American Grand Prix rider Nancy Smith has acquired the 8-year old Hanoverian mare Lady Lou as her 2028 Los Angeles Olympic hopeful.
Lady Lou is by Londontime out of Sinja (by Stedinger x Coriander). She is bred by Artur Janczak.
From Germany via Belgium to France
In 2023 Lady Lou was discovered in Germany as a talented FEI prospect by German horse dealer Jochen Arl and his Belgian business partner Piet Lenskens. They found the diamond in the rough in the barn of amateur dressage rider Marion Dautzenberg, who competed Lady Lou at M-level from October 2021 through 2022.
The duo bought the horse together and Lenskens produced the mare to small tour level in Belgium. In January 2024 Arl matched her to French Youth team member Mathilde Juglaret.
Juglaret's mom, French Olympic team reserve Anne-Sophie Serre and her husband, French GP team rider Arnaud Serre, quickly spotted the quality and talent in this horse and acquired her for themselves.
L.A. Hopeful
Mathilde made her international debut on Lady Lou at the 2024 CDI Ornago at Young Riders level in March 2024, but after that Anne-Sophie took over the ride and produced her to Grand Prix level.
Smith runs her own dressage training facility "Equisential" in Wellington, Florida. She boast four decades of international Grand Prix level experience. In the 1980s she was short listed for the U.S. team with The Immigrant and Felit. In the 1990s Etias and Focus were her team contenders. Since the 2000s she has competed Donneur, Donntella, Destaque HI, Damon's Design, and Eragon VO at international Grand Prix level.
She has trained in Europe with Herbert Rehbein and Hubertus Schmidt in Germany and is currently working with Christine Traurig and Lee Tubman.
Photos © private - Astrid Appels
Related Link
Lady Lou, New Young Riders' Prospect for Mathilde Juglaret