Laurienne Dittmann Loses Grand Prix Hopeful Van Halen

Dressage

South Africa

German based South African Grand Prix rider Laurienne Dittmann has lost her number one in the barn, Van Halen.

Van Halen was a 14-year old Westfalian gelding by Vitalis out of Sissi's Rubin (by Rubinstein x Sandro). He was bred by Reinhold Autmaring.

Grand Prix Hope

Laurienne Dittmann (née Castle) purchased the liver chestnut a an unbroken 2,5 year old and produced him to Grand Prix level herself.

He was first competed as a 4-year old in 2016 by Julia Kristin Heitzmann at A-level. Three years later he returned to the ring, first under Peter Koch, and then with Dittmann herself at M** level in a local show in Adelheidsdorf.

Laurienne moved him up to small tour level in 2020 and continued to show him in Germany at that level through 2021. There were no shows in 2022 but in 2023 the pair made its international show debut at the CDI Hagen, followed by the CDI Leeuwarden. Those were the only two CDI's they did together.

Schooling at Grand Prix level, the duo rode their first Inter II test in February 2025 in Sittensen and did two Grand Prix tests in the spring. Their last show was Elmlohe in April 2025.

Stable Accident

Unfortunately Van Halen had to be put to sleep after a tragic barn accident.

"It was an avoidable accident which makes it very bitter for me," Laurienne told Eurodressage. "We were not at home at the time."

The horse was brought in from the paddock and stood between a round bale on a trolley and the eurotrack stable machine for his boots to be taken off.

"What happened in the small space and in that moment I will never know but it resulted in him going backwards into the machine which should not have been standing there," she said. "He severed both tendons and broke three bones. It is hideous and could have easily been avoided."

Heart Broken

"I spent a long time training him carefully and building power," Laurienne said about her one-year break from showing this year. "He was going well and we had entered some national shows this month that I was due to compete at."

"He was the most wonderful horse and the most talented that I ever owned. Just a nice guy," a heart brokeb Laurienne added. "It is an enormous loss to me. I don’t have any other horses at the moment. I will concentrate on my art for a while (Laurienne is a painted). When I find another nice horse I might carry on."

Dittmann is a holder of the German golden rider badge since 2018 and assisted in South Africa's efforts to qualify a team for the Tokyo Olympics aboard Don Weltino K (by Don Frederico x Weltmeyer).