Sandra Nuxoll's Bonheur de la Vie Sold to Charlotta Rogerson, Famora Allocated to Junior Rider

Dressage

Switzerland

Sandra Nuxoll has sold her number one Grand Prix horse to Switzerland. The 13-year old will continue his sport career under Swiss team rider Charlotta Rogerson.

Bonheur de la Vie is a 2012 born Dutch warmblood gelding by Bordeaux out of Ankie (by Tuschinski x Jazz). He is bred by G. Gijsbers.

Sandra Nuxoll

Originally named Howard, Bonheur de la Vie is from a proven dam line. Dam Ankie also produced international Grand Prix horse Brave Heart (Ellen McCarthy). Grand dam Janny produced T.Movistar (Carl Hester. The dam was owned by Singaporean Titan Wilaras before selling to Eric Koele of studfarm Turfhorst.

Bonheur was first owned by Titan Wilaras, who named him Hugo Boss Plantium, before selling him at the 2014 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing in Vechta to Austrian born Sandra Nuxoll (née Kopf). She produced him from young horse level to Grand Prix with the help of coach Johnny Hilberath.

Bonheur de la Vie made his show debut in Germany as a 6-year old in 2018 and competed on the Nurnberger Burgpokal circuit in 2019. In Balve he qualified for the Finals by scoring 72,683%, but had to withdraw for the Finals in Frankfurt. In 2020 they did the Louisdor Cup qualifiers and caused a bit of a sensation by winning them in Kronberg with 77.140%.

Winning the 2020 Louisdor Cup Final in Kronberg

Nuxoll suddenly launched herself as a big Austrian Olympic team hopeful, but then decided to switch to German nationality in the spring of 2021 after a dispute with the Austrian NF. While Nuxoll's national scores on Bonheur de la Vie were very high, internationally the pair did not have the major break through everyone hoped for. Their CDI Grand Prix debut was in Herzlake in July 2021 with 68.522%. Two months later they cracked the 70 barrier with 71.848% at the CDI Hagen. For German team selection the scores stayed too far from the required minimum 75% marker.

Nuxoll's last international season on Bonheur was in 2024 with starts in Troisdorf, Mannheim, Wiesbaden, Kronberg and Hagen, where they posted 67.630% in their last CDI Grand Prix together. Their last show was on 1 December in Appelhülsen, where they scored 68.100%.

Charlotta Rogerson

In May Bonheur de la Vie sold to Swiss team rider Charlotta Rogerson and her father James.

Rogerson and Famora at the 2023 Europeans in Riesenbeck

"Somehow all the stars were aligned and we were so lucky to be able to buy Bonheur de la vie from Sandra Nuxoll," Charlotta told Eurodressage. "Bonheur is truly something very special. We all hope to achieve big dreams as a team all together."

The 27-year old Rogerson has come through "the system" starting on ponies (Vincento Royal), then juniors (Dylan), followed by Young Riders, U25 and senior Grand Prix (Famora). She competed in six European Youth Championships before riding her first Europeans as a senior in Riesenbeck in 2023. In 2024 she won bronze at the World Young Horse Championships with Nice Touch W.

"I am lucky enough to have lots of young promising horses to bring to their top level but was missing a high level GP horse to continue gaining more experience at championships," said Charlotta.

Next Chapter for Famora

Charlotta's number one Grand Prix horse, Famora, has been allocated a new rider.

Famora at the 2021 European Under 25 Championships

"Famora is now 15 years old and has done everything I could dream of to her highest ability," Rogerson told Eurodressage. "We learned everything together from juniors to 5* GP and senior europeans champions. She‘s been so willing and healthy throughout all her years with me that I decided to stop when things are at their best."

Charlotta continued, "that‘s why my family and I decided to lease her to my talented longtime junior student Mirjam Bachmann. This way she stays under my management and i stay part of her daily routine and continuing sports career. At the right time we will bring her back to being our brood mare and hopefully have lovely foals from her again!"