Isabell Werth's New Ride Deneuve Sold to Japan

Dressage

Japan

At the CDN Wickrath on 19 March 2023, Isabell Werth premiered a new horse at Grand Prix level, Deneuve. The 9-year old Rhinelander mare recently sold to Japanese Thoroughbred mogul Katsumi Yoshida as a Paris hopeful for his daughter Akiko Yonemoto.

Deneuve is a 2014 born Rhinelander mare by Den Haag out of Rochelle (by Rocket Star x Pilot). She is bred by Peter Schweimanns.

Beatrice Buchwald

The mare was first produced to FEI level by Beatrice Buchwald (now Hoffrogge) who also educated her sire Den Haag.

The pair made its show debut in April 2018 when Deneuve was four. They won the riding horse class in Hünxe-Drevenack. Beatrice competed her lightly in 2018 through the early summer of 2019.

Buchwald rode her for owner HM sporthorses/Marlene Hödl at the time.

Matthew - Werth

The mare then disappeared from the show scene for three years to run in the summer of 2022 under Isabell Werth's assistant rider, William Matthew.

The Australian competed her at small tour level in Hunxe and Nettetal at local shows.

On 19 March 2023, Isabell Werth herself premiered Deneuve for new owner Katsumi at the CDN Wickrath in the Intermediaire II, scoring 73.20% to finish second.

Japan

Akiko Yonemoto and Den Haag at the 2023 CDI Lier

Deneuve is owned by Katsumi Yoshida, a mogul in the Japanese thoroughbred industry. In 2022 he invested more than 24 million USD on acquiring race horses abroad together with co-investors.

Daughter Akiko Yonemoto (née Yoshida) has been competing the 18-year old Rhinelander stallion Aaron (by Florencio x Record) and Deneuve's sire, the 12-year old Westfalian Den Haag (by Diamond Hit x Florestan), at international Grand Prix level in Europe under the supervision of Heiner Schiergen. Akiko showed both most recently competed at the CDI Lier on 3 - 4 March 2023.

Her first international Grand Prix horse was the well known Elmegardens Fight (by Fruhling x Locarno), which she bought at Hof Kasselmann and showed at international GP level in 2005 and 2006. In 2019 she bought the Westfalian small tour horse For Comtess Royal but has hardly shown her.

The Near Future for Deneuve and Den Haag

Isabell Werth will continue to establish Deneuve at Grand Prix and show her , while Den Haag will be Akiko's first choice for Japanese team selection for the 2023 Asian Games.

Yonemoto and Aaron at the 2022 CDI Kronenberg

"Isabell will continue to train her (Deneuve), because she understands our sensitive mare excellently," Akiko told Eurodressage. "Her show plan will be considered by horse’s growth and condition. Therefore we see the Louisdor Cup circuit as an option."

Yonemoto is looking forward to riding the Japanese team selection trials for the Asian Games, which are held in Belgium in May for the European based riders and in Japan a week later for the Japanese based riders. Eurodressage asked Akiko about the Japanese selection criteria.

"To be eligible to participate in the trials, a rider and horse combination must have achieved and proven at least one appropriate result in the CDN or CDI between April 2022 and the closing date for trial entries (PSG 67% , Inter1 67% , GP 65%)," Yonemoto explained. "The national team member in 2022, 2023 and riders who competed in last year’s Asian Games trials, do not need to prove this on any horse. Previous competition results are not taken into account for team selection, which is entirely determined by the results of this trial. I have included participation in this trial in my show plan for this year."