German Medal Winning Young Riders Horse Don Windsor OLD Passed Away

Dressage

Germany

The German medal winning Young Riders team horse Don Windsor OLD passed away on 17 December 2023. The gelding succumbed to a severe colic attack.

Don Windsor was a 21-year old Oldenburg by Don Cardinale out of Gloriett (by Waldstar xx x Gloster x Afrikaner). He was bred by Marianne Leber

Multiple Riders

As a young horse he was first competed as a 4-year old in 2006 by Anja Wilimzig. A year later Marcus Busch presented him in the A-level classes and in 2008 the German based Polish rider Katarzyna Milczarek competed him in the small tour through 2010.

Don Windsor, who became amicably known as "Poldi", sold to Berlin based Romina-Louisa Hoyzer, who began showing him in May 2010 at small tour level for one season. She finished 24th at the 2010 German Young Riders Championships in Aachen. The horse wasn't the easiest at the time and we was sent to professional Juliane Brunkhorst to continue to develop and compete the gelding. She rode him on the Nurberger Burgpokal circuit in 2011.

Florine Kienbaum

Don Windsor then sold to Florine Kienbaum that year and the pair made its national show debut at small tour level in Appelhülsen in November 2011. Their international show debut was in Hagen in 2012 where they clinched a German Young Riders team spot.

Kienbaum rode Don Windsor at three consecutive European Young Riders Championships: in 2012 in Berne, in 2013 in Compiègne and in 2014 in Arezzo. The won team gold twice, once team silver and once an individual Kur bronze medal.

They won the 2012 German Young Riders Championships but did not compete at the Nationals in 2013, nor 2014.

Leonie Richter

A two year break from competition followed and in January 2016 Don Windsor returned to the arena with a new rider, Leonie Richter.

Don Windsor became a great schoolmaster for the now professionally riding Richter, but he always stood behind her number one at the time, Babylon (by Belissimo x Florestan) with whom she rode 2016 European Young Riders Championships and then sold to Elisabeth von Wulffen.

Richter never competed Don Windsor internationally but had a second iron in the fire for the national circuit. She chose him for the German Young Riders Championships and twice earned a silver medal with him, in 2016 and 2017.

Lia Welschof

In December 2017 Lia Welschof began campaigning Don Windsor alongside her other horse German Junior team horse, Linus K.

Their international debut as a pair was at the 2018 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland in The Netherlands, where they won the team and individual test. At the 2018 European Young Riders Championship the pair clinched team gold and individual test bronze. They were fifth in the Kur.

With Welschof at the 2018 European Young
Riders Championships

In 2019 the pair competed at two CDI's: Hagen and the Aachen Indoor in November of that year. Aachen became Don Windsor's last CDI.

On national level the pair won bronze at the 2019 and 2020 German Young Riders Championships. The Nationals in Riesenbeck in 2020 were Don Windsor's last show in his sport career. He was 18 years old then.

Retirement

Don Windsor was retired from competition sport.

He spent his retirement with a friend of Lia's, who was fully devoted to him and cared for him till his last day as if he were her own. Unfortunately in the morning of 17 December 2023 Don Windsor suffered a severe colic attack and could not be sace.

"Unfortunately had to be put to sleep,' Welschof told Eurodressage. "He really was one of a kind with a very special character! I was able to learn so much from him and have such incredibly wonderful memories with him. He was fit and full of life until the last day. He was always a great fighter, but lost this fight. I would have wished him so many more years."

Richter stated, "Don Windsor is a horse that through the years has made incredible achievements in the Under 21 sport and that has taught riders so much."

Owner Florine Kienbaum will remember Don Windsor for the showmaster he was. "He remains a special memory for all the people who knew him," Florine told Eurodressage. "Most remarkable was his character, which was really not easy but always very honest. He chose who he wanted to work with, who taught all his riders humility. Diligence, perseverance and an emotional relationship were his demands on his rider. If you could achieve this, he would fight for you. He knew when it was important and gave 200% to shine in front of the spectators. That’s why the more spectators saw him, the harder he tried. A real showmaster."