Polish U25 Team Horse Bel Fleur Sold to Japan

Dressage

Poland

Bel Fleur, Filip Kowalski's Polish European Under 25 Championship ride, has been sold to Japan. The 15-year old mare will continue her sport career in Asia.

Bel Fleur is a 15-year old Bavarian mare by Boston out of Die Queen (by Warkant x Dinar). She is bred by Ferdinand Sanladerer

Red Head

Originally named Bel Fleur S, the chestnut mare began her show career in Germany with David Lessnig. He showed her first in May 2015.

She sold as a 4-year old to Team Kowalski in Poland that same year and Tomasz "Tomek" Kowalski quickly passed on the ride to his wife Izabela. She showed her first in 2019 in Poland.

"Her youthful nature was not one of the easiest ones," Kowalski stated. "There were moment in her career when she was the one who won against our plans. We tried the breeding path, she was supposed to become a mother, but that was not her destination. Tomek didn't have enough patience for her, Iza maybe a bit more, but only the right match with Filip brought the expected result. When Jonny Hilberath saw Bel Fleyr under Filip for the first time in 2019 he said, "This is the best horse in your stable. Bet on her"."

Filip Kowalski

Filip Kowalski first competed her at Young Riders level and they were fifth at the 2019 Polish Dressage Championships. They made their international show debut at Under 25 level at the CDI Mariakalnok in May 2021. They went to Samorin from there. They were selected for the 2021 European Under 25 Championships but did not compete in Hagen.

In 2022 the duo competed at CDI's in Zakrzow, Pilisjaszfalu, Samorin, and Brno to be selected for Poland for the 2022 European Under 25 Championships in Pilisjaszfalu, where they were 31st in the Short Grand Prix with 63.897%. Kowalski and Bel Fleur continued in the Under 25 division through 2023 and returned to the European U25 Championships, again in Pilisjaszfalu, and made it to the Kur to Music final in which they placed 16th with 70.725%. They won gold the 2022 Polish Under 25 Championships.

As of 2023 Kowalski and Bel Fleur competed in the senior ranks. In 2024 they showed at CDI's in Kalen-Towarzsystwon Motsice, Wroclaw, Gosciszow, Sopot and Bialy Las as part of the Polish Olympic team selection trials. At the latter CDI they were rung out.

Schoolmaster

Filip's younger sister Malgorzata took over the reins and showed Bel Fleur nationally in October 2024 and once more in April 2025.

The mare has now been sold as a Grand Prix schoolmaster to Japan through an agent. The name of the buyer is not being disclosed.

It's not the first horse the Kowalski's sold their horses to Asia. They recently also sold the 12-year old Hanoverian Don Disney (by Don Index x Walt Disney) and the 12-year old Oldenburg Feverdale (by Everdale x Fidermark) to Korea. They are now ridden by Ju-Hyung Seo. The rider premiered them both at the CDI Troisdorf in October 2025.