Sanneke Rothenberger's Deveraux OLD Retired from Sport

Dressage

Germany

Sanneke Rothenberger's multiple medal winning mount Deveraux OLD has been retired from competition sport. The 17-year old Oldenburg gelding did not sufficiently recover from an injury for top level competition.

Deveraux is bred by Auguste Berding and is by De Niro out of Odelia (by Rohdiamant).

As a youngster he sold to the Dutch Miranda Rongen, who rode him to the title and gold medal at the 2007 World Young Horse Championships in Verden.

Sven Rothenberger purchased the black gelding right after Verden as a junior rider's horse for Sanneke.

The pair went on to become one of Germany's most successful youth rider pairs. They won triple gold at the 2009 European Junior Riders Championships, team gold and double silver at the 2010 European Young Riders Championships, triple gold at the 2011 European Young Riders Championships, the title at the 2011 Young Rider World Cup Final. In 2012 they moved to Under 25 level and won the CDIO-U25 Aachen.

As of 2013 small injuries started to niggle with Deveraux' career. In 2013 the horse did not compete, in 2014 he only did one CDI in Vidauban, in 2015 he did several international senior Grand Prix classes, but in 2016 the German selectors asked Sanneke to drop back to Under 25 level for the inaugural European Under 25 Championships in Hagen, Germany, where they produced their swan song winning triple gold.

Three months later the horse competed at his last CDI in Darmstadt, where he placed fifth in the senior Grand Prix (71.220%) and second in the Kur (75.900%).

"Unfortunately his recovery went slower than we originally expected. I still ride him occasionally now when I can combine the training with my work," Sanneke told Eurodressage. "Nonetheless we believe, after he has given so much to us and to me in particular, that the time is right to retire him from sport. As a family we always promise our horses a youth, a sport career, and a well earned retirement. Now he's enjoying his retirement with Paso Doble."

Sanneke is currently working professionally in the real estate business in Frankfurt and has reduced her riding schedule. She is now focusing on bringing the small tour horse Foreign Affair and Sankt Anton to Grand Prix.