
- Text © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition)
-- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS!
In an interesting turn of events, the reigning World Young Horse champion Red Viper added a second, consecutive title to his tally in an exciting 6-year old finals at the 2025 World Championships for young dressage horses in Verden on Saturday afternoon 9 August 2025.
In a sun filled afternoon with a stadium fully packed to the brim, the 6-year old finals were the first of three contested and celebrated on the Verden show grounds. With the Hanoverian young horse championships happening in the background and a trade fair with food trucks guaranteeing conviviality, the event drew out big crowds and made horse sport and dressage feel very much alive.
Red Viper Slides into Winner Circle
She began with a nice square halt. The trot was big and beautiful, very well balanced and never failing in the rhythm although there could have been a bit more collection in the corners. The extended walk had huge overtrack, good relaxation, but the big horse lost the rhythm in the medium walk on the line for the walk pirouettes, responded heavily to the spurring in the left walk pirouette, the right one was laboured too. The canter extensions were uphill and powerful and the first three flying changes were huge, although the ones to the left could have been straighter. The fourth one totally went wrong. After the end halt, Van Liere was unsure about her win, lifting her hand in regret over the mistakes.
The judges panel, consisting of Kurt Christensen, Knut Danzberg, Carlos Lopes, Clive Halsall, had their pink glasses on and were very forgiving. Their rewarded the trot with 9.8, the walk with 8.5 (!), the canter with 9.0, the submission with 8.4 (!!!) And the perspective with 9.5. This totalled 90.400% which ended up being the winning score of the day.
“What a horse,” judge Knut Danzberg said in the public commentary. “The trot is amazing, fluent. He takes the weight when you go back to collection.” About the walk he said it was “a tiny bit quick in the collected walk.” For the submission he praised that “the frame was nice” but there were “little things. He lost the rhythm (in the walk) and the change.”
Third WCYH Medal, First Gold
When Dinja was asked what had improved today, she replied, “the trot pieces were better. I looked at my test and decided I have to do one tempi, so the rhythm is always the same.”
Van Liere shared her perspective on the development of the sport in recent year. “We also liked the fancy trot before, but not anymore. We liked a lot of frontleg, but not anymore. I prefer a compact horse on which the front and hindleg are the same. I try more to have a relaxed horse than a tense one. I rode on a longer rein with smaller aids. You need to have a horse that does it for you.”
"I was quite nervous today," breeder Kerbert said at the press conference. When asked if he knew Red Viper would become a world champion when he was born, Coen replied, "I didn't," but his wife said "after three hours he looked like he was two weeks old. He was straight onto his legs and curious." Owner Reesink is a horse dealer and when asked if the horse will be sold, Eugene said, "I have two angels on my shoulder; one says to keep him, the other says I have a company and a staff of 25 which needs to eat. It helps he is a breeding stallion."
Divine Divya
The silver medal was for the last starter of the day, the Danish warmblood mare Brandtbjergs Divya (by Hesselhoj Donkey Boy x Don Olymbrio), who was also the runner-up in the preliminary round.
She scored 9.6 for trot, 9.2 for walk, 9 for canter, 8.2 for submission and 9 for perspective. The total was 90.000% which placed them second.
The judges praised the mare for her "good balance, good frame" in trot. "The walk was very relaxed, ground covering and she kept the rhythm in the collection. In canter she has the ability to collect and extend." They remarked that "in trot there was a slight resistance in the poll. All changes were clear and correct but against the hand."
"I'm quite happy," he said modestly. "It was nice when I turned left on the (final) centerline without mistakes. About his horse he said, "she's a quick learner, easy to work with and without weaknesses. It's just about showing what is in her." Anders has been riding Divya since she was three. She finished second in the Danish warmblood mare performance test, then went to have a foal and came back in sport in May 2024.
Home Hero
The stallion scored 9.4 for trot, 7.9 for walk (?), 9.3 for canter, 8.5 for submission and 9.2 for perspective.
The judges praised the horse for his medium trot with "a lot of balance." The extended walk had "lot of freedom in the shoulder" but "there was a loss of balance before the two pirouettes." The canter was well in balance and "adjustable". The horse was in a "lovely frame, but the last change was not on the aids."
Endorphin is owned by her employer, Ingo Pape, who stands the stallion at stud. "Endorphin earns his money. I think I will ride him as long as he's in our barn," said Greta.
Aboard Ingo Pape and American Ken Steele's Hanoverian mare Felice (by Furst Samarant x Riverside) she finished 7th with 84.400%. The bay mare, who is a very talented horse and who was presented in a lovely frame and connection, got 9.3 for trot, 7.7 for walk, 8.5 for canter, 7.9 for submission and 8.8 for general impression.
Excitement
Probably two of the most exciting horses in the class landed fourth and fifth place.
The judges rewarded Saffron with 9.7 for trot, 7.9 for walk, 8.8 for canter, 8.2 for submission and 9.2 for perspective. The judges praised the mare for "naturally using the body" but she was "struggling with a clear rhythm in collected walk in which she was asymmetrical."
The judges scored the horse 9.4 for trot, 7.8 for walk, 8.5 for canter and submission and 9.0 for perspective. They praised the rider for "always finding the correct tempo." The canter needed to have " a back more supple at times" but he was "always in the correct frame."
- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS
Eurodressage is taking photos of all competitors in Verden. If you are interested to buy photo prints or digital files for social media, email us.
Related Links
Scores: 2025 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2025 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses