Weekend of Comebacks - Part 1: Destano and Terhi Stegars

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2023 CDI-W Motesice

The weekend of 3 - 5 November 2023 has been one of come backs of a few renowned international riders and horses. At the Central European League World Cup qualifier in Motesice, Australian Simone Pearce returned to the arena with her Tokyo Olympic ride Destano, while Finnish international championship rider Terhi Stegars set foot in a CDI ring after a four-year break.

Destano's Back

Simone Pearce and Destano, a 16-year old Hanoverian stallion by Desperados x Brentano II), have returned to the CDI arena after a 1.5-year break.

Destano was first matched to the Australian in the winter of 2019-2020 when Simone accepted the job of head rider at Gestut Sprehe. The pair premiered at the CDI Dortmund the weekend of the corona outbreak in Europe. Three months later they were second in the Grand Prix at the CDI Mariakalnok in Hungary with 71.239%. At the CDI Achleiten that Grand Prix score rose to 74.152% and in Brno they posted 76.261% for the victory. They were nominated for the Australian team for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where they placed 36th with 68.494% in the Grand Prix. Their final CDI was in Gossendorf in April 2022 with a double victory. Their Grand Prix score was 73.435%

Simone lost the ride on Destano when she decided to ride for Gestut Bonhomme and the stallion became a schoolmaster for Sprehe's daughter Kristin Biermann. In July 2023, however, an agreement was made between Sprehe and Pearce to return Destano in her care. Aftr one year at Bonhomme, Pearce is currently riding for Bavarian Thomas Ritzinger in South Germany.

At the CDI-W Motesice the reunited duo swept the board, winning the Grand Prix with 73,217% and the World Cup qualifier kur with 79,510%.

"the big boss is back and feeling better than ever," Pearce took to Instagram. "After a year and a half away from the competition arena he has returned in style (...) Of course we need to regain a bit of routine and polish everything up- but it was such a beautiful experience to be back with him on a show and to have him feel so so happy to be back in the game and giving me his absolute all was just the most precious magical experience I could have dreamt of. With all the controversy and difficulties in the news at the moment with horses and riders and owners… I just feel so so incredibly blessed that Albert (Sprehe), Sabine (Rueben) and the team at Sprehe have given Destano and I a second chance and allowed us to have our own little fairy tale story! A million thanks wouldn’t be enough to express how grateful I am to have my heart horse back."

Terhi Stegars is Back

After a four-year break from international competition, Finnish Grand Prix rider Terhi Stegars also made her come back in Motesice with a horse from her new employer, Bartlgut in Austria.

Terhi's career as a professional dressage rider kicked off in 1995 in Germany, where she trained with Jürgen Böckmann, Reinhard Nielsen, Dolf Dietram Keller, and Holger Schmezer. In the autumn of 2010, Stegars replaced Fie Skarsoe as head rider at Tanja Kayser's stable "A bis Grand Prix" in Befort. In the nine years that she was there, Stegars had a career high on her own and Kayser's Trakehner stallion Axis TSF. She represented Finland at the 2011 and 2015 European Dressage Championships, the 2013, 2015 and 2016 World Cup Finals in Den Bosch and at the 2014 World Equestrian Games. She also took Kayser's Thai Pee to the 2017 and 2019 European Championships.

In the autumn of 2019 Stegars accepted Claude Niedner's offer to become head rider and stable manager at his brand new built yard in Contern, Luxembourg. Although Stegars produced more horses up the levels and established a business there, Stegars no longer competed internationally. In April 2023 Stegars accepted the head rider job at Gestüt Bartlgut in Austria, replacing Ulrike Prunthaller who left after a twenty year collaboration with the Schmidt family.

At the 2023 CDI-W Motesice, the 49-year old Stegars returned to the arena after four years. She competed the 11-year old Brandenburg bred Quadrofilius (by Quadroneur x Paradiesvogel) who was shown once internationally by Prunthaller at the 2022 CDI St. Margarathen. Stegars and the liver chestnut stallion placed second in the Grand Prix for Special with 68,304 % and fourth in the Special with 66,681%.

"Amazing weekend with our new team in the CDI3* in Motesice," Stegars took to Instagram. Quadrofilius "is still quite inexperienced at this level but performed amazingly well and confidently. (..- Big thanks to the whole Bartlgut team cheering us on at home and on site. Special thanks to Edda and Wenzel Schmidt for their trust, patience and the time they provided to allow me to get to know their fantastic horses at my own pace. Exiting times are coming!"