Australian Olympic Duo William Matthew and Mysterious Star Uncoupled

Dressage

Australia

The Australian Olympic duo William Matthew and Mysterious Star have uncoupled. The horse was always intended as a ride for its owner and those wheels have now set in motion.

Mysterious Star is an 11-year old Oldenburg by Metall out of Furstin Lena (by Furst Heinrich x Lehnsherr x Matador). He is bred by Antje Kampert.

Metall

Mysterious Star is part of the first crop of foals which the KWPN stallion Metall produced in Germany after Paul Schockemohle brought him to Mühlen for the 2012 breeding season, following due to the success and popularity of Uthopia (Carl Hester).

He was first competed as a 5-year old by Rebecca Holtwiesche in 2017.

William Matthew

Owned by Stephanie Goller, the dark bay gelding was produced to Grand Prix level by German based Australian William Matthew as of 2018.

The pair debuted at A-level in May 2018, reached Prix St Georges in 2021 and did their first Inter II test in July 2022.

At the 2024 CDI Aachen Festival 4 Dressage

A student of Isabell Werth, William entered Mysterious Star for his international debut at the 2023 CDI Aachen Festival 4 Dressage, but withdrew. Two weeks later they competed at the CDI Tolbert to 67% scores in the big tour. Fro there they did Exloo, CDI 4* Aachen, Kronenberg, and Hagen.

With scores climbing, Matthew came into the spotlight of the Australian Olympic team selectors. They campaigned in 2024 at the Aachen Festival, Exloo, Hagen and Kronberg. They were nominated on the Australian Olympic team, which led to short listed rider Jessica Dertell appealing that decision, claiming a right to either Matthew's or reserve Mary Hanna's spot. Dertell lost the appeal.

Matthew and Mysterious Star competed at the 20214 Olympic Games in Paris, posting 69.953% in the Grand Prix and 69.711% in the team competition Grand Prix Special.

Stephanie Goller

Paris was the end of the road for Matthew and Mysterious Star.

"After 6 amazing years together, an Olympic Games and many other adventures it’s time for Mysterious Star to go back to his mums and show her everything he’s learnt," Matthew stated. "It’s been an honor to ride and train you Frodo, your the most honest and kind horse that I’ve ever had."

Will told Eurodressage that, "it was always the plan that he is for her one day, so now she will have fun with him at home and maybe one day some shows."

He still has one Grand Prix horse to further compete, the 11-year old Oldenburg Freischutz (by Foundation x Del Martino), owned by Madeleine Winter-Schulze.

"With Freischutz we continue and see what we can do," he said. "I have a few young ones in the stable to hopefully build up the same way, but that’s the fun part, I just need a few years again."