10 things about the Oldenburg mare Dante's Pearl OLD and Charlott-Maria Schürmann

Dante’s Pearl OLD and Charlott-Maria Schürmann have long been a hot topic among insiders. But the career progression of the pair has left even the experts amazed. Germany has a new dream couple. Two talents who bring the best riding to the arena.

1. on the road together for four years

Dante’s Pearl OLD and Charlott-Maria Schürmann have been a couple since 2022. Their first competition together was a medium dressage test for young horses. Their path together then led them to the final of the Nuremberg Burg Pokal via advanced (S) level dressage tests for young horses. The pair finished in sixth place there.

However, there was also a test at the beginning of their careers together in which Charlott-Maria Schürmann had to raise her hand and give up. “She’s also sometimes environment-oriented,” she says of the mare. But it is precisely this drive, this ambition, that now helps the pair in the big arena. The pair also qualified for the final of the Louisdor Prize the following year. An infection in the mare prevented her from competing in the Frankfurt Festhalle.

By the way – Dante’s Pearl OLD has already won in Aachen. A medium dressage test at the Dressage Days and the Intermédiaire I at the CHIO 2024.

Nicole Wego-Engelmeyer had introduced Dante’s Pearl to the sport as a young horse in tests for young dressage horses.

2. knowledge from great teachers

Charlott-Maria Schürmann has already been hugely successful at junior level. She brought home gold medals in team and individual competitions from the European Young Rider Championships to Artland. She won the final of the Nuremberg Burg Cup with Burlington in 2012. She rode the Hanoverian Life Time to the title at the 2024 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses.

She has trained with Oliver Oelrich and Klaus Balkenhol, among others. She is currently coached by national coach Monica Theodorescu. She also works with the Spaniard Santiago Damil. The two have worked together on the piaffe in particular.

3. really got going at Grand Prix level

In their sporting career together, they have so far achieved 35 placings, including 17 wins, i.e. a win rate of almost 50 percent! Dante’s Pearl OLD’s performance curve points steeply upwards. Her international best performances: 73.652 percent in the Grand Prix at Hagen Horses & Dreams, 77.191 percent in the Grand Prix Special in Munich. In Balve at the German Championships, the pair achieved 76.25 percent. They won the bronze medal in the Grand Prix Special with 76.431 percent. “She is my once in a lifetime horse, I enjoy every day with her”.

4. future needs origin – the breeding side

Dante’s Pearl OLD carries the name of her sire in her name: The Oldenburg stallion Dante Weltino by Danone-Welt Hit II was nominated for three Olympic Games and took part in the World and European Championships for Sweden under Therese Nielshagen. He was always in the final. Dante Weltino is also the sire of Becky Moody’s (GBR) World Cup winner Jagerbomb and Raphael Netz’ Dieudonné.

From a prominent dam line

Her dam Lady Chapeau d. N. by San Amour-Rubinstein was bred by Kerstin de Neui. She comes from a mare family that came to Oldenburg from Hanover in the 1970s. Breeder Josef Wernke bred several champion mares from this line, which is now widely spread throughout the world. One of these champion mares, Love Story by Freiherr, is the great-great-great-great-granddam of Dante’s Pearl OLD. Love Story was also a participant in the Bundeschampionat.

5. the diva “Pearlie” – just look, don’t touch

Dante’s Pearl OLD is aware of her beauty. “She is already a diva”. And as such, she believes that her admirers should keep a certain distance. If guests or pupils want to admire the horse in the stables, “Pearlie” makes it clear to them that she doesn’t want to be touched by Hans or Franz without being asked.

6. strengths? Everything!

If you ask Charlott-Maria Schürmann about her strengths, she goes into raptures. Not only the trot and canter extensions, but also the traversals and much more. “I would give any rider the chance to experience this feeling.”

7. sold to Switzerland via the P.S.I. auction

In 2020, “Pearlie” was part of the Performance Sales Auction, P.S.I., which Ullrich Kasselmann and Paul Schockemöhle hold every year in December in Ankum. Ankum is only a few kilometers away from Charlott-Maria Schürmann’s farm.

In the auction catalog, it was written about “hindquarters mechanics that are simply extraordinary” in trot. And the canter was simply “textbook”. No exaggeration. The Dante Weltino daughter was sold to the Scheufele family for 330,000 euros.

8. good friends

Dante’s Pearl OLD is owned by Caroline-Marie Scheufele, who is now so busy managing the family business (Chopard) that she no longer had time to concentrate on riding alongside her job. She called Charlott Maria-Schürmann one day to ask her if she could ride the mare. Charlott-Maria and Caroline-Marie have known each other since they were children and are good friends. Carolin-Marie took over Charlott-Maria’s first pony back then.

9th Dante’s Pearl private

At home, “Pearlie” is pampered like a princess. Grazing, paddock, magnetic field and other feel-good therapies are an integral part of her daily routine. “She does things carefully,” says Charlott Maria-Schürmann about the Dante Weltino daughter. She is not one to let off steam in the paddock. She is still interested in her environment. In a meadow “where the grass has just been cut, it’s nice to ride.” There is also “lots of water here, lots of ducks. And yes, she’s already awake,” grins the 33-year-old.

The interest doesn’t wane at night either. Charlott-Maria can see Dante’s Pearl looking out of the window at night on the stable cameras. You could miss something.

10th freestyle premiere at the German Championships in Balve 2026

The pair will be competing in a Grand Prix freestyle for the first time in Balve. The freestyle music was only completed on Wednesday. Pearlie” was already in the stables in Balve. So there was no time for practicing. A baptism of fire in the final of the German Championships. And fire also plays a role in the music for the freestyle.

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