Badinda Altena Retired from Sport

Dressage

Norway

German based Norwegian Celina Bådstangen has retired her number one horse in the barn, Badinda Altena, from sport.

Badinda Altena is a 19-year old KWPN mare by Tolando x Goodtimes. She is bred in Holland by J. Timmermans.

Pierre Volla

The mare rose to fame under Frenchman Pierra Volla.

They made their international show debut as a young horse at the CDI Pompadour in 2012 and went on to represent France at the 2012 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, where they were 13th in the consolation finals.

They returned three years later for their Grand Prix debut at the 2015 CDI Vidauban. They became a fixture on the French team competing at the 2015 and 2017 European Championships and 2016 Rio Olympics. They were the 2016 and 2017 French Grand Prix champions and they won bronze at the 2018 French Championships.

Denmark

In the summer of 2018 Volla refused to ride on the team at the World Equestrian Games and the Volla-Pelardy family sold the horse to Danish real estate mogul (Jeudan) Jens Erik Udsen. Udsen allocated the ride to Charlotte Heering, who only once showed her internationally in 2020 in Aarhus.

Two years later the mare made a surprise return on the scene with Helgstrand's team rider Jeanna Hogberg and won the CDI-W Zakrzow. In August and September of 2022, Trine Holm Søgaard got her on loan and competed her in three national Inter II classes.

Norway

At the start of March 2023 Badinda was sent to Cathrine Dufour to be sold and Norwegian Celina Bådstangen picked her up.

Trained by the Werndls in Aubenhausen, Germany, Bådstangen made her CDI debut two months later in Mariakalnok in the Under 25 division, winning both the short Grand Prix and Kur. They also went to Samorin to show in the senior big tour before representing Norway at the 2023 European Under 25 Championships on Pilisjaszfalu, where they placed 21st in the short Grand Prix with 65.923%.

Their last season together was in 2024 with starts in Stadl Paura and Pilisjaszfalu before heading to the 2024 European Under 25 Championships in St. Margarethen, where they made it into the freestyle final to place 11th with 72.305%

Retirement

The 19-year old Dutch warmblood mare has now been retired from sport.

With Volla at the 2015 Europeans in Aachen

"I have decided to take my little champion, Indie, officially out of the sport and into her well-deserved pension," Celina stated. "She has given and taught me so much - gifting me with two European Championships, incredible moments and many wins. There wasn’t a day where she didn’t give 1000%. She will hopefully remain with me for many more days to come."