First Ever Bosnian Rider Qualified for 2025 European Junior Riders Championships

Dressage

Bosnia and Herzegovina

2025 is becoming a year of milestones for developing dressage nations in the youth divisions. Both Turkey and Croatia are sending their first ever full team to the European Children Championships, while Bosnia and Herzegovina has its first ever individual rider qualified for the 2025 European Junior Riders Championships.

The 2025 European Pony, Children, and Junior Riders Championships takes plae in Le Mans (FRA) on 28 July - 3 August 2025.

BIH in International Equestrian Sport

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BOH) has only four riders registered with the FEI as international dressage athletes.

Declared as dressage rider are two seniors (Christian Schuarte, Nicolle Begovic), one endurance rider who also declared for dressage (Ali Cehajic), and one junior rider (Ema Emina Nefic)

In total Bosnia has just six FEI athletes with an active FEI passport in 2025 (one more jumping rider, Dzan Imaovic, and one other endurance rider, Tarik Cehajic)

Ema Emina Nefic

The 17-year old Ema Emina Nefic has qualified for the Junior Euros with Gut Peznick's 11-year old Hanoverian Famous Zephyr (by Zack x Lord Sinclair), previously shown at international small tour level by Jana Kun.

Ema began her riding journey at Pegasos Center Sarajevo and as of 2022 has been continuing her training with Renate and Franz Joseph Dahmen in Aachen, Germany.

The family sourced the now 15-year old Hanoverian Bella Blondie (by Belissimo x Lauries Crusador xx) as a schoolmaster at Dahmen's and the new pair made its national show debut in Germany in July 2022 at A-level. They gained mileage at local shows until their international show debut at junior level at the CDI Aachen Indoor last December but got rung out as the horse took some unlevel steps in the test.

In 2025 Ema premiered Famous Zephyr, first at the local show in Simmerath in May, followed by their CDI debut at the Aachen Dressage Days, where they obtained their qualification for Le Mans (one score of 60% is needed).Two weeks ago the duo competed at the CDI Hagen to gain further experience.

Le Mans Bound

Nefic is now bound for Le Mans where she will become the first Bosnian to ride down a centerline of a European Junior Championships.

"I’m beyond proud, deeply grateful, and ready to carry my flag into the international arena," she said. "This is more than a personal goal — it’s a step forward for Bosnian dressage."