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When World of Showjumping featured Sophie Hinners in ‘The Next Generation’-series in 2020, the then 22-year-old was making her mark as one of Germany’s rising stars while working at Stal Hendrix in the Netherlands. Fast forward five years, and Sophie has broken into the top 20 in the world and has won her first medal at a senior championship. With the 13-year-old gelding Iron Dames My Prins (Zilverstar T x Winningmood, bred by Stoeterij Dorperheide), Sophie was part of the German team that won team bronze at the 2025 European Championships in A Coruña, Spain.

As the 2026 World Championships will be on home soil in Aachen, Sophie has a clear objective for the coming year. “A goal for next year is, of course, Aachen. I don't know if we can reach it, but we will for sure try. Another goal is staying competitive with the Iron Dames team – to do well with them is something I always aim to do.”

In 2021, Sophie left Stal Hendrix and returned to Germany, joining David Will and Richard Vogel’s V & W Equestrian in Pfungstadt. “I started with the young horses here,” Sophie tells. “I was lucky to have the opportunity of taking Vittorio 8 (Valentino DDH x Ramiro’s Bube) – who was my best horse at that moment – with me to Germany. I am thankful that the Hendrix-family and the van den Nieuwenhuijzen-family trusted me and that I could continue riding him.”

“With David and Richie, I experienced my first five-star Grand Prix and my first three- and five-star Nations Cups,” Sophie tells about her journey with the young and ambitious team at V & W Equestrian. “We have grown together and worked our way up.”

Another life-changing moment for Sophie came two years ago, when she met Deborah Mayer and was introduced to the Iron Dames-project. “That of course changed a lot in my career,” Sophie says. “I have mostly been producing young horses my whole life. Now, more than ever before, I have older horses that are ready to compete at the highest level. I am fortunate to have three good horses that can jump 1.60m classes; Iron Dames My Prins, Iron Dames Sinclair (Singular Ls La Silla x Cardento 933) and Iron Dames Combella (Cornet Du Lys x Indoctro). I also have some very good eight- and nine-year-old up-coming horses and some youngsters as well. Most of my horses are owned by Deborah Mayer.”

With Iron Dames My Prins, Sophie won the CSI5*-W 1.60m Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League 2024/2025 at Jumping Verona in 2024, and the two were part of the bronze winning German team at this year’s Europeans. “We have known My Prins for a long time already, because David used to ride him before me,” Sophie explains. “We always believed that he's a very good horse. When David got him, My Prins was kind of green and not so experienced. We always saw a lot of potential in him though, and David ended up jumping Nations Cups and big shows with him and they won several five-star Grand Prix classes.”

“When Deborah was looking for another horse for me to ride, we suggested to her that I could try My Prins. I think everyone knows that it is not easy to find exceptional horses – not to mention knowing their past. With My Prins, we knew his whole story; we knew exactly what we had,” Sophie points out. “It only had to fit with me – and luckily it did, and Deborah bought him. My Prins has been an incredible horse for me and this year we had an amazing season. I'm very, very happy that it all came together as it did.”

For Sophie, the 2025 Europeans in A Coruña was her first-ever championship. “It was a new experience for me,” Sophie tells. “A Coruña was my very first championship – as a junior and young rider, I never did a championship. To experience this together with Richie was a big dream come true; getting to do something like this together with your boyfriend is special. Having Richie there also gave me a lot of confidence. I had a very good team behind me.”

“It for sure felt different than any other show, because all the classes are connected to each other,” Sophie continues. “My first round was not the best, but we jumped clear in all the other rounds. At a championship, you can be happy about a clear round, but you still have to remember that the day after it can all be lost. It was a whole different pressure, because a championship is not finished when you are done with your round – every single jump counts for the whole week. Also, the tension between all the riders was a little bit different – everyone was more focused, and you could feel it.”

This year, Sophie has been part of the German team in seven five-star Nations Cups. “I have enjoyed it a lot,” she tells. “We have had different team members, but every team has been strong and I have felt confident with them. In general, we have very good riders in Germany. They are not only successful riders; they are also good people and we all get along well. The team spirit is great, which is very important – it also impacts the success in the end. I think we are very lucky to have Otto [Becker] as our chef d’equipe. He creates a great atmosphere and supports us. For me personally, it is very important to have a good team behind me and to go to the ring with confidence.”

“Iron Dames is an amazing and unique project, and for me, it has been the biggest opportunity,” Sophie tells about the second team she is a part of. “I wouldn't be where I am now without Deborah’s support. You can get better, be competitive in the top sport and climb the rankings if you have support. If you have the right people behind you, you can get very far.”

“Without the support from Iron Dames, I would not have had these horses and I would not have done all these shows and gotten the experience I have now,” Sophie concludes. “I was not experienced at the top level when they selected me for the team – and I wouldn't be where I am today without them.”

20.11.2025 No reproduction of this article, or parts of this article, will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.