Aachen Dressage Youngstars 2025: Top-class starter fields at the Allianz Park

In 2025, Maya Wächter is riding a wave of success. With her exceptional pony, Nasdaq FH, the young talent took part in her first European Championships and returned from Le Mans, France, with two gold medals and one bronze. Before the 16-year-old bids farewell to the pony division due to age restrictions, she has one last highlight on her calendar: the Aachen Dressage Youngstars. For her final performance, she will saddle the palomino stallion Melli’s Glückskeks in the festively decorated Albert-Vahle-Arena. Together with the eight-year-old Golden West offspring, the young rider from Baden-Württemberg recently celebrated the title of South German Champion.

Will Maya Wächter also triumph in Aachen to close out the year? The path to the title of indoor champion will not be easy, as her two European Championship teammates, Leni-Sophie Gosmann and Hannah Charlotte Isbruch, are also eager to claim the coveted sash. The strong line-up is completed by Denmark’s Ingeborg Elizabeth Schou, who won team European Championship bronze, as well as Isabella Karajkovic and Fabienne Rasjmakers, who secured team silver with the Dutch squad.

In the Children’s division, Germany’s team European Champion Lynn Sophie Soddemann is among the favorites. However, the 13-year-old will not be relying on her experienced European Championship partner, Fürst Schwarzenberg MT, in Aachen. Instead, she is bringing her promising six-year-old prospect, Fuerstin Schufro GV, to the Allianz Park. There, the young rider from Westphalia will face two other talents who also took home medals from last summer’s European Championships: Belgium’s team silver medalist Elise van Os and Marin de Baat, who won bronze with the Dutch squad. This promises top-level sport in this age group as well, just as it does in the Junior and Young Rider divisions.

However, the excitement and high-class action in the arena will begin even before the top international young talents saddle their horses and ponies to compete for the coveted title of indoor champion. That’s because, at this stage, not only the two-legged rising stars but also their four-legged talents will be in the spotlight. On Thursday morning, two national dressage competitions at S* and S*** level will give Germany’s best dressage riders the chance to present their young horses in the festive atmosphere of the Albert-Vahle-Arena. Not only Team European Champion Katharina Hemmer is taking this opportunity, but also many other qualified pairs are using Aachen as preparation for the final rounds of the Nürnberger Burgpokal and the Louisdor Prize in Frankfurt. Among those taking part are Tobias Nabben with Forster, Charlott-Maria Schürmann with Dante’s Pearl and LifeTime FRH, as well as Jessica Süss with Dynoro FRH.

“We are very pleased with the tremendous response to our competition program,” says Birgit Rosenberg, member of the managing board of the organizing Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV). “This means that, at the end of the year, we not only get to see the best up-and-coming athletes, but also top riders with their promising young horses live.” Admission to the event in the Albert-Vahle-Arena is free on all days—including the “Late Night” on Saturday evening, where various Aachen riding schools will compete for the title of “Schoolhorse of the year 2025.”

Photo: Jasmin Metzner