Austrian Saskia Lieben-Seutter Becomes German Citizen

Dressage

Austria

Austrian professional dressage rider Saskia Lieben-Seutter has changed nationality and is now a German citizen after having lived in Germany for 23 years.

The 47-year old Lieben-Seutter stated, "German has one citizen more. After 24 years I have decided to change nationality. It makes a few things easier."

From Film Production to Horses

Saskia moved to Kirchwalsede, Germany, in 1999 to train with Holga Finken. What was meant to be a one-year immersion into dressage turned out to be a new life in Germany.

Lieben-Seutter was studying film production at that time, but enjoyed the educational experience in Germany so much she decided to quit college, break up with her boyfriend at the time and start a new life in Germany as a professional rider.

In the 2000s she rode several times at the World Championships for young dressage horses: Wyclef Jones in 2004, Sir Willson in 2005, and Du Soleil in 2010. The latter horse then sold to Sven Rothenberger, but got returned. Saskia competed him in 2013 at international small tour level at the CDI Hagen. It was het last international in a decade. Du Soleil sold again to Kirsty Oatley to become her most successful Grand Prix horse in her career.

Saskia rode Dark Fire, Wyclef Jones, Du Soleil, Dearly Dancer, Lucky Lordi, and Vintage at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf. She piloted Daily Mirror to a 12th place in the 2013 Nurnberger Burgpokal finals after which he became Benjamin Werndl's break through Grand Prix horse.

Together with Holga Finken she runs a sales and training business at Hof Löffeld in Lienen, Germany

Return to the CDI Ring

While Lieben-Seutter had a very busy show career at national level, it took ten years for her to return to the CDI ring, which she did less than a month ago at the 2023 CDI Wiesbaden.

Saskia rode the 5-year old Selektion (by Secret x Quaterback) and the 7-year old Bitpanda (by Bon Coeur x Argentinus) in Wiesbaden. The Swedish bred Selektion, which is owned by Holga Finken in partnership with Jessica Lyn Thomas, is in the running for a Swedish team spot for the 2023 World Young Horse Championships.

With her change in citizenship, Saskia hopes to compete more internationally.

"I have some really nice horses at the moment. We bought them when they were young, and now they are growing up," Saskia told Eurodressage. "I would love to ride bit more international shows in the future. Specifically when Holga is more with his students on international shows, I could join them. It’s so hard as an Austrian rider when you live a 1,000 km away, because even to ride a 1* star (small tour) international, you have to go to Austria every year to qualify. That’s not possible for me. I am very happy now because things will be much more easy."