Swiss Malina Schneider will not be competing at next week's 2026 European Junior Riders Championships in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Her horse is not fit to compete.
Schneider was supposed to ride her 9-year old Swiss bred mare Zaja van Buchmatt CH (by Zonik x Danine x Wolkenstein II) in her third European youth championships. She competed at the children Europeans in 2023 and at the 2024 Junior Europeans on on Darjeeling (by Don Frederico x Weltruhm).
Malina has been showing Zaja interntionally since May 2025 and this year competed in Ornago, Bedizzole, and Lier. They were fifth at the 2026 Swiss Junior Riders Championships. They will not travel to Olomouc though.
"Zaja isn’t fit to compete," she explained. "We want to give her enough time to recover now, as her health is so much more important than anything else. I’m very disappointed, especially after this year, when we achieved so much, but I hope I’ll soon be able to dance in the arena with my dragon again."
The first reserve for the Swiss junior team is Mica-Ladina Gysau on 10-year old Hanoverian Mattheo (by Morricone x Dancier), who will step in as substitute.
Photo © Astrid Appels
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