Belantis Makes Winning Show Debut under Australian William Matthew

Shows

2021 CDN Troisdorf

Isabell Werth's rising Grand Prix horse Belantis has been allocated to a new rider, Australian William Matthew. The new duo made a winning show debut at the national Late Entry show in Troisdorf, Germany, on Tuesday 18 May 2021.

Belantis is a 2009 born DSP registered gelding by Benetton Dream out of Philharmonie (by Expo'se x Sandro Hit).

Licensed Stallion

He is bred by the Brandenburg state stud Neustadt/Dosse. Werth's sponsor Madeleine Winter-Schulze purchased the stallion from the state stud several years ago.

As a 2.5-year old he was the champion of the 2011 DSP Stallion Licensing in Neustadt/Dosse, did his 30-day performance test there as well in 2012, scoring 9.38 for dressage and 7.95 for show jumping.

Belantis was gelded three years ago after suffering from a testicular torsion in the inguinal canal.

Young Horse Success

Lena Feistkorn introduced the grey to the competition ring. In 2013 Anna Sophie Fiebelkorn rode him at the 2013 Bundeschampionate.

In 2014 he moved to Isabell Werth's yard in Rheinberg, Germany, where Beatrice Buchwald got the ride. She took him to the 2014 World Young Horse Champonships and finished fourth. They won the 2014 Bundeschampionate. At the 2015 World Young Horse Championships, Buchwald and Belantis earned the silver medal.

Werth and Belantis at the 2018 CDN Hagen

In 2016 Isabell Werth took over the ride and first competed him internationally at small tour level at the CDI Fritzens, followed by the CDIO Aachen. In 2017 he did only one small local show in Ankum.

Priority List

Belantis' road to Grand Prix did not follow the traditional way of Werth's young Grand Prix horses: qualify and compete at the Louisdor Cup finals and then straight into the classic Grand Prix tour at international shows

Belantis' appeared not to be high on the priority list of Werth and the pair rarely competed at the highest level. They made their Grand Prix level debut in 2018 in the the Louisdor qualifier for developing Grand Prix horse at the CDI Hagen, where Belantis appeared very green in his training at Grand Prix level. They scored 71.00% for fourth place in the Inter II, but withdrew from the short Grand Prix. They tried again in Wiesbaden a month later, but then the horse disappeared from the scene for 1.5 years.

Werth and Belantis returned at the national show at Gut Ising in September 2019. One year later she rode the grey in his first classic Grand Prix test at the local show in Reutlingen in October 2020. They won with 75,467 %.

New Partnership with William Matthew

Werth, Winter-Schulze and Belantis at the 2019 CDI Hagen

Werth and owner Madeleine Winter-Schulze have agreed to give the ride on Belantis to assistant trainer William Matthew in this Olympic year.

"I started riding Belantis about 4 to 5 months ago," the 27-year old William told Eurodressage. "I rode him one time to help Isabell because she had a really busy day and we seemed to fit quite well. I was then riding him a few weeks and Isabell said that I could do some shows with him. She has a super busy year this year with the Olympics and so many horse to compete, so she has given me this amazing opportunity to ride him."

The pair made its show debut in Troisdorf yesterday and won the Short Grand Prix with 71.434%.

"I'm really happy with how Troisdorf went," said William. "I wanted just a safe round with no major mistakes. There’s lots of details we need to improve and still need to get to know each other in the ring, but I’m really happy with the first test."

William hasn't made a concrete competition plan for the near future, but hopes to ride the grey in a classic Grand Prix soon.

"At the moment I’m just completely enjoying having this amazing opportunity to ride a finished Grand Prix horse trained by one of the best riders in the world for me to learn," he added. "It’s amazing and I’m very grateful to Isabell and Mrs. Winter-Schulze for this opportunity."

Ten Years in Europe

William and Dartagnan at the 2014 CDI Kapellen

2021 marks William's 10th year in Europe as a professional dressage rider.

"It was really cool to have my first Grandprix win after working and learning here for so long, it felt like a big step forward," he said with pride.

William first came to Europe working with Lusitano horses for Kate Mably in Cornwall, U.K, after meeting her in Perth, where William is from.

"Kate did a clinic there and she offered me to go as a working student when I finished school," said Williamd. "So I went there, straight after school, originally as a gap year, but then I realised I wanted to do horses as a career. After 8 months in the UK I went back to Australia, did whatever work I could find, saved my money and after six months I had enough to go to Germany to work for Hayley Beresford as a working student."

Paying His Dues

William spent one year with Hayley before working under Australian Warwick McLean in Tönisvorst, Germany, for a five-year period.

"I was almost one year with Hayley and I learnt so much that it was possible to get a paid riding job. I had also almost run out of money at this point," he said. "Warwick and his wife Carolina organized me a young rider horse D'Artagnan which I eventually rode up to U25 level. I’m still living very close to Warwick and Carolina. They are like my family over here."

Ready for a new chapter, William worked for Dutch horse dealer Leida Collins-Strijk for eight months in The Netherlands, but the daily commute was straining.

With Freischütz at the 2021 CDN Wickrath

"I wasn’t able to go with them for the winter season to Wellington, so I had to leave, it was a really cool opportunity to see the different styles of riding in Holland and I am still working with Leida as we still have one horse we own together."

William stayed in familiar circles in the Dusseldorf area and went to work for the Hödl family under Beatrice Buchwald. This stint laster for two years until Buchwald decided to relocate and get married. The Hödls stayed involved and opened the door to Isabell Werth.

"My original idea was to go completely independent and try to start my own business," William admitted. "The Hödls still wanted to work together and they also wanted to show some of their horses to Isabell. After this meeting Isabell offered me a position to work half days for her so I could still do my own business half days.

Since December 2019 William has been riding for Isabell in the mornings and for himself in the afternoons. Isabell allocated him Belantis, as well as young mare Belcara (by Belantis x Carabas), as well as Freischutz (by Foundation x Del Martino), which Madeleine Winter-Schulze has purchased from Hof Kasselmann. In addition William has three horses in training at home and rides Hödl's young horses three days a week.