Quimbaya, Niehues' German Paralympic Medal Winner, Sold

Germany

Quimbaya, Anna-Lena Niehues' German Paralympic silver and bronze medal winner, has been sold.

Quimbaya is a 12-year old Westfalian mare by Quatertime out of Sinfonie (by Samarant x Rubinstein). She is bred by Josef Bramlage.

Anna-Lena Niehues

The bay mare launched the para dressage career of German Anna-Lena Niehues. Grown up in a horsey family, she runs stable Rüenberg in Gronau as a third generation family member.

At the start of 2017 Anna-Lena became partially paralyzed as a result of a tumor operation on her cervical spine. While she was in the hospital her husband Timo bought Quimbaya in the 2017 Westfalian Winter Auction in Handorf for 8,500 euro.

"Immediately after the operation, I was paralyzed in my right arm and leg, but thanks to good initial therapy, I quickly learned to walk again, or rather, to move around," she says. The main limitations that remain are in her right arm.

Niehues was the first rider to take Quimbaya into the show ring in August 2017 at a local show in Heiden. She showed the mare in able bodied dressage classes from A level in 2017 till M** level in 2022.

Paralympic Medal Winner

Quimbaya at the 2022 World Championships

Niehues found para-dressage through a friend, but because of the corona pandemic, it took two years before she could finally be assigned a grade.

In May 2022 Niehues switched to para dressage sport, won the German Grade IV Championships and rode on the team at the 2022 World Para Dressage Championships in Herning, finishing sixth in the individual and team ranking.

In 2023 Niehues was on maternity leave but returned to the CPEDI arena in Deurne in July 2023 and showed in Genemuiden. They did not make it on the team for the European Para Championships in Riesenbeck.

In 2024 they went full throttle with CPEDI starts in Waregem, Mannheim and Deurne and won the German Para Championships to qualify for the German team for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris where they won individual and team bronze and freestyle silver, riding to music from Bridgerton.

After Paris Niehues competed Quimbaya in able-bodied S-level classes at local shows in Isterberg and Coesfeld. Their last start was in Munster on 8 January 2025 at M** level.

Quimbaya Sold

Niehues has now sold her para career launching mare.

Quimbaya's new registered owners are Helen and Jon Cawley from Great Britain. Their daughter Lily Cawley is an international FEI dressage pony rider.