Quidditch K

In 2012, a colt was born to Miriam Kühl in Borderstorf, east of Rostock. His sire is the internationally successful Quiwi Dream; his dam, Amsterdam by Cassini-Romino, belongs to line 6082. Charlottenhof’s Charisma, who enjoyed worldwide success in show jumping under Sören von Rönne in the early 2000s, is a half-sister to the little gray’s grandmother, Quidditch K. K stands for Kühl.

It’s thanks to the tenacity of Quidditch’s breeder that the gray horse ended up with Malin Hansen-Hotopp. And that’s no coincidence: Miriam Kühl, née Roskothen, has known Malin for a long time. The two share a history, so to speak; both grew up in northern Schleswig-Holstein. Both rode at the same stable. The Roskothen family, originally from the Rhineland, has a soft spot for fine horses. The family used to breed racehorses. Later, in Schleswig-Holstein, they also bred Trakehner horses.

Holsteiner in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Malin Hansen-Hotopp went to school with Miriam’s brother. After graduating from high school, she rode horses with the Roskothen family, gave lessons, and also trained Trakehner horses for the National Championships, where she successfully presented them.

And the two have one more thing in common: their new place of residence. Both are married to farmers who have moved to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. As a result, they’ve stayed in touch even after finishing their studies. One day, Miriam Kühl mentioned a five-year-old gray horse she had bred, which she thought was a good horse. Wouldn’t Malin like to take a look at him?

The First Time

Malin’s first encounter with Quidditch was emotionally uneventful. The wiry rider, who specialized in small, lively horses, stood before a large, sturdy gray horse that, as she recalls, was also “quite sassy.” And when it came to rideability, he might have earned a “satisfactory”—if not more like a “failing.” But even back then, while galloping, Malin sensed something in those moments when a spark of rideability briefly flared up—something she liked. Period. Contrary to the advice of those around her, she decided to take the gray on for training. Their journey together was briefly interrupted when the rider was six years old due to cancer. During that time, Malin Petersen rode the gray in Level L cross-country competitions. But by August, the “original Malin” was back in the saddle. And then it all took off.

Start of an international career

In 2019, they made their first appearances at the two-star level and, in September, at the three-star level. At age eight, the pair competed in their first long three-star event in Strzegom, finishing in second place without any jumping faults in the cross-country or show jumping—only 0.4 time penalty points were added to their dressage score. Five weeks later came their first CCI4*-S in Babórowko. The pair also made their debut in a long four-star competition there at the end of 2021. Quidditch was nine years old at the time and was gradually proving himself ready for bigger challenges. The pair competed in various Nations Cups and finished twelfth in the individual competition on their debut in Aachen.

In 2022, following a strong season, came their international breakthrough: Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Quidditch won the CCI4*-L in Blenheim, England, in September. It was the pair’s first international victory—and one that turned heads. The following year, the two were named to the national championship team for the first time. They were part of the team that competed at the European Championships on the heavy, rain-soaked ground surrounding the castle at Haras du Pin in Normandy. Germany won the team silver medal. In the individual standings, the duo finished in 19th place.

Five Stars in Kentucky

The only thing still missing from their career together was a start in the highest category. It went spectacularly well: In April 2024, the pair finished fourth in the CCI5*-L in Lexington, Kentucky (USA), behind British eventing legend Oliver Townend, Olympic team champion Tom McEwen—who had saddled the horse on which he would go on to finish fourth in the individual competition at the 2024 Paris Games a few months later—and reigning world champion Yasmin Ingham.

In Luhmühlen in 2025, the pair secured their next top-ten finish at the five-star level, placing sixth. Riding that momentum, they returned to Blenheim in September, this time for the European Championships. There, Germany won the team gold medal. In the individual standings, the Holsteiner duo from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania finished in eleventh place.

After finishing third at the 2026 CCI4*-S in Luhmühlen, there was another success to celebrate: a silver medal at the German Championships. Four weeks later, the pair was nominated for the World Championships in Aachen.