Sönke Rothenberger: "Competing for the Sake of Competing Has Never Been My Main Drive"

Focus

F.O.C.U.S.

With the CDI Mannheim in May 2025 as his last international and the German Championships i Balve in June 2025 as his last national start, German Olympian Sönke Rothenberger has disappeared from the competition scene for more than one year and a half.

As the owner and rider of one of Germany's most talented Grand Prix horses, the Danish warmblood Kjaerholms Fendi (by Franklin x Diamond), Rothenberger is one of Germany's to watch riders and his long-time absence from the show ring is noted by many dressage followers.

Time for Eurodressage to do a catch up with the 32-year old from Bad Homburg, Germany, who alongside his riding career runs a horse scouting and sales business out of his family's yard Gestut Erlenhof.

Where's Fendi?

Fendi was the big shooting Grand Prix star in Germany in 2022 and 2023, but a spot on the team has not yet been in the cards, despite coming very close (reserves for the 2024 Olympics, selected for the 2023 Europeans but withdrawn due to injury).

"Fendi and I had a bit of a “finding” season throughout 2024 and 2025," Rothenberger explained. "Balve really gave me the feeling that we were back where we wanted to be, which was quite emotional for me. He felt like his old self again inside the ring. We still had mistakes, of course, but he didn’t hold his breath anymore and really came out of himself in the arena. After several shows where we were searching for that feeling, it was great to have it back."

Fendi has not been out to competitions since Balve 2025. "Unfortunately, we then had an injury during training in Aachen," Sönke explained. "Initially it didn’t seem like a major issue, but it took longer than expected. Once it became clear that this year’s championships were out of reach anyway, we quickly decided not to take the shortest possible route back into competition, but rather the most thorough one"

Rothenberger does not want to pin-point a date for their return to the arena though. "I’m very happy with how Fendi is feeling at the moment. We have our goals set and are working towards them," he stated.

Investing in the Future

Rothenberger is known for buying foals and youngsters with his company "Rothenberger Ventures" and is having them prepared for the licensing and young horse classes in Germany. He himself has not competed any of those in his portfolio. Sönke's most prominent find was Oldenburg licensing champion Bon Esprit, who had a hammer price of 1,250,000 euro at the auction. Adrian Gasser of Gestut Schönweide is the owner now.

"My family (Sönke is father to one son) and my own little horse business have also taken up quite a lot of my time," he explained. "With talented younger horses, it’s always a difficult decision whether you are in a position to keep them long enough to develop them for yourself or whether selling is ultimately the right decision. Sometimes private circumstances make that decision easier and you choose the selling route."

He has kept a few of his promising youngsters at home to be developed by himself.

" I have a few really promising young horses that seem to have exactly the qualities I’m looking for in an upcoming horse. At the end of the day, I simply love being around horses and have built my daily life around them."

He does not want to disclose any names of the future hopefuls he has earmarked. "I’d rather not mention any names at this stage — not because I don’t want to talk about the horses, but simply because I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure or expectations on them, or on myself, too early," he opined. "They are still at the very beginning of their journey towards hopefully becoming Grand Prix horses one day."

The Drive to Compete

When asked if he doesn't miss the excitement and cutting-edge competition atmosphere which high performance dressage sport injects into the bloodstream, Sönke admitted that he misses it.

Walking Fendi with the Versailles castle in the background

"I would be lying if I said I didn’t have the ambition to be back at the top of the Grand Prix circuit with a younger horse. It takes time, and I’m willing to give the horses I have that time," he explained. "Competing for the sake of competing has never been my main drive. What really motivates me is competing at the highest level when I feel that I have a horse with whom I can genuinely be competitive there."

He added, "I definitely haven’t lost interest in competition. Quite the opposite. Competing at the highest level of our sport is still one of the greatest feelings there is, but at this stage of my life, I also think it’s important and sensible to make a living and build something lasting for my little family, which I have a responsibility for."

Dutch Heritage

At a certain point it was suspected that Sönke might be switching to the Dutch nationality, just like his father Sven Rothenberger did mid-way his competition career. After having ridden for Germany at the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm and 1991 and 1993 European Championships, Sven switched to The Netherlands and first represented his new country at the 1994 WEG in The Hague. Sönke's Dutch born mom Gonnelien (née Gordijn) also rode for Team The Netherlands at the 1993, 1997, and 2001 Europeans, 1996 Olympic Games and 1998 World Equestrian Games.

Sönke focused while trotting up Fendi at the
2024 Olympic Games in Paris at Germany's reserve team rider

"I have very, very warm feelings towards the Netherlands and I’m incredibly happy to call myself half Dutch," said Sönke. "I don’t just say that because of my background — I genuinely feel Dutch alongside my German heritage."

Switching flags, however, is not being considered....at the moment.

"I have benefited enormously from the German system throughout my career, from the youth levels all the way through to senior championships," he stated. "Never say never, but at the moment I very much feel that my sporting career is at home in Germany."