
Frederic Wandres' career starting Grand Prix horse Duke of Britain will be officially retired from sport in a special ceremony at the 2024 CDI Frankfurt.
Duke of Britain is a 17-year old British Hanoverian gelding by Dimaggio out of Real Gold (by Rubinstein x ). He is bred by the late Tony Pidgley and his wife Sarah.
From Britain to Hof Kasselmann
The chestnut was named Duke of Britain to refer to his British breeders.
Hof Kasselmann came in ownership of the horse as a youngster when Tony Pidgley decided to call the horse business quits in the late 2000s following his wife's health issues and her decision to focus on judging instead of riding. Pidgley had several horses in Germany, including at Johann Heinemann's yard at the time. He sold his horse stock and Kasselmann purchased a chunk of it, including Duke of Britain.
World Young Horse Championships
Duke of Britain was first competed as a 4-year old by Spaniard Borja Carrascosa, who worked at Hof Kasselmann at the time. He rode him in two A-level dressage horse tests in Mettingen and Greven.
Victoria Michalke
Duke of Britain sold for 360,000 euro to Victoria Michalke (now Nielsen) at the 2011 PSI Auction.
Michalke premiered him at a local show in Balham in March 2012 at L-level and by June she was showing him at M-level. They were selected on the German team and finished fourth at the 2013 World Young Horse Championships in Verden
She continued to compete him through 2015. She showed him in the 7-8-yo developing Prix St Georges class at the 2015 CDI Verden, which was open to past WCYH finalists. He finished fifth in that division in Verden. They lat show as a pair was in the PSG Special in Nürnberg in November 2015.
Frederic Wandres' Career Starter
Frahm competed Duke twice in May in an Inter II test at the Grafschafter dressage festival and in June in an S-level test, but Wandres then took over as Duke matched better with him.
Duke of Britain became Frederic Wandres' international career starter, opening the doors to the German squads and elite team selection. The pair's show debut was in August 2016 at S-level at a small show in Zobbenitz and by October of that year they were competing at Inter II and Short Grand Prix level in Annum.
The pair's Grand Prix break through came in 2017 when they won the Louisdor Cup qualifier on home turf in Hagen and went on to place fifth in the Louisdor Cup Finals in Frankfurt in December that year. It was a highly successful group of horses in the finals that year with double Olympic champion Dalera BB winning, followed by German team horses Faustus (Dorothee Schneider), Franziskus (Ingrid Klimke) and Carlos (U25 Team horse with Hannah and Helen Erbe).
German WEG Team Horse
In 2019 they started to make consistent headlines, first by winning the 2019 Hamburg Dressage Derby. The pair had a super "camp" freestyle designed that fitted Duke of Britain perfectly and their first major break through was at the World Cup qualifier in London, where they won the kur to music with 80.030%, beating Charlotte Dujardin on Hawtins Delicato on her home turf (she also had 80.030% but Wandres' artistic score was higher)
Second Iron
As of 2024 the 17-year old Duke became the second iron with Bluetooth going for Olympic team selection. Duke competed in the Nations Cup in Compiegne, where he won the Grand Prix (76.435%) but got rung out from the Kur. At the 2024 German Championships the pair won kur silver. Their last international was the 4* tour in Aachen, in which they finished third (73.913% in the Grand Prix). It became the horse's last show. Wandres and Bluetooth won Olympic team gold in Paris.
"He Opened All the Doors"
Duke of Britain will be officially retired from sport in a special ceremony at the CDI Frankfurt on Sunday 22 December 2024.
Freddy describes Duke as a horse that helped shape the path of the entire family.
"Duke was a life changer, not only for me, but for all of us at Hof Kasselmann," said Frederic. "The whole family from young to old was part of the story; in good times and bad times - everyone gave their heart and soul for Duke."
Wandres praised Duke's innate ability for the piaffe. "When your score sheet shows a 9.2 average for piaffe, you know that he is a natural talent. I think he gave me also a lot of strength and taught me also to develop a good piaffe feeling, which I really use for a lot of other horses at home to help them learn a nice piaffe.'
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage
Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Duke of Britain
Photo Report: Wandres and Duke of Britain Sweep 4* Tour at 2023 CDIO Aachen
Frederic Wandres: "A Big Part of What Happens in There Takes Place in the Rider's Head"
Wandres and his Duke of Britain Top the Line-up at the 2022 CDI-W Madrid
Duke of Britain Wins British Hanoverian Dressage Award of 2019
Wandres and Duke of Britain Rule 2019 CDI Hagen Grand Prix for Kur
Wandres Pips Dujardin in Incredibly Tight contest at 2018 CDI-W London
Wandres and Duke of Britain Represent Successful Kasselmann Formula in the Grand Prix Arena
Wandres and Duke of Britain Win Louisdor Cup Qualifier at 2017 CDI Hagen
Tony Pidgley Passed Away