Lucie Anouk-Baumgürtel Wins 2026 German Under 25 Championships

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2026 German Dressage Championships

Lucie-Anouk Baumgürtel became the winner of the Under 25 Championships held during the 2026 German Dressage Championships in Balve on 5 June 2026.

The Nottuln based Baumgürtel continues her illustrious career in youth dressage sport. After becoming European Champion in the pony, junior and young riders division, this is the first time that Lucie-Anouk has won a German Youth Champion's title.

Gold for Baumgürtel

Aboard her 10-year-old Hanoverian mare First Vienna (by Vitalis x First Dance) Lucie-Anouk Baumgürtel secured the gold medal by winning the U25 Grand Prix test with 73.070%. The German Under 25 Championship is also part of the Piaff Forderpreis show circuit, which started with a warm-up Intermediaire II on Thursday, in which the pair placed second with 72.211%. The actual qualifier for the Piaff Finals, the short Grand Prix, counted for the medals. Lucie won.

"She's the first horse I've trained myself up to Grand Prix level – I'm proud of that and, above all, very, very grateful," said Lucie-Anouk, who has been riding the mare since she was 5. In 2022, the pair won the bronze medal at the German National Championships for seven-year-old dressage horses. She has been training with Sebastian Heinze.

"They've both made incredible progress. Lucie has guided this horse to this level – they're on an ideal path and rode a fantastic test. She's characterized by consistent, precise, and beautiful riding, and she's demonstrated this across the pony, junior, and young rider age groups, right up to the U25 tour," praised national coach Hans-Heinrich Meyer zu Strohen. "Lucie was even more focused today, her horse was even more consistent in the contact, and they were able to bring out even more strengths in the difficult piaffe and passage."

Top Three

The silver medal went to Rose Oatley from Lütjensee in Schleswig-Holstein and her newly acquired Grand Prix ride Alive and Kicking, a 12-year-old Westphalian mare by All at Once x Furst Piccolo, previously shown at international Grand Prix level by Charlotte Dujardin. Oatley and mare "Audrey" scored 72.°93% for silver.

The bronze went to Pia-Charlotta Gagel o the 16-year old Oldenburg gelding Riccio (by Rock Forever x Argentinus), previously shown by Martin Pfeiffer until 2022. Riccio is owned by German 5* judge Hennig Lehrmann.

All three medalists are competing in the U25 tour for the first time in 2026.

Another set of medals is to be won on Sunday in the Kur to Music.