiona obviously loves her – that's wonderful and makes me happy."

The combination Quaterhit x Fassbinder was not Helen's choice. "I had some really good breeding consultancy," she confessed. The combination came upon the recommendation of Carsten Vestersko, who is part of Helene's Stutteri G. He advised Helen to buy Quinn's dam. "He persuaded me to buy the dam (Fyrstin Laura) because of (sire) Fassbinder. Fassbinder was sold to England and gelded before anyone realised how good a stallion he was was. The track record of Fassbinder's offspring is amazing."

Fassbinder is by Furst Heinrich out of Danish mare Atterupgaards Dicte (by Caprimond x Donnerhall), who is the full sister to Cathrine Dufour's first medal winning horse, Atterupgaards Cassidy. Dicte had another offspring in Verden this week: Atterupgaards Bernachi (by Bon Courage) who finished 10th in the 5-year old finals. Fassbinder competed only one season in the U.K. in 2017 under Imogen Byers.

Quaterhit was chosen because of the temperament as Quinn G has Lauries Crusador xx in the third generation. "The dam is quite energetic, so for the good temperament of the foal Quaterhit was chosen," said Helen. "We want work attitude, always loyal, always trying."

The Rule of Nero

German professional Leonie Richter had an impressive climb to power with the KWPN bred stallion Most Wanted Nero. Initially only selected as the first reserve, the pair got to compete in Verden because of the FEI age rule. Last week also the Dutch second reserve, Nashville SW, got to compete in Ermelo because Charlotte Fry's Everest sold to the U.S.A. 

After placing 15th in the preliminary test (73.567%), Richter and the beautiful black stallion (by Morricone x Donnerhall) were relegated to the consolation final to earn his ticket to the 7-year old final. The pair won the "small final" with 77.049% and upped the ante on Sunday with their best ride of the week. 

As second pair to go on Sunday morning, Richter and Nero produced a very convincing test. The stallion takes very much after his sire with a gorgeous face and neck. Nero has a lot of freedom of shoulder and wings in front. He appears sunken in the back and moved rather disconnected between front and back  in the preliminary. In the finals Richter clearly had the back working better and the hindquarters were tracking up much better.  The extended trot was very elegant.  The extended walk was rather slow with a mediocre rhythm, but Richter was very clever in riding the collected walk and rode very nice walk pirouettes.  The canter pirouette were nice with good sit but rather big. The tempi changes worked out well so Richter wrapped up a very tidy test. 

The judges were impressed and rewarded the horse with 9.3 for trot, 7.2 (!) for walk, 9.0 for canter,  9.2 for submission and 9.0 for perspective. The technical score was 71.214% to total 79.307% for second place.

The judges praised the horse for "never being stressed in canter." They believed the walk was "searching and could be "a bit more regular." The extended trot needed to be "a bit more under."

Fifth Silver for Richter

This is Richter's fifth (!) silver medal at the WCYH: She got triple silver on Vitalos, one silver medal on Global Player and one on Most Wanted Nero.

"I feel very lucky to be his rider," Leonie said at the press conference. "We started from nowhere and he learnt a lot over the winter and then we started with the first selection in Holland. You saw the quality but you also saw that he's quite behind the time, he's green, but I'm very thankful to the Dutch selectors that they put me in first reserve," said Richter. "I always felt like I cannot not show how good he is. I had a little struggle with the pirouettes and the changes and now everything is more safe and more easy. Now the quality shows up."

Leonie added, "he has not so much experience. I could really feel day by day he got more relaxed in the ring. That made everything really easy for me today. I could ride him and show it. He's quite hot."

Bred by Carla Bruin in The Netherlands,  the stallion was originally named Nero Hoksehoeve. He was presented at the second phase of the 2021 KWPN Stallion Licensing but did not get accepted. He was then approved in Germany and received the name Most Wanted Nero. His owner, Monic Johanna Schmidheiny of Gestut von Bellin, lengthened the name even more by adding her stable name and initials in the back and front "MSJ Most Wanted Nero von Bellin" is the end result of the name game. 

Nero has had four riders so far: Bart Veeze rode him to a 7th place in the 2022 Pavo Cup Finals, Bart Desender to a 8th place in 2023. He then moved into training with Simone Pearce before being sent to Leonie Richter, who piloted him to silver at the WCYH in Verden.

The Convincing Factor of Power

At the World Young Horse Championships powerful horses always do well with the judges. It was no different for macho man Ilegro (by Inclusive x Negro x Gershwin). Expertly piloted by British Olympic bronze medal winner Charlotte Fry, Ilegro is yet another dressage horse trademark Van Olst: super hindlegs, powerful, muscled, impressive.

They began the test with a stretched halt, followed by very cadenced and powerful trot work. The extension had real bounce but on the half circle with the given rein, Ilegro sped up and curled the neck. In the extended walk he did stretch the neck properly but did not achieve sufficient overtrack and the collected walk was short. In the canter, the sturdy stallion developed some tension in the top line and his strides sometimes became short and stabby and the changes were often with a high croup. His striding was much better in the extended canter right. Ilegro certainly showed talent for the future and collected well in the half pirouettes. In the three changes every four strides the last one was crooked, the threes were smoother. The final halt was not immobile.

Power, elegance and promise for the future counted for the judges, who commended that  Fry was "brave to handle the powerhouse. Not everyone is able." The trotwork is "powerful, there is so much energy, elastic, and in rhythm." The walk was "in rhythm, active, but the extended walk needed more overtrack and freedom of the shoulder. In canter there were some tense moments," which the judges further described as "overactive in the hindleg."

They rewarded Ilegro 9.5 for tot, 7.2 (!) for walk, 8.8 for canter, 8.4 for submission, and 9.0 for perspective. He got 71.500% as technical score, which was the second highest of the day. His total of 78.650% ranked the pair third. 

"I'm really happy. I knew I was riding an amazing horse with a lot of talent for the Grand Prix and for the future. I knew it was a little too soon for him but am proud how he coped in that arena. He really feels like a star for the future the way he went in there today in front of the crowd .His trot today was just incredible. He gives the most amazing feeling. He never missed a beat. He uses every joint in every leg. It's unreal. He's going to be very exciting for the future once he starts to close for the piaffe and passage. It's going to be fun to train."

Ilegro is bred by L. Hanse and Van Olst out of Jalegrofleur, the full sister to Valegro. He was originally named Nalegro but his name changed to Ilegro when he got NRPS licensed in 2024. He is owned by Fry's long-time employers Gert-Jan and Anne van Olst.

Top Five

The fourth place went to Holland's second team reserve horse Nashville SW (by Secret x Jazz), bred by Stal Willig and owned by Marco te Brake. Under Femke de Laat the stallion competed in his third, consecutive WCYH, but this was the first time he made it into the finals, by placing third in the consolation finals. On Sunday morning as first horse to go in the class, he got the favour of the judges panel and scored 78.607% for fourth place. The stallion has a supple trot with lots of energy, but he often got high in the neck and couldn't have been more steady in the poll. The extended walk was good, but the collected short and mediocre in rhythm. The left canter half pirouette was really lovely. Three of the four flying changes were tense in the back. Also in the trot with given rein, the horse did not stretch enough. Nashville has more than plenty of quality in his gaits, but there was too much tension and instability in the topline at this point in his training. He scored 9.3 for trot (more than Quinn), 7.6 for walk, 8.6 for canter and submission, and 8.9 for perspective. He got 71.214% as technical score. 

Danish professional Lone Bang Larsen completed the top five aboard her own Danish warmblood gelding FA Viviani (by Valverde x Tailormade Temptation), bred by Frank and Anja Evald of FA-Horses. The tall bright bay gelding very much takes after sire Valverde with his fancy trot, particularly on the straight lines. On the voltes and bent lines he easily lost the rhythm though, particularly when he required bending to the right. He often titled the head and got tight in the neck.  The extended walk had very good rhythm but could have had more overstep, the walk pirouettes were small. In canter the horse showed good ability to sit, but he took off in the extended canter right and hardly collected towards the end. The changes to the left were shorted in the line of four tempi changes, but the line of changes every three strides was excellent. He was not immobile in the end halt. The horse scored 77.865% for fifth place. He got 9.1 for trot, 8.3 for walk, 8.8 for canter, 7.9 for submission, 8.8 for perspective and 69.928% a technical score.

The Most Interesting Ones

Aside from Queen Quinn, two of the most interesting horses in the class were actually the seventh and ninth placed horses: Zulu GV and So Secret. 

Laura Strobel and the Westfalian stallion Zulu GV were seventh with 75.965%. Zulu GV is bred by Austrian veterinarian Ursula Barth, who picked Sissy Max-Theurer's stallion Zarathustra MT (by Zonik x Florestan) for her mare Sunday Rose (by Sorento x Diamond Hit). She sold the foal four days old to Max-Theurer's Gestut Vorwerk. The black Zulu is a more compact horse but with plenty of bone structure and a sturdy, masculine look in front. The trot work was good with a very ground covering medium trot. The extended was very bouncy and easy looking. He got a bit 'floaty' in the left half volte. The extended walk was actively marching but he could have used his back a bit more. The walk pirouettes were tiny, the collected walk got dodgy. The canter pirouettes were not perfect but showed good promise for the future with ability to sit, the fours were dead straight the threes very easy going.  The judges gave this horse 8.6 for trot, 7.1 for walk, 8.5 for canter, 8.4 for submission and perspective and 69.928% as technical score. 

Dutch based, Russian born, Palestinian dressage rider Aleksandra Maksakova finished ninth aboard So Secret, a Hanoverian stallion by Secret x Desperados, bred by Steffen Brunkhorst and owned by the Lithuanian company UAB Sporiniu Zirgu Investicija. The former youth championship rider Maksakova presented her black stallion in a beautiful way: light in the contact, never over-asking her horse. The test was not fault-free with some tilting and a mistake in the three tempi changes, but especially the canter work was fabulous with much airtime and uphill oriented. It was a lovely, sweet presentation. Aleksandra began her show career as a student of Anky van Grunsven, then trained with Wim Verwimp, before starting a multiple-year collaboration with Johannes Rueben. In Verden she had Anne van Olst as coach by her side. The pair scored 8.2 for trot, 8.6 for walk, 9.0 for canter, 6.9 for submission and 8.2 for perspective. The technical score was 68.000% to total 74.900%

Not So Easy

The 7-year old finals test proved for many horses a challenge, but the ground quality of many horses shone through.

Stefan Wolff rode his third WCYH on the Westfalian gelding Elliot the Dancer NRW (by Escolar x Vitalis), bred by Leo Hermanns and owned by Jutta Hildebrandt and Susanne Margossian. The long-legged chestnut gelding has a fabulous light-footed trot, good extended walk and quality canter with big flying changes but he struggled in the canter tour, particulary in the changes and the unbalanced pirouettes. Still a great horse for the future. Today he got 9.0 for trot, 8.6 for walk and canter, 6.9 for submission, 8.2 for perspective, 66.571% as technical score and 74.586% as final total for 11th place. 

The third placed pair in the preliminary test: Danish Cecilie Hedegaard and Nicole Derlin's German owned Trakehner stallion Gaspard TSF (by His Moment x Imperio) ended up at the bottom of the ranking, in 14th place with 69.486%. The gorgeous stallion has not been working long at developing Prix St Georges level and with the added pressure of medal potential, both the inexperienced championship rider and her green horse did not cope as last pair to go in the class. Mistakes and miscommunications were sprinkled through the test. A pity. 

- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS

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Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2025 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses