‘He is incredible, he is simply incredible in every way!’ Dinja van Liere has been riding the enormous chestnut stallion Red Viper for eight months, previously ridden by Bart Veeze, and the Dutch Olympic rider is already completely thrilled. ‘It's not just his great basic gaits, his presence and how he presents himself in the arena, but also in the box, when out walking and in general – he's the sweetest horse I know. He really is a world champion in every respect.’ In today's test, the pair made a small mistake in the walk, with Red Viper briefly showing his piaffe potential. ‘That wasn't required today,’ admitted the rider with a smile, ’but I can definitely feel the Grand Prix horse in him. He has a lot of talent, but I think the most important thing is his attitude: He wants to work, he wants to understand, and he is very easy to ride with subtle aids. I am 100 percent sure that he will become a Grand Prix horse one day.’
Red Viper is a son of the Grand Prix stallion Romanov Blue Hors, but his dam Zolena (Sir Sinclair x Cabochon) was also highly successful. In 2009 and 2010, Zolena herself was a finalist at the World Championships for young dressage horses, reports breeder Coen Kerbert. The successful parents were one reason why Eugen Reesink from Reesink Hengsthaltung decided to buy Red Viper at the time, the other reason was... ‘The colour,’ beams Reesink. ‘I love liver chestnuts. We bought him at the foal auction when he was three months old and fell in love with him immediately. And of course we knew that he would one day become a double world champion,’ adds the proud owner with a grin.
And these are the individual scores of the world champion: 9.5 for trot, 8.5 for walk, 9.0 for canter, 8.4 for submission and 9.5 for perspective – giving the defending champion a total of 90.40 percentage points. ‘What a horse!’ were the first words of the commenting judge Knut Danzberg. ‘This horse shows everything we want to see!’
Vice World Champion Divya
Silver medallist Brandtbjergs Divya is by Hesselhøj Donkey Boy, goes back to Blue Hors Don Olymbrio on her dam's side and was bred by the Buhl family, Brandtbjerggaard. Divya is owned by Søbakkehus Stud and was presented by Anders Sjöbeck Hoeck. ‘She really is a superb mare,’ the rider explains emphatically. She has great basic gaits and learns incredibly easily. She has no weaknesses!" He presented Divya in the mare test when she was just three years old, where she finished as the second-best mare in Denmark. Divya was then used for breeding, had a foal and has been back in training since May 2024. ‘Last year she was the second-best five-year-old mare in Denmark and now here we are.’ His favourite moment in the test? ‘It was just a great feeling to turn towards the finish line and not have made a single mistake.’ The vice world champion received the best score of the day for her walk by a wide margin: 9.2! ‘The walk was very relaxed, with good overreach, and she also kept her rhythm very well in collection,’ praised Danzberg. The trot was awarded a 9.6, the canter and perspective received a 9.0, and the submission was scored 8.2. Divya's final score was therefore a smooth 90 percent – the silver medal!
Great, Greater, Greta – Endorphin FRH rode to bronze
The fan club of Greta Heemsoth, a true ‘Verden girl’, could not have been more spectacular and louder. With a huge fan banner reading ‘Great, Greater, Greta’, they provided the final burst of energy, and Greta and the Hanoverian stallion Endorphin FRH put in a great performance. The Escolar son is not only the first horse bred by Ingo Pape to compete in a World Championship for Young Horses – he also brought home a medal. ‘Endorphin FRH was still a little tense in the first test, but today I felt he was super focused and really enjoyed his performance,’ enthused the rider. From Vice-Champion of Germany in 2024 to bronze medallist at the 2025 World Championships – with the following individual scores: 9.4 (trot), 7.9 (walk), 9.3 (canter), 8.5 (submission) and 9.2 (perspective). Endorphin was bred by Ingo Pape out of Harmony's Don Nobless daughter Donna Musica and remains in the ownership of the breeder.
Knut Danzberg from the judging panel spoke for himself and his colleagues when he said: ‘It was really fun to judge this competition. With every horse that entered the arena, we said: “Wow, he can move!” But the task is really technically demanding compared to the qualifying task.’ In the final, four flying changes are required instead of two, and there is also the collected walk, which does not feature in the qualifying test. "It was difficult, but the riders did well. We all had the impression that the riding had improved significantly. The horses are presented in a much more natural way than a few years ago. We also focus more on lightness and soft contact when judging, and that was good all round."
At a glance:
Of the 15 World Championship finalists in the six-year-old dressage horses, nine were stallions, five were mares and one was a gelding. Five horses came from the Royal Warmblood Breeding Programme of the Netherlands, three were Hanoverians, three were Oldenburgers and three were Danes, and one horse was bred in Sweden. The stallions Escamillo, Secret and Hesselhøj Donkey Boy were each represented by two offspring in the final, while Escolar had one direct son and three grandsons in the final field.
World Championships highlights
Royal visit
The patron of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH), Princess Benedikte of Denmark, took the opportunity to stroll around the World Championships grounds in Verden today and watch the finals of the six-year-old dressage horses. Princess Benedikte personally presented the medal winners with an honorary prize and congratulated them. She is a horsewoman through and through and has bred several highly successful dressage horses, including Digby, the two-time Olympic and World Championship partner of her daughter Nathalie.
The World Championships quote: ‘It's good to be back!’
Jan Pedersen, President of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH): "It's really nice to be back in Verden. This is the home of the World Championships for young dressage horses, this is where it all began, and everything looks even better than last time. It's good to be back."
