On Saturday 28th August, Powerpoint de Tamise and Andrea arrived 7th at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses.

What a journey…. It all started two years ago when I spotted Powerpoint de Tamise at a competition in Belgium and started following his development. In the autumn of 2019 I contacted his owner, Saskia Hambrouck and went to try the horse. An agreement was promptly reached, Powerpoint joined my stables and I entrusted him to Andrea for further training. Corona and the equine virus somewhat hampered our plans in 2020 and early 2021, but Powerpoint continued to evolve and perform in a few great competitions.

Our goal was to participate in the World Championships for Young Horses, and in 2021 it became a reality. Powerpoint and Andrea obtained their MER (Minimum Eligibility Requirement) by winning the CDN of St Truiden, and achieved the coveted nomination through the two selection events in Belgium. With the ticket to represent the country I made my home, training continued and excitement escalated.

On August 25th, the 2021 FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses kicked off at the Hanoverian headquarters in Verden, Germany. The first class to go was the 6-year olds made up of 48 horses representing 24 countries. The quality of the horses and riders was impressive and to participate amongst such an amazing group of athletes and experts was a galvanizing privilege.

In Wednesday’s qualifier, Powerpoint de Tamise was awarded 82,4% in the FEI Preliminary Test, which put him into 9th place and enabled him to move on straight to the Finals on Saturday. This was the first time a Belgian bred horse, BWP registered, ever qualified directly for the Finals of the World Championships (the only other BWP to arrive in the Finals was Aros and Ludo Verbraeken in 2005, they qualified through the 2nd Qualifier and arrived 14th in the Finals).

In Saturday’s Finals, Powerpoint improved his score and was awarded 84,2% (8,4 in trot, 8,8 in walk, 8,4 in canter, 8 in submission, 8,5 in perspective). The judges referred to Powerpoint as “lovely and very attractive horse with lots of quality”. They recognized his “expressive trot” and praised his “lovely walk with great ground cover and clear 4 beat, that has the ability to stay supple and totally relaxed”. They commended his “good balance and nice tendency to stay uphill in the canter”. The score of 8,5 in perspective sums it up beautifully.

This result was achieved thanks to the enthusiasm and engagement of so many remarkable professionals and faithful friends. I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to all involved for their steadfast encouragement, investment and support. Specifically to Kara Bosman, Powerpoint de Tamise’s breeder – it all started with her, and to Saskia for spotting him as a foal and diligently handling his initial training. To Miriam Johannsmann for the superb coaching and steadfast reassurance. To Claudia Kircheiss for sharing the passion and backing me every step of the way. To the Belgium Federation and BWP (Belgian Warmblood) for selecting Powerpoint de Tamise to represent my adopted country. To all working behind the scene who have made it possible. And of course to Andrea, for her constant dedication, continuous care and wonderful training of Powerpoint. All have made this the most exceptional and rewarding endeavor!

The entire team is overjoyed and proud of our performance in Verden. This is when all our effort, energy, time, planning, preparation, commitment, dedication, focus, engagement, training, early mornings, long drives, all weather outings, missed socializing, skipped holidays, numerous bills and occasional concerns become totally WORTH IT!!!

When dreams come true…..