European Pony Champion, Champ of Class, Retired from Sport

Dressage

Germany

The 2012 European Pony Champion, Champ of Class, has been retired from competition sport. The buckskin pony introduced four riders to international FEI pony sport and he competed at four European Pony Championships.

Champ of Class is a 16-year old Rhinelander bred gelding by Champion de Luxe out of Deirane (by Dornik B). He is bred by Heinz Baumanns.

Dutch Beginnings

Champ of Class (by Champion de Luxe x Dornik B) was discovered by Coby van Baalen and Tim Coomans at the 2009 Westfalian Elite Auction, where the trainers' duo bought the buckskin for 11,000 euro.

Van Baalen paired Champ of Class to Sanne Vos, who started her career winning gold at the 2010 Dutch Young Pony Championships in the 6-year old division. In 2011 they were easily selected on the Dutch team and won team silver at the 2011 European Pony Championships and gold at the 2011 Dutch Pony Championships.

In 2012 Vos and Champ of Class won gold at the 2012 Dutch Indoor Pony Championships and returned on the team to grab team silver, individual test gold and kur silver at the 2012 European Pony Championships in Fontainebleau, France.

Zoutendijk and Champ of Class win silver at the
2013 European Pony Championships

As Vos had reached the age limit, Coby van Baalen sold Champ of Class to her student Lisanne Zoutendijk right after the pony's massive successes at the European Championships.

The new duo made its show debut at the CDI Drachten in January 2013 and represented The Netherlands that year at the European Pony Championships in Arezzo, where they won individual test bronze and kur silver. They also won the 2013 Dutch Pony Championships.

One year later at the European Pony Championships in Millstreet, Zoutendijk and Champ of Class got individual test silver and kur bronze. The pair ended its pony career winning the 2014 Dutch Pony Championships.

Move to Germany

Champ of Class sold to German pony rider Valentina Pistner and in the spring of 2015 they made their international debut at the CDIO-P Hagen, a German team selection trial for the European Championships, but did not make the cut.

Although Pistner was only 13 in 2016, she outgrew Champ of Class and ended her time on ponies that year, switching to junior level on horses in 2017. The Pistner family sold the buckskin to Johanna Kullmann in the winter of 2016.

Kullmann and Champ of Class began their path together by winning the 2017 German Developing FEI Pony Rider Championships in Verden. They had their international show debut in December 2017 at the CDI Aachen Indoor and in 2018 made their first attempt at qualifying for the German team for the Europeans. They came closed to a highly coveted team spot. They were fifth at the 2018 German Pony Championships.

In 2019 Kullmann won the team qualifier at the CDI Leudelange with 75% but was not chosen on the German team. An old edema on the left flank of the pony flared up again and Kullmann withrew from the rest of the qualifier. They were named team reserve. Kullmann and Champ of Class took revenge by claiming bronze at the 2019 German Youth Riders Championships in Zeiskam in September 2019.

Retired with his Forever Family

Kullmann and Champ win the team test at the 2019
CDI Leudelange, the final German team qualifier for
the 2019 Euros

The Kullmanns have decided that they will be Champ of Class' forever family. After a very extensive career at top pony level, the 16-year old has been retired from sport in September 2019.

"Champ of Class retired from sport after the German Championships," Kullmann told Eurodressage. "I’m sadly too old to compete him in the FEI Pony classes, but my family and I decided that 'Champie' will stay with us forever. He made my dreams come true and taught me everything I know today."

Champ of Class will therefore not move on to yet another home.

"As I’m his fourth rider we decided not to sell him anymore and let him enjoy his life (and also retirement) at my trainer's barn," said Johanna.