Team Germany Secures 42nd Gold Medal at 2025 European Young Riders Championships

- Text © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition)  
-- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS!

Germany secured team gold at the 2025 European Young Riders Championships in Kronberg, Germany, on Thursday 10 July 2025. For the 42nd time it was Germany that took the highest step of the podium in the history of the EU-YR-CH.  It were the usual faces on the podium with The Netherlands in silver medal position and Denmark in bronze.

The Young Riders team championship test wrapped up Thursday noon followed by an award ceremony that had very low attendance as many of the competitors chose to spend their time on having a lunch break, resting, or preparing for the afternoon classes. A pity and quite unsportsmanlike because the U25 team ceremony at the end of the day drew a much bigger crowd to celebrate. 

Germany's Golden Haul

On home turf the German team proved unbeatable with a team total of 217.029 points, even though The Netherlands was not that far off with less than 2 percentage points behind them.

The high score of the day came from Lana-Pinou Baumgurtel aboard the 11-year old Westfalian mare Emma (by Escolar x Laurentianer). She rode a well deserved personal best score of 74.294% to lead Germany to team gold. Pinou is not a newcomer to the German team, having ridden at the 2022 and 2023 European Junior Riders Championships with Founder and Emma. Two years afterwards she returned on the German team as a young rider after a stellar season in which she stepped out of the shade of her elder sister, Lucie-Anouk, who holds the European Pony, Junior and Young Riders Champion's title as one of the most decorated youth riders ever. Pinou and Emma showed extremely balanced trot work, a very constant, supple contact with the bit. There was a small back step in the left walk pirouette, the extended walk had plenty of overtrack and relaxation. The left canter pirouette was the best one and the tempi changes were super secure and straight. It was a fantastic test. Judges Patricia Wolters, Elke Ebert, Maria Colliander, Marlena Gruca Rucinska, and Frederico Pinteus  unanimously placed Baumgurtel first although the marks ranged from 72.941% to 75.147%

Lucie-Anouk Baumgurtel was the fourth rider to go for Germany and she also delivered a solid round on her long-time partner Hugo, a 13-year old KWPN gelding by Spielberg x San Remo. The pair has competed at four European Championships (2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025) and never been off the podium. In Kronberg the dark bay gelding appeared a bit stiff in the top line, which showed in the stabby first trot extension  that was flexed to the right.  The second was better although ridden shoulder-fore, almost on two tracks.The right walk pirouette was the better one, the extended walk had good relaxation. There was a bobble in the three tempi changes, the fours were good. Overall Lucie had a lovely contact with the bridle and really sits beautifully with her hands in the right position and thumbs up. She scored 71.970% for fourth place. 

The Baumgurtel sisters pulled Germany from a provisional second place into gold. The third contributing score was delivered by  team new comer Celestine Kindler on 16-year old Westfalian Quotenkonig (by Quaterback x Furst Piccolo). She got a personal best of 70.765%.

Rose Oatley, one of Germany's most experienced youth riders with the European Pony and Junior Champion's title to her name, rode her fourth consecutive Junior/young riders Euros on a third different horse (Veneno 2022, Sommernacht 2023 and 2024). She saddled Gert Saborowski's tall black 11-year old Hanoverian Don Domingo (by Dimaggio x Don Davidoff) and scored 70.382%, a 70 percentage score that was the drop score for Germany.

"We had very reliable partners – including a new pair, Rose Oatley and Don Domingo. They all performed superbly," said German chef d'equipe Cornelia Albrecht. German youth team trainer Hans-Heinrich Meyer zu Strohen  added, "we are completely happy with the team's performance." 

Silver for Holland

The Netherlands were the overnight leaders in the team competition, but ended up with silver on 215.853 points.

The Dutch high score of the day came from team rookie Tessa Kole with Yvonne Cooiman and stable Hexagon's  7-year old KWPN bred Nachtwacht (by Escudo K x Gribaldi). The pair earned a personal best of 73.206% for second place.  As last to go, Kole showed resilience to the pressure. Her charming chestnut with flaxen tail sways a little in the forehand, especially in the trot extensions that could have more overtrack. The left volte and half pass were the highlight of the test. The extended walk had good marching ,the pirpuettes were well ridden and the tempi changes were ok, although the ones to the left seemed shorter. 

Wednesday's overnight leader, Anniek van Dulst on Iris van der Weegh's 8-year old KWPN bred My First Choice Dutopia (by Blue Hors First Choice x Sir Sinclair x Blanc Rivage xx), ended in 5th place with 71.853%, while Yasmin Westerink and the 13-year old Oldenburg gelding Amphitryon (by Ampere x Rosario) settled for 7th place with 70.794%. Her big dark bay gelding did not halt immobile and then break into canter. The trot extensions were wonderful and overall Westerink rode a lovely test. The extended walk was good, but in the collected he easily lost clarity of rhythm on several occasions.. The left canter pirouette was crooked at the start, the right one better. The tempi's were big and straight.

Holland's scratch score was still a mark over seventy - 70,618% - ridden by Micky Schelstraete on the 9-year old Oldenburg mare Venicia OLD (by Vivaldi x Don Frederico), owned by Carol Hweijan Lee. 

"Those ladies all did fantastically," said team trainer Monique Peutz. "On the first day, Anniek and Mickey immediately achieved a good result. Their horses looked fantastic, and they both showed a good sample of riding. Yasmin had a small problem at the beginning of the second day, but she recovered tremendously. It was very impressive to see that. Then all we had to do was send Tessa into the arena with the task of riding a good test. She's so cool, and she has such a fantastic, young horse! He was a bit nervous in the canter, but with her skills she brought it to a good end. It was a bit disappointing that we were 1.1% behind the Germans, because that's nothing after three tests, of course. But I'm proud. Our riders more than fulfilled the task!"

Bronze for Denmark

The Danes bagged the bronze with a team score of 212.206 percentage points. Denmark saw its team reduced to three riders after Freja Oline Skovhus Lindblad's 10-year-old Egelund Yurrell (by Blue Hors Farrell x Temple Wind xx) did not pass the re-inspection.

The Danish anchor was Anna Teibel Raben aboard the 8-year old Danish bred Sparaday (by Torveslettens Spartacus x Don Frederic). She placed third with 72.559%. The dup rode a very strong trot tour with nice cadence and balance on the left volte and half pass and very good bending in the half pass right. The second trot extension could have been more in front of the rider's leg.The extended walk was superb, the canter pirouettes neat and the tempi's straight. Overall Sparaday should stay a fraction more up in the poll. 

Denmark's second best result came from Michella Skovsager and the 11-year old Danish bred Blue Hors Elliott (by Erlando x Romanov). They rode on Wednesday and earned 69.853% which ended up ranking them 12th.

Right behind them were Denmark's third rider; Julie Dam Jensen on the 9-year old Danish bred Finale Melody (by Franklin x Schwadroneur). The performed strong trot extensions and right half pass, but there was a spook at A and in the lateral movements left the horse dropped in the poll. The extended walk did not have the greatest overtrack. The threes worked out but there was a bobble in the fours and in the flying change at M. Their 69.794% ranked them 13th.

Great Britain ended up fourth, following in the distance with 207.441 points. Their best score was a 70.235% ridden by Isobel Lickley on the gorgeous liver chestnut mare Katniss, a 10-year old Dutch warmblood by Galaxie x Charmeur. They were 11th. The pair produced a very confident round. The mare was busy in the mouth but the trot part had much cadence, there were no mistakes in the tempi, the canter half passes were a strong point. In the four tempi changes the mare could have stayed more uphill. In the left canter pirouette there was a double beat behind.

-- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS

Eurodressage took photos of all competitors in Kronberg. If you are interested to buy photo prints or digital files for social media, email us.

Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the  2025 European Young Riders and Under 25 Championships