Amelia Dovey Welcomes British Team Pony Cognac XI

Dressage

Great Britain

British pony rider Amelia Dovey has welcomed 18-year old FEI pony schoolmaster Cognac XI into her barn. The palomino has taken no less than five riders into the international show ring, Dovey could be his sixth.

Cognac XI is a 2008 born German Riding Pony by FS Charmbertin out of Mosella (by Waldemar x Forsyth Sadat). Bred by Hartel Rainer, the palomino was originally named Sophienhöhs Churchill.

Churchill - Croissant - Cognac

Presented by Peter Böge, he was licensed as a 3-year old at the Schleswig-Holsteiner Pony Stallion Licensing in 2011 in Neumunster Sold the Tackmann family after the licensing, he was renamed Tachmann's Croissant WE.

The palomino made his show debut in Germany as a 3-year old under Wenke Kraus and won bronze at the 2011 Bundeschampionate in the 3-year old stallion class. Kraus competed the pony in the riding pony tests through 2012.

In 2013 the gelded palomino sold to Swiss horse dealer Otto Hofer and got the name Cognac IX. He was acquired for grand daughter Leonie Guerra, who did not compete the pony internationally. In 2014 the Swiss based Greek Livanos family acquired the gelding for daughter Theodora.

Livanos - Pidgley - Westerink

With Pidgley at the 2020 CDI Grote Brogel

Theodora Livanos rode him at the 2016 European Pony Championships in Vilhelmsborg and landed 14th place in the Kur to Music finals.

After the 2016 European Pony Championships, Cognac sold to Annabella Pidgley. They showed at two European Pony Championships for Britain. At the 2019 Europeans in Strzegom (POL) they were 11th in the Kur Finals. At the 2020 European Pony Championships in Budapest, the pony did not settle well at the show grounds and was spooky. He ended 29th in the individual test.

In 2021 he sold to Dutch Yasmin Westerink, who gained mileage at international shows in Opglabbeek, Exloo, Grote Brogel, Hagen, Zandhoven, Le Mans, Kronenberg, and Compiegne. They didn't make the Dutch team.

Back to Britain

With Westerink at the 2021 CDI Opglabbeek

In the autumn of 2022 Cognac sold back to the U.K. for Lily Cawley to ride. She competed him for one season at CDI's in Addington, Hickstead, Wellington and Le Mans before Martha Jones took over the ride. She campaigned the pony from June 2025 till June 2026 at CDi's in Wellington, Hartpury and Hickstead. Jones was selected on the British team for the 2026 European Pony Championships but had to withdraw because the gelding was not fit enough to compete.

The Cawley family has now entrusted Cognac to 12-year old Amelia Dovey, who represented Great Britain at the 2026 European Children Championships on Sheepcote Jackson. They were fourth in the individual test. Dovey also made her debut on ponies at the CDI Wellington Heckfiend with Megan Morgan's 14-year old Welsh B pony Pencwarre Butty Bach (by Pencwarre Gran Torino).