Look Who's Back: Damon's Satelite

Focus

F.O.C.U.S.

Damon's Satelite, Jil Marielle Becks' Europepan Under 25 Champion and Piaff Forderpreis winner, has returned back to the German show scene after a four-year break from international showing and a two-year break from national competition. He has been sold as a schoolmaster to a Bavarian rider.

Damon's Satelite is an 18-year old Westfalian gelding by Damon Hill out of Riyenna (by Rubin Royal x Donnerhall). He is bred by Christian and Melanie Becks.

Helen Langehanenberg

Damon's Satelite's sport career begun under German Olympian Helen Langehanenberg, who also ride sire Damon Hill at the time. She first competed Satelite in May 2012 when the horse was four years old. She took him to the Bundeschampionate and won gold.

In 2013 the breeders' daughter, Jil Marielle, took over the ride and showed him nationally at L-level, but it was Langehanenberg who took him to the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden, where he was 11th in the 5-year old finals. At the 2013 Bundeschampionate Becks piloted him to a 10th place in the consolation finals.

Jil Marielle Becks

Becks continued to ride Satelite exclusively through 2024.

She gradually produced him up the levels, coached by Heiner Schiergen and Klaus Balkenhol and in 2015 the pair competed at Young Riders level. They were 6th at the 2015 German Young Riders Championships in Zeiskam.

In 2016 they won the Preis der Besten and after the CDIO-YR in Hagen, where they scored a triple win, they were nominated on the German team for the European Young Riders Championships in Oliva, Nova, where they won team gold, individual silver and kur bronze. They also won the 2016 German Young Riders Championships in Riesenbeck and placed fourth at the 2016 Nurnberger Burgpokal finals.

In 2017 they moved into the senior small tour with starts at the CDI's in Neumunster and Hagen. As of 2018 they showed at Under 25 Grand Prix level, first in Rotterdam and Aachen, before heading to the 2018 European Under 25 Championships in Exloo, where they won team, individual test gold and Kur silver. They won the 2018 Piaff Forderpreis finals for German Under 25 riders in Stuttgart.

Winning the 2016 European YR Championships

In 2019 Becks and Damon's Satelite did one season at senior Grand Prix level, after which a two-year break from international showing followed. She returned for the CDI Aachen in September 2021 and did their final international at the 2022 CDI Opglabbeek in Belgium. Damon's Satelite disappeared from the international ring since then. He did two more tests at local shows in 2023 and one test in Hamminkeln in April 2024.

While Satelite was no longer shown, Becks continued her show career with pony HBS My Golden Highway (by Golden West x FS Don't Worry) and youngster HBS Vom Feinsten (by Vitalis x Damon Hill) and HBS Damon's Moonlight (by Damon Hill x Robin Royal). Her last show was on the pony in March 2026.

Schoolmaster

Damon's Satelite has been sold to the Munich based Vanessa Sachs as a Grand Prix schoolmaster.

becks and Satelite at their last CDI, the
2022 CDI Opglabbeek in Belgium

The 23-year old Sachs is familiar with the Becks' horses as she first purchased Damon's Damiani (by Damon Hill x Florestan) from the breeders' family and has shown him up to Inter I level. She has ridden at one international show, the 2025 CDI Ornago, with Bright Diamond (by Bordeaux x Spielberg) and also owns Matthias Kempkes' former small tour horse Ballentines (by Boston x Imperio).

Sachs and Damon's Satelite made its national show debut in Munich yesterday 10 April 2026 in the Stars of Tomorrow Intermediaire II class, but retired in the test.