Bernadette Brune and San to Alati Sweep Small Tour at 2026 CDI-W Herning

Shows

2026 CDI-W Herning

Five years after her last international start, German Bernadette Brune rode the licensed breeding stallion San to Alati to two sweeping victories in the small tour at the 2026 CDI-W Herning on 16 - 18 October 2026.

Shifting Attention to the Boys

Brune's last international show was in Exloo, The Netherlands, in October 2021 aboard her WCYH finalist Feel Free OLD, where she placed second twice. Feel free went on to be produced to Grand Prix level but their last national show was also three years, in the Louisdor cup qualifier in Hagen.

Since then, Brune shifted the attention to competing the two leading men in her life: licensed stallions Vaderland OLD and San to Alati FRH. Bernadette, who runs Gestüt Brune in Bad Zwischenahn (GER), purchased the premium DSP reserve licensing champion San to Alati in 2022 and allocated the ride to Stefanie Wolf.

Wolf rode him to a 14th place in the 5-year old finals at the 2023 World Young Horse Championships and to an 11th place in the 6-year old finals a year later. They were also fourth at the 2023 Bundeschampionate.

Brune then took over the ride on the handsome liver chestnut Hanoverian (by Secret x Belissimo M x Florencio) and has produced him up the levels. Nationally she rode him in the Nurnberger Burgpokal qualifiers this year, claiming a ticket to the Finals in Frankfurt in December by winning the qualifier in Elmlohe with 76.275%.

Herning Sweep

In preparation of the upcoming Burgpokal Finals, Brune took San to Alati to the CDI-W Herning in Denmark and bested a field of 15 riders in the small tour.

Brune and San to Alati won the Prix St Georges with 71,569% and the Intermediaire I with 69,735%, twice edging out Danish Lone Bang Zindorff on Møgelvangs Kashmir (by Quaterhit x Come Back II).

"San To Alati FRH is extraordinary," Brune gushed on Sunday after returning home from Herning with two thropies on the dashboard of her lorry. "If someone had told me this earlier this year, I probably would have just laughed at him. Sometimes life just writes the most beautiful stories - and this horse just brings so much joy."

Mellow

Brune has been getting support from Stefanie Wolf and Hans-Heinrich Meyer for Strohen in training this stallion. Bernadette praises the horse's mellow character at shows. She is braids him in his stall, while he's lying down for a nap.

"San To Alati FRH is always pretty chill in his box at the shows," she said. "When it comes to riding, he's wide awake and a bit overzealous on the first day."

Bernadette loved the experience in Denmark, crediting Herning for its "fantastic atmosphere, great sport and an event that is always a hit."