Patricia Koschel Retires Leuchtfeuer DE from Sport

Dressage

Germany

German Grand Prix rider Patricia Koschel has decided to retire her top horse Leuchtfeuer DE from competition sport.

Leuchtfeuer DE is an 18-year old Hanoverian gelding by Londonderry out of Duene (by De Niro x Wittinger x Grande). He is bred by Johann von der Decken.

The tall chestnut made his competition debut in 2007 under Stefanie Grosse before Patricia took over the ride in 2008.

Between 2009 and 2015 Patricia shared the ride with her husband Christoph Koschel and both developed the horse up the levels to Grand Prix level level.

In 2014 Christoph rode the horse in its very international competition as small tour level in Stadl Paura, but a month later Patricia rode him in her first CDI on Leuchtfeuer in Compiegne.

As of 2015 Patricia retained the ride exclusively to herself. Christoph first started him in Wellington in the small tour, after which Patricia has been showing him exclusively; in 2015 at small tour level, in 2016 at amateur medium tour level. In 2018 and 2019 Patricia rode him in the Amateur big tour classes at the CDI Leudelange, but Leuchtfeuer found his groove better at international medium tour level than Grand Prix.

The pair's last international start was in le Mans in October 2020, where they were 5th and 6th in the medium tour. Patricia rode Leuchtfeuer in his last competition this weekend at the national show in Hagen, finiwhing third in the Amateur Inter II class.

Patricia and Leuchtfeuer at the 2014 CDI
Compiegne

"After 14 years in the arena, Leuchtfeuer will now retire as the most successful Londonderry offspring in the world," Patricia Koschel stated. "With over 140 victories and placings, and 60 of those at 3* level, he now gets his well-earned retirement. From the moment Jurgen (Koschel) discovered him at the Von der Decken family, we have experienced so much together, worth three horse and two human lives. He is unique, a character, a mountain, a river bank, a sanctuary for me. He knows me and I know him. Never did I feel for a second unprotected by his side. And now I will, hopefully, be able to be his protecter for many more years."

Patricia Koschel rode her first S-level test with him, earned her Golden Rider Badge on his, achieved her first Grand Prix victory on Leuchtfeuer De. "And that only with a normal engine behind, both in rider and horse," she joked.