-- FEI press release, edited by Eurodressage - Photos © Digishots
As the sun shone over Ermelo (NED) on the final day of competition, the FEI Para Dressage European Championship 2025 got underway with all five Grades competing on Sunday 7 September for their individual Grand Prix Freestyle medals.
Four out of five individual gold medal winners bagged gold again in the freestyle. Only in Grade IV a new winner rose to the top.
Grade I: There is Only One King of the Dance
Latvia’s Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance gave a crowd-pleasing performance set to up-beat medley of Latvian and Latin American tunes to take the gold again on a score of 80.674.
“The horse was in another rhythm to what he usually is at home, and Rihards could feel that he was tired today, but they did so well,” his sister, Elene, said of their performance today. “We both love it [in the arena],” Rihards said, on what is his favourite day of competition, and it was clear that being a DJ gives the athlete an incredible sense of tempo as he and the 17-year-old Latvian warmblood rode perfectly in time with the music.
For the third time this week, finishing just behind her long-time rival was world number one, Italy’s Sara Morganti riding Mariebelle for a score of 79.827.
“I’m very happy with the medal and the horse, although I was a bit tired today, so it wasn’t so simple to ride. But she was very good and, as usual, she was very kind with me,” Sara said of their test set to a medley of pieces from different musicals.
“I love Rihards. He’s a wonderful rider with a brilliant horse, and this friendly rivalry makes for a fantastic competition.
“Standards are so much higher now, both for the horses and for the athletes, than when I started in 2009. When I won the bronze medal in Kristiansand, Norway, I did very little to prepare, as you didn’t have to back then to be successful.
“Now I train every day, ride two horses and am in the swimming pool every evening. It’s not only the horses that are in training. There’s a greater level of professionalism in the sport now, which can only be a good thing.”
Great Britain secured yet another bronze with Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg scoring 77.140.
“It was a really good test, she was so enthusiastic we got a bit ahead of the music, so we finished slightly early but overall, it was amazing,” Mari said of their performance, set to music from the movie Pearl Harbour.
“I’m really happy to take home another medal. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet how much we’ve achieved this week!”
Grade II: Heidemarie Dresing's Golden Hattrick
Germany’s Heidemarie Dresing made it a hattrick in Grade II as the gold medal once again went to Dresing and Poesie 143 scoring their best ever competitive mark together of 80.973.
This 10-year-old mare now puts Heidemarie in the enviable position of having two European Champions in her stable, having won in Riesenbeck with Dooloop, ahead of what will be a home games in Aachen at the FEI World Championships 2026.
Familiar with the silver medal this week, Katrine Kristensen and Goerklintgaards Quarter claimed it once again with a score of 78.374.
“I’m feeling great, one more silver medal, it’s fantastic! It’s incredible to be at a Championship again, I’m very thankful to have him compete with me even though he is 17 now and I am pregnant again. So now I can go on maternity leave happy,” she said of their third medal of the week.
“He was really with me again today. Throughout the whole week he has been very focused on me and his job in the arena, and today we rode so well with the music and to the tempo, so I was very satisfied with him this morning.”
It was Great Britain’s Jemima Green who secured her second bronze medal of the week with her seven-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Fantabulous, scoring a personal best of 76.307.
“I’m so proud of him, it was the most confident he has felt all week and it was really quite enjoyable to ride,” she beamed as she spoke of their performance. “I’m slightly kicking myself because I didn’t feel like our medium trot was the strongest and I had the opportunity to repeat it but then got anxious and questioned myself, so I didn’t go for it, so I feel like I let him down a little bit by doing so.”
To score two medals at their first Championship is no mean feat, however. “I’m in complete shock and overwhelmed by the outcome. It’s just such a privilege to have such a lovely horse.”
Grade III: Rixt van der Horst Undefeated
Dutch Rixt van der Horst and Fonq of the Netherlands strutted their way to Grade III Freestyle Gold for a score of 80.634.
“I picked that [Destiny’s Child] song because I’ve been through a difficult time in the past few years, and also Fonq has come a long way and is now shining with me, so I thought the music was really suitable for both of us,” Rixt said of her song choice.
“I’m so proud we won gold again this week. An ending like this, it is magical for us to do this here in the Netherlands, it’s just amazing,” she said of her home win with the 10-year-old stallion.
In what was their last dance together in a competitive arena, it was Denmark’s Tobias Thorning Joergensen and Jolene Hill who took the silver with a score of 79.807.
“I was a little in front of the music today but given that was our last ever performance, it doesn’t really matter. What’s really strong about our partnership is our harmony with each other, that’s so important in Para Dressage and is something Jolene and I are really good at,” Tobias said of their test.
“I’m just so happy that we are here, we had a good ride and I’m proud of our silver medal. Of course, there were a lot of emotions when I came out of the arena but right now is the right time for her to end with three medals. After everything she’s been through, I’m just proud of her to even be here and for everything she’s done for me and for Para Dressage in Denmark,” he said of Jolene’s retirement and their competition this week.
For the first time this week, the bronze medal went to Francesca Salvade of Italy riding Escari, scoring a Championship personal best of 76.274.
“It’s my first medal at a European Championship so I’m very happy,” Francesca said of her result. “My horse is a young horse, but he was fantastic. We have been working so hard to get to this point, and there has been a lot of work at home to achieve this score today, so I’m very proud of him,” she said of the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding.
Grade IV: France’s first gold
In a real shake up to the leaderboard, Alexia Pittier of France emphatically topped the podium with Sultan 768 to claim their first ever Championship medal. They wowed the crowds with a complex floor plan set to a medley of classic French songs and finished on a score of 78.055, well ahead of their nearest rivals.
Silver was claimed by Sweden’s Louise Etzner Jakobsson with Goldstrike B.J, the individual champions from Thursday. The pair performed to an Abba medley which matched the 14-year-old gelding’s enthusiasm, finishing on a score of 75.145.
“He was very eager today, so I had to work on encouraging him to take things slower, but I’m very pleased with him. His flying changes and medium trot were great, we just took a little while to come back in the transitions as he was so enthusiastic. But he’s such a good boy,” she said of their performance.
Taking the bronze medal once again was Pia Wulff Jelstrup of Denmark with Zafia who danced around the arena for a score of 74.995.
“I designed the music for her, as she is the best. It’s new music so we’re not that familiar with it yet and we were a bit ahead at times, but I am very pleased with her,” Pia said of the 11-year-old Danish warmblood. “It feels incredible to be here, it’s the first time I have ever ridden at a European Championship and I’m so happy with our result.”
Grade V: Mispelkamp makes it triple gold
The Grade V competition saw Germany’s Regine Mispelkamp match her teammate’s hattrick of three gold medals with yet another win, scoring a personal best with the expressive 10-year-old mare, Bayala, to finish on 77.700.
The Netherland’s Britney de Jong claimed another silver for the host nation riding her dynamic Freestyle with Caramba.
“The music was composed to suit him as he is so powerful, so I really love riding him in the Freestyle. He loves to be in the arena, and he just gave a bit extra again for me today,” Britney said of her test with the 18-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding.
The combination are no strangers to a competitive arena, having represented the Netherlands at Junior and Young Rider levels, but this was their first Championship in a senior team.
“I’m really happy that we could win three silver medals in our debut, it was what I was hoping for. but never expected.”
In a repeat of the individual medal result, Sweden’s Lena Malmström won the bronze medal once again, finishing on a score of 75.615 with Fabulous Fidelie.
“She was the best today and we did it as well as we could, we really connected,” Lena said of their test choreographed to classical music to match the mare’s elegance. “I didn’t expect to receive two medals, but I thought the competition was open and I backed myself, I believed it could happen. I’m so happy that we delivered something people enjoyed watching.”
Related Links
Scores: 2025 European Para Dressage Championships
Germany Wins Team Gold at 2025 European Para Dressage Championships
Snikus, Dresing, Van der Horst, Etzner, Mispelkamp Win Individual Gold at 2025 European Para Dressage Championships
Blog Report: Here We Go To Ermelo for the 2025 European Para Dressage Championships