Schneider, Erbe, and Skarsoe Victorious at 2024 CDI Donaueschingen

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2024 CDI Donaueschingen

For German Dorothee Schneider and Luxembourg Fie Skarsoe it was a weekend of double victories at the 2024 CDI Donaueschingen on 12 - 15 September 2024. Helen Erbe claimed her second CDI Grand Prix victory as a senior.

Under the management of Matthias Rath's Schahof Connects, the 2024 CDI Donaueschingen became a cross-discipline equestrian extravaganza with a CDI and CDN small tour, two CDI Grand Prix tours, a Nurnberger Burgpokal qualifier, and the 2024 Piaff Forderpreis Finals.

Two Starts, Two Victories

It were two starts and two victories for German Olympian Dorothee Schneider who is working hard at making a come back to the highest echelon of Grand Prix sport since the retirement of Showtime.

Schneider dominated the small tour aboard Maik Kanitzky's Danish bred Oldenburg Atterupgaards Barcelo (by Bon Coeur x Caprimond). She won the Prix St Georges with 73.775 % and the Intermediaire I with 71.375%. She twice kept Lena Hassmann aboard Gestüt Fünfhausen's 7-year old Hanoverian Framework (by Furstenball x Ampere) at bay.

"Barcelo is a horse with lots of possibilities, great basic gaits and a lot of talent for taking on weight - and he's also beautiful," said Schneider. In the first test he 'called' out to his colleagues a little too much, but in the second test he showed a very stable trot tour and particularly successful pirouettes. "He's a horse with lots of potential and it was great fun to present him here in Donaueschingen."

The Grand Prix for Special was won by 2022 Piaff Forderpreis winner and European U25 Championship medal winner Helen Erbe on the 17-year old Hanoverian Carlos (by Carabas x Weltmeyer). In a class of nine horses, Erbe posted the high score of 71.196 % ahead of German Olympian Helen Langehanenberg on Nicola Ahorner's 12-year old Hanoverian Facilone (by Furstenball x De Niro) with 71.130 %

Dayman is a "Child at Play"

Dorothee Schneider topped the leaderboard in the Grand Prix Special on the Chinese owned 12-year old Westfalian Dayman (by Daily Deal x Flovino). She won the class with 70.475% after placing third in the Grand Prix with 69.609%.

"Dayman is more of a child at play. He always wants to put something in his mouth, keep himself busy or rearrange something in his box," is how Schneider describes her special winner. "He is a really sweet horse who wants to be given a little more security by me in the test. And Barcelo lives by the motto: 'He came, saw and conquered'," she adds, looking at the Intermediaire winner. "He has a lot of charm, a lot of dynamic movement, a great character and is always motivated, which is something we absolutely need for our sport."

"The coolest thing was the warm-up today," said the double winner happily after the special. "Dayman was as good as ever. I often have the problem that he gets a bit too proud for me in the test and then doesn't quite let go of the topline. I wasn't able to take this feeling from the warm-up through the whole test, but I found the first piaffe and passage part to be freer in the topline, really good." In the changes he then became a bit too proud again, which allowed mistakes to creep in. "But basically it was a good test."

A Double for Skarsoe

Fie Skarsoa and Manon Ackermann's 11-year old Lusitano stallion Imperador dos Cedros (by Rubi x Hostil) made it a double in Donaueschingen. In a field of seven riders, they won the Grand Prix for freestyle with 70.087 % and the Kur to Music on Sunday with 75.175 %.

For Skarsoe this was the second international she won on the grey stallion after the CDI Sint Truiden in April 2023.

"A New Era"

Show director Matthias Rath was thrilled with how his first edition of the CHI Donaueschingen went. He is looking forward to staging the show again in 2025 together with Erik Pauly, mayor of Donaueschingen.

"The spectators were relieved to see that we have great equestrian sport here in Donaueschingen again. And on the last day, the sun came out, which was what we had hoped for throughout the show. It's wonderful when you can end the show on such a great day. That stays in your memory. And for me, the sun is clearly symbolically shining over this competition again. In my view, this event with the new organizers was the start of a new era."

The 2025 CDI Donaueschingen is scheduled for 18 - 21 September 2025.