Press releases from Riesenbeck International, edited by World of Showjumping

The FEI Jumping European Championship for Young Riders, Juniors & Children 2025 concluded on Sunday in Riesenbeck, Germany, with the individual finals for Children and Young Riders. "It wasn't that easy, because we actually only stepped in at short notice and had to put in a considerable amount of effort behind the scenes for the nine-day event," president of the event and host Ludger Beerbaum said.  

"We wanted to offer a championship that had the same quality standards as a senior championship," event director Karsten Lütteken added. "We wanted to treat the young riders in the same way as the world-famous professionals, giving them the same attention, the same good conditions, and the same procedures. This professionalism was intended to offer the athletes a dignified sport, but also to give them the feeling that, despite all the pressure of the championship, they could relax a little and feel confident that everything around them was well organized and that the sport could take centre stage." 

The top ten nations competed for the title in the team decision of the FEI Jumping European Championship for Young Riders, with the final turning into an exciting head-to-head battle between Ireland and Belgium.

The Irish team – Tom Wachman on Obora’s Laura (Luidam x Non Stop), Coen Williams on Floris R Z (For Pleasure x Hors la Loi II), Tim Brennan on Diadema della Caccia (Diamant de Semilly x Cardento) and Niamh McEvoy on BP Rocket Man (Stakkato Gold x Quidam Junior) – advanced to the final with just 4.61 penalty points, while the Belgians had 4.72 points on their account. Tom Wachman showcased his experience, going clear on Obora's Laura, while Coen Williams incurred three penalty points for time on Floris R Z. An unfortunate rail from Tim Brennan and Diadema della Caccia set the Irish team back.

Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele (BEL) on Vamos de la Pomme d'Or Z (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Ogano Sitte) also had a pole down, resulting in a discard score for Belgium, but Evelyne Putters riding Oberon VDH (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Richebourg) and Mathieu Guery on Time-Breaker S Z (Toulon x Calvados) both remained clear. With that, Belgium already moved into the gold medal position after the third rider rotation.

You could hear a pin drop in Riesenbeck as Belgium's final rider, Leon Brutsaert, entered the stadium aboard Corleone Tour Vidal (Mylord Carthago x Sisley de la Tour Vidal). With only two penalty points to play for, Brutsaert crossed the finish line a single second over time, securing gold for the Belgian young rider team and their chef d'équipe Filip Lacus. The silver medal went to Ireland, while Great Britain claimed bronze.

Great Britain's Rachel Proudley celebrated a sensational success at her very first championship: Bronze with the team and gold in the individual final for Young Riders with Quality Street (Obos Quality 004 x Lux Z). On Sunday, the young rider from North Yorkshire demonstrated to everyone why she was nominated for the British European Championship team this year. Riding the 14-year-old Irish-bred mare Quality Street, she maintained a perfect jumping record throughout the week. With just 0.7 points, she finished the individual final of the FEI Jumping European Championship as the last competitor and remained clear once again, securing the gold medal.

Eden Leprevost Blinlebreton (FRA) won the silver medal riding the 11-year-old chestnut mare Barbie de La Roque Z (For Hero de Hus x Heartbreaker). She also finished the tournament without a single rail down — no surprise, as showjumping is in the 21-year-old's blood. Both of her parents are professional riders; her mother is none other than Olympic team gold medallist Pénélope Leprevost. Mathieu Guery (BEL) celebrated team gold with his teammates on Saturday and added a bronze medal to his tally on Sunday afternoon. The 20-year-old, who is the son of Olympic showjumper Jérôme Guéry, was also faultless in both final rounds aboard Time-Breaker S Z (Toulon x Calvados).

Team Ireland – Alice Wachman on Killarney (Diamant de Semilly x Acorado), Paddy Reape on Mr Rocky Blue (Chacoon Blue x Artos Z), Tabitha Kyle on BP Goodfellas (Stakkato Gold x Obos Quality) and Emily Moloney aboard Temple Alice (Foxglen Cruise Control x Rantis Diamond) as well as substitutes Jack Kent on Castlefield Kingston (Cinsey x Cascari) – won gold in the Juniors ahead of the Dutch team in second and Belgium in third.

“I am so proud of the entire team, the riders, the horses, their trainers, their families, and the team they have gathered around them here,” Denis Flannelly, chef d'equipe of the Irish team, said. “For us, it's all about the team. This year, we gave many riders a chance. None of the four shows we attended before the European Championships had the same line-up. We started at Sentower Park, then moved on to Compiegne, Zuidwolde, and Hagen. Each of these teams was different, but I want the athletes who didn't make it into the European Championship team here to know that they too were part of this medal and the overall plan.“

Individually, the FEI Jumping European Championship 2025 for Juniors concluded with a resounding victory for Ireland’s Emily Moloney, who delivered a flawless performance throughout the event. Riding the grey Temple Alice (Foxglen Cruise Control x Rantis Diamond), the 18-year-old did not touch a single rail and secured the gold medal and title in Riesenbeck with a final score of just 1.47 points.

The silver medal went to her teammate Tabitha Kyle, who also remained faultless on BP Goodfellas (Stakkato Gold x Obos Quality) and crossed the finish line with 3.27 points from the very first speed and handiness class on Tuesday. Completing the podium were Liam Nilsson and Ulla Bella Hastak (Bonaparte Z x Dirco Hästak) from Sweden.

Eleven teams set out for the team final in the children’s age category, where the German team – consisting of Maximilan Kögler and Georgy 28 (George Z x Cavalier), Johanna Hell and Copacabana (Comme Il Faut x Balou du Rouet), Luisa Charlotte Brocks with Cordijana 4 (Comme Il Faut x Böckmann’s Cordalme Z), Mathilde Beerbaum on Sem Semper (Semper Fi x Quattro) and Justus Thomsen on Clooney (Clarimo x Carpaccio) – claimed gold, while the Dutch took silver after a jump-off against the Swiss who had to settle for bronze.

German chef d’equipe Eberhard Seemann was moved to tears: "I'm overwhelmed,” he said. “A medal or even a title is of course always great. Being European Champion is even better, of course. And then to do it in your own country, that’s something very special. I'm more than happy!”

Lieselot Kooremans (NED) is the new individual European Champion in the children’s category. The 14-year-old Dutch rider and her 12-year-old mare Nini van HD (I’M Special de Muze x Elvis Ter Putte) remained clear throughout the six rounds of the U14 competitions, thus securing the gold medal. Silver went to Eleonora Ljungman and Jamaica EBH (Otangelo x Ukato) from Great Britain, while bronze was awarded to Switzerland’s Noah Philips-De Vuyst and Fouego de La Closiere (Nabab de Reve x Landjuweel St Hubert).

The second round of the individual final was fiercely contested: Six riders out of a total of 31 participants entered the final test of their FEI Jumping European Championship with zero penalty points. Ultimately, a jump-off between the top three determined the colour of the medals. With Nini van HD, Kooremans was the first to enter the arena, delivering a bold ride with a tight turn, finishing clear in 30.22 seconds. Eleonora Ljungman and Jamaica EBH had one rail down (4/35.08), while Noah Philips-De Vuyst received four penalty points for a refusal (4/44.66). This decided the gold, silver, and bronze medal standings for Children.