Emely van Loon Joins Katrin Burger's Riders' Team

Dressage

Germany

German young rider Emely van Loon has joined Katrin Burger's team as an assistant rider.

"To better fulfil the growing demands of handling clients and training horses, we have hired an extra rider," Burger explained. "Emely will be presenting our training horses alongside Ann-Kathrin Lachemann."

Golden Rider Badge

Van Loon is a 19-year old young professional who got her Golden Rider Badge for 10-S level victories at this year's German Youth Championships in Darmstadt.

Emely began her international dressage career as a junior rider aboard Salesman (by Sir Donnerhall x Andiamo) in September 2016. She competed the Oldenburg gelding through 2017.

In 2019 she premiered new mount FBW Despereaux (by Don Diamond x Abanos) at international junior level at the CDI Mariakalnok and continued to campaign him in Hagen, Leudelange, and Hickstead that year. At the latter show she scored a winning hattrick. In 2020 the pair moved up to young riders level and competed at the CDI's in Le Mans and Hagen.

In 2021 Van Loon and the 12-year old Despereaux produced a triple victory at the CDI Sint-Truiden in Belgium and placed fifth in the Preis der Besten and fifth at the German Young riders Championships. The pair was one of very few riders personally invited to compete in the Young Riders' tour at this year's CDIO Aachen, where they were 6th in the Kur to Music.

From Denmark Back to Germany

Originally based at her parents Arjan and Sandra van Loon's Gut Hartungshof in Bliesransbach, Germany, Van Loon has been focusing on a professional riding career after completing her high school studies. She already spent time working and training with Jeanna Hogberg at Helgstrand Dressage in Denmark. She has now joined Katrin Burger as an assistant rider.

"I worked and trained in Denmark at Helgstrand for over 8 months and i gained a lot of experience and it was amazing to work with such an incredible team there but the distance to all the competitions i have to ride here in Germany was too far," Van Loon told Eurodressage. "So we decided to look for something more close to all the important competitions and trainings with the German team trainer. So we got in contact with Katrin Burger and Joachim Neubert and i think it is a really good match. Of course i love to work with horses and be a part of there development so i decided to totally focus on riding."