Proud James Up High to Win 5-YO Preliminary Test at 2025 World Young Horse Championships

Danish Mette Sejbjerg Jensen and the KWPN stallion Proud James was high up on the board and up high in the frame to win the 5-year old preliminary test at the 2025 World Championships for young dressage horses in Verden (GER) on Thursday 7 August 2025. 

From Speed Class to Finer Riding

The 5-year old division is traditionally the most packed as the 6-and 7-year old age category gets more technically demanding and leaves less pairs standing and up for the challenge. In the past the 5-year old class was often a "speed class": just ride a mega moving horse in medium and extended walk, trot, canter and don't make big booboos to score high. 

With the general request of  riding in lightness and harmony weighing more on the judges' shoulders --- particularly in times in which animal welfare has become more weighted -- it became obvious today that the more carefully trained horses finally had a foot forward although flashy gaits continued to be a blinding factor.

By the way, nobody rides the stipulated movement "medium trot" or "medium walk, let the horse stretch on a long rein" in medium: it is always a full throttle extended. The judges never address this.

The 5-year old preliminary test featured 44 combinations of which three were excused from the test: two for being unlevel (Furstin Toto LH, Prince Vince WM) and one (Barney Gold) for being led into the competition ring by a handler. This is not allowed by FEI rules. It also happened yesterday with Vitamin B being led in by Sebastian Heinze (but that horse then refused to go and the rider retired. They were not rung out though). The decision of the judges to ring the bell led to booing from the crowd, who was more sympathetic to the scary situation for the horse. Maybe it would have been an idea to at least let the rider train a little bit in the ring to have the horse settle down instead of being sent back to the warm-up.

I couldn't help but wonder: some young horses might be impressed by the stadium, but this is a WCYH and a "dressage" championship, meaning the "training" of a horse is judged. If a youngster can't handle the arena or atmosphere, it might be overasked at this point in its life and a WCYH is probably not the stage it should be dealing with right now. Local shows are maybe the more educational option. If a horse needs to be led in by a groom at a World Championship, how mentally ready is it?

Anyway.... let's get started.

High Level

Four block of riders with 11 horses each made up the morning programme at the WCYH. It was an early start for all with the test beginning at 7h30 in the morning. While it was a little overcast and fairly chilly (12 C°), it really heated up in the afternoon with a burning  24 C° sun. Although still a weekday, the show grounds were more full with people and busy times are expected on the weekend for the Finals. 

The first group of horses set the tone with several nicely ridden and high scoring horses and throughout the morning more high quality rides were delivered. The level of the class was high. Maybe there was no big, sensational horse, but there were plenty of very well ridden youngsters as well as several horses with clear Grand Prix potential.

In 2024 no less than 22 horses scored 80.00 or more, while today there were 19 above 80.00, which is almost half the entry field. In order to qualify directly for the final (place within the top 12) a rider had to score 84.20% (while in 2024 that was 85.80%). This is just interesting information, because some panels are stricter than others and high scores don't automatically mean better horses. Usually in the finals the judges go a little topsy turvey a start throwing out 10s, but today it stayed all quite realistic.

The panel for the 5-yo preliminary test included Juan Carlos Campos, Patricia Wolters, Knut Danzberg, and Alice Schwab.

Proud James: High Up

Mette Sejbjerg Jensen and the KWPN bred and licensed stallion Proud James (by Jameson x Johnson) performed in the final group today and ended high up on the scoreboard in first place with 89.60%. Bred by Y. van Maasacker and owned by Helgstrand Dressage, the grey stallion already has an illustrious career at his young age. He was the KWPN performance test winner and under Maxi Kira von Platen he won last year's national 4-year old challenge in Ermelo during the World Young Horse Championships. This 4-year old class was NOT a FEI / WFBSH World Championship but a promotional class in a top setting. After Maxi Kira left Helgstrand to start on her own, Sejbjerg Jensen got the ride. 

Today in Verden she rode the stallion in her usual way of presenting horses: high in the neck, up in the frame, and with high hands. The Dutch bred stallion easily works in this Grand Prix frame, even at the age of 5. He's uphill built, fairly short-necked, and a very willing horse to perform. The frame was probably the biggest issue in their test (too up and rather closed in the throat latch) because there was no doubt about the superb quality of this youngster's gaits. The trot was very elegant, powerful, cadenced, and so secure in the rhythm, even though there was hardly any bending in the voltes or corners.  The second medium trot only started to happen at X. The medium walk had much overtrack, good relaxation, but the rhythm was not the greatest of all (Jameson salutes you). The canter was energetic, the counter canter balanced. However the simple change had a mediocre quality walk. They finished with a lovely half circle in which the horse was allowed to stretch on a long rein. Proud James twice did not stand immobile in halt.

The judges found their favourite of the day. They rewarded the stallion 9 for trot ,8.8 for walk, 9 for canter, 8.8 for submission and 9.2 for perspective.

The 36-year old Mette Sejbjerg Jensen is riding her fourth WCYH with seven different horses but this is the first time that gold could be looming on the horizon. "He's fantastic, talented, handsome. You can just lean back and you say 'where are we going' and he'll say 'I'll take you'," Mette gushed about Proud James. "He always gives you a wow feeling. He's super concentrated. He grows 5 centimeter when he comes into the arena. I love the feeling that you can sit and enjoy the ride. You just have to ride the little details." When asked to describe his character, Mette replied, "he's like a puppy, never in a hurry."

Viva Vivaldi

Today's top 10 included three offspring from the Vivaldi sire line: Two by Vitalis and one by Viva Gold.

The number two of the class, and considered by many the best ridden horse of the day, was the Oldenburg mare Viva Diamond OLD (by Vitalis x Don Diamond) under Linda Weiss. Bred at Zuchthof Alberding, scouted as a foal by Nadine Heidrich and sold as a 3-year old to Judith Koeppel of 3§0 ° Sportpferde, the bright bay mare delivered a beautiful, elegant, precise and careful dressage test that celebrated the proper training and riding of a young horse. She could also maybe be a little longer in the neck, but the contact with the bit was steady, supple and careful. The trot was cadenced and balanced, the extended walk had huge overtack and a clear 4-beat rhythm. The medium trots were so precisely ridden, and in canter she was with her rider, engaged and willing.  She scored 87.00% for second place with 8.5 for trot, 9.2 for walk, 8.4 for canter, 8.8 for submission (same as the winner) and 8.6 for perspective. 

"She's not as relaxed as she looks," Linda admitted. "She's in her own world and you need to make her feel comfortable there. Then she is amazing and easy to ride." Weiss has been riding the mare for one year since she began working for Koeppel and trains with Sebastian Heinze. It's Weiss first time at such a big FEI championship. "I'm surprised by all the support of the team. It's kind of overwhelming. I never expected this success today. If only I can repeat this on Sunday."

The second Vitalis in the top 10 was the DSP bred gelding Valentin (by Vitalis x Don Schufro), who placed fifth under Johanna Wadenspanner. The tall chestnut is wide in the chest with wide frontlegs if you see him from up front. The side view is elegant. The contact with the bit was always very quiet. The trot was accurately ridden but the horse was a bit slow behind. The extended walk was huge, but rather slow instead of actively marching through the body. The canter had good balance, also in the counter canter, but again he could be a bit sharper behind. He did not stand immobile in the final halt. Bred by Jutta Steidl and owned by Zuchthof Wadenspanner, DSP Valentin scored 86.000% (5th) with 8.4 for trot, 8.8 for walk, 8.7 for canter, 8.5 for submission and 8.6 for general impression.

Vivaldi gave a third salute through grandson Viva Diamond DSP (by Viva Gold x Don Diamond), who is registered DSP, bred by Herbert and Ursula Linz, scouted by Gestut Birkhof and sold to Austrian Olympian Victoria Max-Theurer. Under Isabell Werth's assistant rider Lisa Wernitznig, this chestnut Viva Diamond placed 9th with 84.600%.  He is the spitting image of his sire Viva Gold: so beautiful, gorgeous fame, nice side silhouette. The horse was quite tense and loudly breathing with flared nostrils. He was quick on his legs, engaged but not yet so balanced in the corners and turns. This was a mini-loss of rhythm in the second medium trot. In the first medium walk the rhythm seemed so so, but when given the rein (Wernitznig gave him full reins, almost holding them at the buckle) the overtrack was ok, albeit it not perfect in rhythm. He strode nicely in canter, a little butt high, but the simple change was a problem with the walk gone lateral and the counter canters crooked. When given the rein in trot, he nicely stretched the neck. He scored 8.9 for trot, 7.2 for walk, 8.9 for canter, 8.5 for submission (?), and 8.8 for perspective.

Prohibition of Five Words

By the way, I'm so ready to plea with the breeding societies to instate a prohibition of the use of five words for the naming of horses: Diamond, Dancing, Gold, Dark, and Viva. People seem utterly lost for inspiration when they have to name their horse. In the 1980s a more culturally literate audience named their horses after gods, mythological figures, characters from movies, and operas. Now it's become an primary school level jumbling of those five words: Dancing Diamond, Diamond Dancer, Diamond Gold, Dancing Gold, Golden Dancer, Dark Diamond, Dancing Dark, Viva Gold, Viva Diamond, Viva Dancer, eeeeeeeeeeeehhh. Enough already...

Open a dictionary and pick out a difficult sounding word and you'll be more original.

And here ends the voicing of another pet peeve. We continue...

Oh Wendy

Speaking of Isabell Werth, the third ranked horse in the 6-year old preliminary test was the Oldenburg bred Ferdinand de Fontaine, a gelding by Franklin out of Werth's Olympic mare Queenparks Wendy (by Sezuan x Soprano). He is bred by Wendy's owner Bolette Wandt of Chateau de Fontaine in France and listed as owned by Helgstrand in partnership with German company River Oak Equine Sports Gmbh, for which horse dealer Viola Abrahams is registered as manager. River Oak is also the company of the Australian dressage horse investors duo Emma and Paul Weel with whom Abrahams and Helgstrand collaborate.

Under Helgstrand rider Merita Hagren (FIN), Ferdinand de Fontaine looked like a black beauty, mirroring mom Wendy, more so than sire Frankin. He has a good hindleg, although he was running in the medium trots and did not achieve the most overtrack. The rein back was good. The extended walk was clear in rhythm and ok in the overstep but also a bit hurried.  The gelding has an engaged hindleg in canter and worked for his rider, although he was tilted in the counter canter left and when given the rein in trot the nose could stretch out a little more.

Ferdinand de Fontaine placed third with 86.80% and got 8.7 for trot, 8.2 for walk, 9 for canter, 8.5 for submission and 9 for general impression.

"He's very sweet but he has so much power," said Hagren about Ferdinand, whom she has been riding since his summer break after he was started under saddle. "Isabell (Werth) visited us once, sat on Ferdinand and said: “He's just like Wendy.”’ When asked about his character, Merita said, "he would love to be stroked all day, then ridden briefly, do a great job and be stroked some more.”

Danish Star Horses

Four Danish warmblood horses landed in the top 10, the highest ranked one being Faustino G, a Farrell x Sezuan stallion bred and owned by Helene Geervlient of Stutteri G (the same breeder as double World Champion Quinn G). Under Betina Jaeger the tall, long-legged, long framed bay does not look stalliony at all, but gives a very sporty impression.  Jaeger really "rode" this horse, the neck also rather tight and up in the frame with a not so light contact, but Faustino gave plenty of flashes of great quality and a bright future ahead up the levels. He does not have that much shoulder freedom, but he works hard from behind although at times the hocks are up/out instead of under. There were flashes of an outstanding trot but they were not consistent as he appears in full development. He lost the rhythm on the voltes and in the corners at times.  The medium walk had good activity with plenty of overtrack. The canter was good but on the left lead she rode him shoulder fore and the walk was not very well articulated in the simple change. Also in the final given of the rein he could stretch more. It's all there, but not yet with the regularlity and self carriage for a young horse one had hoped for at this point in his training. As penultimate horse to go in the long class, he landed fourth place with 86.60% and got 9.1 for trot, 7.5 for walk, 8.7 for canter, 9 for submission and perspective.

Two very interesting and wonderful rides were produced by Selina Solberg Vittinghus, who qualified her two horses directly for the final: Atterupgaards Bernachi (by Bon Courage x Caprimond) and Atterupgaards Daimi (by Springbank II x Bon Bravour). Both are bred and owned by the breeder, Solberg's employer Kristine Munch Sinding of Atterupgaard. Both horses tied in 6th place with 85.800%

Atterupgaards Bernachi was the first horse to go at 7:30 AM this morning and it was morning glory, pun intended. This liver chestnut is a stunner, gorgeous head and neck and so much shoulder freedom.  He was eager to work, scopey, with a lot of technique in his legs, but lacking a bit of proper use of his back. He got a bit hollow at times and could be more swinging over the back, even though he trotted in an impressive way. He had good relaxation in the medium walk. The canter work was well ridden but the simple change crooked. When given the rein in the rising trot he curled the neck instead of stretching forward. The contact was supple. He got 9.2 for trot 8.5 for walk and canter 8 for submission and 8.7 for general impression.

Solberg returned halfway through the morning with a second eye-catcher, the feminine and elegant chestnut mare Attterupgaards Daimi, the winner of the 2025 Danish Warmblood Young Horse Championships in Herning. The trot was really beautiful, lightfooted, in self carried and the rider had a supple contact with the mouth. Daimi presented a really sympathetic silhouette, it was all smooth and rhythmical. The rein back was a bit unbalanced and rushed, but the medium walk was clear and ground covering. In the canter the mare lost a bit of "roundness" in her strides and Solberg lost her mare in the counter canter on both leads in which Daimi rushed off. As soon as she was given the rein again in the rising trot, she was super chill.  Without the issues in the counter canter, this mare could end up much higher on the leaderboard. Watch out for her on Sunday! Today she got 9.5 for trotn 8.5 for walk, 8 for cantern 7.9 for submission and 9 for perspective.

Mette Sejbjerg Jensen also qualified a second horse for the final: Straight Horse Leonardo (by Lord Europe x De Niro), bred and owned by Eva Götzsche  and Mogens Pedersen of Straight Horse. This very pretty black stallion is very impressive in front: uphill neck, gorgeous face, tons of shoulder freedom, but the hindlegs are more out than under and the left hindleg sometimes sways out from under the body. Jensen also rode this horse with high hands and in full speed.  The rein back was crooked, the medium walk had two hooves overstep but was hurried. The canter was nice but in the simple change the walk was not very well articulated. Ge scored 85.60% for 8th place with 8.8 for trot, 7.8 for walk, 8.7 for canter and submission and 8.8 for perspective. 

Hello Holland

And where are the other Dutch horses in this group aside from winner Proud James?  The second highest ranking Dutch horse placed 11th: Pina Colada M (by Governor x Dayano) under WCYH routinier Bart Veeze.bred by J. Mol and owned by Stephanie Scheerder and Rom Vermunt, the dark bay has a very balanced, ground covering trot, although in the second trot lengthening the horse seemingly crept a little behind the aids. The medium walk was very clear in rhythm and had tons of overtrack. The canter was very strongly ridden. Pina Colada doesn't have the biggest strides but his canter is highly functional. In the trot with given rein the rider positioned his hands rather wide to make the horse stretch. They scored 84.40% for an 11th place. Pina Colada M got 8.8 for trot, 8.4 for walk, 8.5 for canter, 8 for submission and 8.5 for perspective. 

Kirsten Brouwer and catch ride Port-Au-Prince, a KWPN gelding by Desperado x De Niro, finished in 12th place with 84.20%. He is bred by Eric Koele and owned by Emmelie Scholtens and Jeroen Witte. The ride was passed on to Brouwer when Emmelie got ill. Although she's recovering well, Kirsten retained the opportunity to ride Port-Au-Prince in Verden.  The black looks a bit less bulky at the moment. The trot was obedient, balanced and lovely with a really nice moment of collection after the second medium trot. The medium walk had very good, clear marching. In canter Brouwer got quite busy with her hands and the left extended canter was a bit against the forwarding riding aids. The simple change was good, but the gelding should have stretched the neck a little more when given the rein.

- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS

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Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2025 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses