Shona Benner Secures Brisbane as Junior Rider's Horse

Dressage

Germany

Shona Benner, Germany's best scoring pony rider at the 2019 European Pony Championships, has secured Helen Langehanenberg's Brisbane as a future junior rider's horse.

Brisbane is a 2009 born Hanoverian mare by Belissimo M out of State Premium mare Façonnable (by Furst Heinrich x Calypso II).

She is bred by Hans Brüning and owned by Carl Louis and Paul Ferry Ferdinand.

Young Horse Success

The chestnut mare began competing in 2014 under Rieke Schneider, who placed 9th with her at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf that year. Schnieder showed her lightly in 2015 and in 2016 Katharina Koch took over the ride.

In the autumn of 2016 Brisbane made her debut under German Grand Prix team rider Helen Langehanenberg. They had their most successful season in 2017 when they qualified for the Nurnberger Burgpokal Finals for developing Prix St Georges Horses, and placed fifth in them. They also ranked second and third at the CDIO Aachen.

Brisbane disappeared from the show scene in 2018 but returned in May 2019 at the local show in Bielefeld at Intermediaire II level. At the end of the year Langehanenberg's assistant rider at the time, Nico Kapche, took over the mare and showed her in Ankum, Isterberg, Appelhulsen and Munster.

Junior Ride for Benner

Helen Langehanenberg's student Shona Benner, who is preparing for her transition from ponies to junior level in 2012, has leased Brisbane.

Benner, who won double individual bronze at the 2019 European Pony Championships, had planned on competing her pony Der Kleine Sunnyboy in her last year on ponies in 2020. However the corona pandemic has put the entire show year in limbo and made the 2020 European Pony Championships an uncertainty.

Shona already has the 8-year old KWPN mare Dancing Florencia (by Don Tango B x Negro) as her future hope and now added Brisbane to her string.

"Brisbane was at Helen's place and she allowed me to ride her," Benner told Eurodressage. "Soon after we got together with the owner and decided to lease her."