Anna Abbelen Takes Over Ride on Tovek's Sam Donnerhall, Henny Hennessy Retired

Dressage

Sweden

German Under 25 Grand Prix rider Anna Abbelen has taken over the ride on Swedish Isabelle Tovek's Under 25 GP horse Sam Donnerhall. Abbelen's Under 25 ride Henny Hennessy has been retired from competition sport.

Sam Donnerhall

Sam Donnerhall is by Samarant out of Dolce-Vita (by Donnerhall x Pib Bube II), bred by Christoph Boulanger.

He was discovered as a 5-year old by French rider Anthony Astier, who trained the horse up to Grand Prix level with the help of Helen Langehanenberg. Astier and the dark bay gelding began competing in France in 2012. In 2015 the horse moved to national Grand Prix level. They skipped 2016 and returned in 2017 with national starts in Le Mans, Haras Le Pin, Rosieres, Vierzon, Deauville, Compiegne, and then their first CDI, the 2017 CDI Saumur in September, where they finished 18th in the Grand Prix with 65.800 and 14th in the Special with 65.627%.

In November 2017, Astier took Sam Donnerhall to Isabell Werth, where he was developed and sold to Swedish Isabelle Tovek in February 2018. Tovek made her international show debut on the dark bay gelding in the Under 25 division at the 2018 CDIO Uggerhalne in May and competed him through 2019 at shows in Falsterbo, 's Hertogenbosch, and Vilhelmsborg.

Move to Germany

Abbelen and Sam Donnerhall at the CDN Wickrath

Tovek's last international with Sam Donnerhall was the CDI-U25 in Falsterbo in July 2019 where they were second in the Kur. Their last was a national one in Sweden in September 2019.

Tovek has moved on with her 16-year old Grand Prix horse Happiness, but the horse tragically passed away last year from laminitis. Isabelle now continues with young horse, Questionmark (by Quantensprung).

She sent Sam Donnerhall to Helgstrand Dressage to be sold. So far, the horse did not sell and it has now been agreed for Abbelen to take over the ride on the gelding and develop and compete him further.

Sam Donnerhall arrived in Abbelen's stable three weeks ago.

Henny Hennessy Retired

Abbelen's top horse, the Hanoverian gelding Henny Hennessy (by Hofrat x Achenbach), has been retired from competition sport at age 18.

The bay gelding was previously trained and competed up to GP level by Abbelen's trainer Heiner Schiergen before Anna took over to make her transition from young riders' level to Under 25.

Abbelen and Henny Hennessy at the
2019 CDIO Aachen

In 2015 the pair competed at their first Under 25 international in Vidauban and while they also focused on the national Piaff Forderpreis competitions, over the last five years rode at numerous CDI's in Lier, Mannheim, Roosendaal, Riesenbeck, Sint-Truiden and their last show, the CDI Hagen, in July 2020 where they were 8th twice.

"From now on he will be a lawnmower at mom's home," Abbelen joked. "He is fitter than ever and happily struts his grass belly in front of his new pony friend Missy. Henny enabled my transition to the highest level. We were even able to ride at the CHIO Aachen. Henny is and will always be the best."