Golden Girl Retired from Sport

Dressage

German Dressage News

The 14-year old Westfalian riding pony Golden Girl, one of the most decorated FEI dressage ponies, has been retired from sport. The Rothenberger family decided not to offer her to a new rider and retire her at their home in Bad Homburg, Germany, instead.

The palomino mare Golden Girl is bred by Heiner Bertels and is by FS Don't Worry out of Golden Dream (by Dancer).

The pony was discovered as a 3-year old by Dutch Adri Gordijn, who acquired her at the 2005 Westfalian elite auction for 70,000 euro. He allocated the ride on the pony to his grand daughter Antoinette te Riele, who ended up winning individual and Kur gold at the 2009 European Pony Championships in Moorsele and kur gold at the 2010 European Pony Championships in Bishop Burton.

In 2011 Golden Girl moved to Gordijn's other grand daughter, Semmieke Rothenberger, in Germany and the ownership was taken over by Sven Rothenberger. Semmieke rode her second European Pony Championships, in 2012 in Fontainebleau, France, on Golden Girl. They won team and Kur gold. They were German Pony Champion in 2012 and won silver at the German Nationals in 2014.

As Semmieke opted to compete Deinhard B in her final year on ponies in 2015, Golden Girl became schoolmaster for Liselott Marie Linsenhoff. The new pair contested only a few international shows together: the 2015 CDI Vidauban, Addington and Vienna and the 2016 CDI Jerez de la Frontera.

Semmieke and Golden Girl at the 2012 European
Pony Championships

In September 2016 Golden Girl returned back to Rothenberger's farm, where they would see in what condition the pony is and whether she would be fit and happy to take on another rider for top pony sport. However, now the decision has been made to retire the pony from sport.

"I really wished for Goldi to get a proper retirement from sport, which she deserved for her special nature and her achievements. I also for her to have a few further successes in sport, but it is how they say it, 'it is what it is'," Semmieke Rothenberger explained. "It is good like this. I look back on our time together with a smile and a tear in my eye."