Senna Steevens Takes Over Ride on Meulendijk's Welt Hill

Dressage

The Netherlands

Dutch young rider Senna Steevens has taken over the ride on Lotte Meulendijk's Grand Prix horse Welt Hill as a second iron in the fire.

Welt Hill E is a 17-year old Oldenburg by Welt Hit II out of Cilla (by Donnerball x Carprilli). He is bred by Fenne van Eyken.

Lotte Meulendijks

The dark bay was licensed as a breeding stallion and sired a very small crop of foals before being gelded. Three offspring are registered in Germany for sport, born in 2016 and 2017.

The Oldenburg gelding made his international show debut under Lotte Meulendijks at young riders level in April 2017 at the CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland. She competed him in Compiegne, Roosendaal and Lamprechtshausen that year.

In 2018 she aged out of young riders and moved into the senior ranks, competing him first at small tour level. There was only one CDI in 2018 in Exloo and two in 2019 (Compiegne, Kronenberg).

The pair made the transition to Under 25 Grand Prix level in 2020 with their U25 debut in Sint-Truiden. A year later they returned to the international ring in Opglabbeek and went to Exloo and Le Mans. In 2022 they showed at senior Grand Prix level with starts in Meerle, Deauville and Ermelo. Their last season as a pair was 2023 with Compiegne and Deauville as Lotte's final career shows.

The now 30-year old Lotte, as well as her sister Anne (a Dutch team rider at the 2019 European Championships on Avanti), quit international competition sport in the summer of 2023. They both transitioned into "digital content creators" and still manage their home stable, MDH Sport Horses, in Heeze (NED).

Senna Steevens

Dutch young rider Senna Steevens has now taken over the ride on the experienced Grand Prix horse.

Senna on Kashmir at th 2025 CDI Compiegne

The 21-year old Steevens is in her last year as young rider and has competed Kashmir (by ) from junior level in 2023 through Young Riders in 2026. She has been training out of the Meulendijk's home stable in Geldrop, The Netherlands, for the past 9 years and now gets to ride Welt Hill.

"I'm riding him together with Lotte," Senna told Eurodressage. "Lotte is helping us so it's super fun that she's giving me this opportunity." Meulendijks added, ""Welt Hill will always be my partner in crime, but after training him myself all the way to Grand Prix level and achieving everything we dreamed of together, it's time to give someone else the change to learn from him and create their own journey together."

Senna plans to move Kashmir up to Under 25 level in 2027 and ride small tour with Welt Hill. "It's exciting but also so much fun," she added.

The new pair made its national show debut in the Prix St Georges three weeks ago at the home show, Geldrop Hippique, hosted at Meulendijks' yard.