Semmieke Rothenberger's Flanell Retired from Sport

Dressage

Great Britain

German Grand Prix rider Semmieke Rothenberger has retired her number two big tour horse, Flanell, from sport. Flanell is turning 16 in spring and did her last CDI 15 months ago in November 2024.

Flanell is a 2010 born KWPN mare by Apache oyt of Adonnee de Jeu (by Don Schufro x Cocktail). She is a half sister to Lyndal Oatley's retired Grand Prix horse Elvive (by Tuschinski).

Veronique Roerink

Bred by the Roerink family, the bay mare first hit the spotlight under Veronique Roerink by finishing seventh in the 6-year old division at the 2016 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Ermelo, The Netherlands.

Roerink took her to small tour level in 2017 and tried to get selected for the 2017 World Young Horse Championships but did not make it. They made her international debut at the 2018 CDI 1* in Ermelo, followed by the CDI Cappeln the week after, where they won the Prix St Georges. Their last international was the CDI Exloo in October 2018.

Roerink trained Flanell to Grand Prix level.

Semmieke Rothenberger

Flanell at the 2016 World YH Championships

In the spring of 2020 Flanell sold to the Rothenberger family as an Under 25 hopeful for Semmieke, who had retired her Young Riders horse Dissertation and was seeking to step up to Grand Prix level.

The pair made its show debut at the CDI Mannheim in April 2021 and competed through 2024 at a total of 10 international shows in three years time, alongside a set of national shows in Germany including Piaff Forderpreis circuit.

They were nominated on the German team for the 2021 European Under 25 Championships where they won team gold, individual test silver and Kur gold. They also nabbed the title in the 2021 Piaff Forderpreis Finals at the end of the year.

In 2022 Semmieke and Flanell moved into the senior division and campaigned at CDI's in Le Mans, Hagen and Mannheim. A year break from international showing followed and in 2023 they returned for the CDIO Aachen after finishing 10th at the 2023 German Senior Grand Prix Championships in Balve.

Their last season together was 2024 with starts in Lier, the Aachen Festival, Hagen and finally the CDI Kronenberg Indoor in November 2024, where they were second in the GP Special.

Retirement

On 9 February 2026 Rothenberger announced Flanell's retirement from sport.

"Hard to find the right words, which live up to this special horse," Semmieke stated. "She is not just a horse. She is the one who taught me to dream bigger than I ever dared, who carried me into my first Grand Prix. No horse has ever given me such lightness in the work and at the same time challenged me so deeply as a human being. She gave me sleepless nights, but also the highest highs. She shaped me, tested me, lifted me, and reminded me every single day how special she is."

Rothenberger credited the help from the late Jonny Hilberath in shaping her time on Flanell. The mare will now become a broodmare.

"She has earned something far greater now: a future as a mother. I can’t wait to see her on the pasture, hopefully surrounded by her foals, as we open this new chapter together," said Semmieke.