Der Kleine Lord Retained for Denmark

Dressage

Denmark

Der Kleine Lord, a 17-year old internationally competed FEI dressage pony, has been retained for Denmark and will continue his sport career as a schoolmater with a new rider.

Der Kleine Lord is a Westfalian bred German riding pony by Der Feine Lord out of Chantre's Lady (by Chantre B). He is bred by reiner Bockholt.

British Start

Originally purchased by the Williams family as a 3-year old from the Van der Loft family in The Netherlands, he was first trained by Erin Williams, at the time a solid British pony team member with Dynasty. The pair won the SPSS British Young Dressage Pony Championships when Lordy was 4.

The ride on Der Kleine Lord was given to Alexandra Hellings in 2013 and she properly started the pony's competition career. The pair was a member of the British team at the 2014 European Pony Championships in Millstreet, Ireland, where they won team silver and individual test bronze. Erin Williams quit international sport in 2016 and rode her last national show in 2018.

With Hellings at the 2014 European Championships

Retired British soccer legend Michael Owen and has wife Louise acquired Der Kleine Lord for their 11-year old daughter Gemma Owen. She debuted him internationally at the CDI Addington in March 2015. One and a halt year later she returned with him at the 2016 CDI Roosendaal and another 9 months later campaigned him a the 2017 CDI Lier, where they won two tests; their career best. Owen showed Der Kleine Lord at five more CDI's through the autumn of 2018, their last show being the CDI Waregem.

Denmark

Der Kleine Lord disappeared from the national and CDI show scene after Waregem to resurface in Denmark in 2019.

The pony returned to the show scene under Danish Nathalie Thomassen in September 2019, who showed him nationally for just two months.

Acquired by the Qvist family, the pony become a more long-term ride for Laura Qvist, who premiered him in June 2020 and debuted him internationally in June 2022 at the CDI Exloo coached by Katrine Kraglund. The pair were nominated on the Danish team at the 2023 Nordic Baltic championships in Drammen, where they won team and individual gold after winning the Kur to Music, under the supervision of trainer Jette Nevermann. They didn't make it on the European Championship team but earned bronze at the 2023 Danish Pony Championships. Their last CDI was in Tolbert in April 2024.

Lordy's sport career was interrupted by a colic attack after Tolbert. He recovered but missed out the rest of the international season. They finished 7th at the 2024 Danish Pony Championships.

Schoolmaster

The 17-year old Der Kleine Lord will stay in Denmark as a schoolmaster for Conrad Tolstrup. They are based at Strandagergaard.

Qvist will continue as a junior rider on the 7-year old Danish warmblood horse Hafsjolds Ranger (by Revolution x Hohenstein), who finished fifth at the 2022 Danish Warmblood Young Horse Championships for 5-year olds in Herning with Nana Christine Christiansen. She is now being coached by Ulrik Falbe-Hansen.