Dutch Team Pony Strandgaards Do it My Way Sold to Sweden

Dressage

The Netherlands

Strandgaards Do It My Way, a Dutch team pony at the 2025 European Pony Championships, has been sold to Sweden.

Strandgaards Do It My Way is a 12-year old Danish bred gelding by Dr. Doolittle out of Højvangs Bolette (by Bonansa x Landau x Go On Then xx). He is bred by Marie Louise Ebdrup at Stutteri Følle Strandgaard on the German-Danish border.

Smilla Raahede

The pony made its show debut in Denmark under Smilla Seneca Raahede in November 2021.

The pair focused mainly on national level pony sport but ended up doing two internationals: their first at the CDI Kronenberg Indoor in Deember 2022 and the next at the CDI Lier in February 2023.

Raahede competed Do It My Way through June 2023. Her last show being the Danish KASK pony cup held at the National championships, which she won.

Esmae Niessen

Do It My Way sold to the Dutch Niessen family for daughter Esmae to ride. The family also owned another pony from the same breeding stable, Strandgaards Doleys, which they ended up selling a few years later to Spain.

Niessen and Do It My Way made their CDI debut in Troisdorf in October 2023 and began a big campaign in 2024 with CDI starts in Aachen, Tolbert, Compiegne, Ornago, and Kronenberg.

Their best year came in 2025. After showing in Le Mans, Tolbert, Lier, Exloo and Hagen they were nominated on the Dutch team for the European Pony Championships in Le Mans, where they won team silver and placed fourth individually. They won the 2025 Dutch FEI Pony Championship and were second in the Dutch Hippiade Championships. They finished their time together with a triple win at the CDI Kronenberg.

Next Rider

Do It My Way has now been sold to Swedish pony rider Elissa Ek. "I'm so excited to start my journey with Dennis," Ek stated.

Ek expanded her string of ponies. Do It My Way joined Dreimalhoch S and Darboven K. Last year Elissa also showed Jonker's Jayden and acquired junior rider's horse Mytrichta van de Westen.

Elissa's mom Sofia is also a dressage rider. She owns Belantis and Eye Catcher amongst other horses.