2026 Höveler German Amateur Championships: Four Titles Awarded in Zeiskam

For the tenth time, the German amateur champions in dressage and show jumping were crowned—for the first time in Zeiskam, Rhineland-Palatinate. In the end, four titles were up for grabs: one each in the German Amateur Championship (DAM) and the German Amateur Championship (DAC), in dressage and in show jumping.

DAM Jumping: One Man’s Sorrow, Another Man’s Joy

Two special stages, two wins for Bernd Hofbauer on his gray horse Jupiter. Everything pointed to a title. Then came the final day—and with it, two knockdowns. Hofbauer fell back to sixth place. You couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

Things went much better for Gerd Gerdes, a mechanical engineering plant manager from Lower Saxony, riding his eight-year-old mare Jurwinas fille (by Cornet Obolensky out of Diarado), a model of consistency, as she demonstrated with a third-place finish, a sixth-place finish, and—on the final day—her third consecutive clear round—earning her the gold. “We’ve been a competitive team for almost four years; she’s not exactly easy—as you may have seen—but we’ve grown closer and closer together, and she’s simply the best,” Gerdes said of his mare. It was his first German Amateur Championships. His impression: “It was a very good course all three days—fairly designed yet challenging,” he concluded regarding the competition.

Theresa Engfer secured the silver medal with “Call Me Maya”—the only pair besides Gerdes to complete all three tests without a single fault. The bronze went to Frieder Dietterle and his Hanoverian mare Corinna: twelfth place after the first qualifying round, followed by two seventh-place finishes, and ultimately a spot on the podium.

DAM Dressage: Del Rio Pfeffer Doesn’t Miss a Beat

Valerie del Rio Pfeffer took the lead right from the first competition of the DAM dressage event, a Prix St. Georges. The rider from Baden-Württemberg rode Braveheart, a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Bon Coeur-Dancier. She followed that up with another strong performance in Sunday’s freestyle. Two wins, an undisputed title.

The silver medal went to Amrei Eule, a high school teacher from Westphalia, riding Djasper Deluxe (an Oldenburg by Dante Weltino out of Quattro B), after placing third in the first test and second in the freestyle.

For Laura Körting and Amazing Grace, a second-place finish in the qualifying round and a fourth-place finish in the free skate earned them the bronze medal.

DAC Dressage: Shetano Leads Franziska Richter to the Title

The championship is held at the M level, with the final freestyle on Sunday classified as M** dressage. The winner here was Franziska Richter, riding her Oldenburg gelding Shetano. Nina Rensing took silver with Quinn Rose, while the bronze went to lawyer Kristina Kremeyer with her self-trained riding pony, Golden Champagne.

DAC Show Jumping: Last Year’s Champion Tebbe Back in the Medals

The show jumpers also competed in the championship at the M level. Franziska Wolke from Weser-Ems won with D’Artagnan. Silver went to Ivonne Klare, an industrial clerk from Lower Saxony, with M.C. Fitty. Bronze went to the defending champion, Alexandra Tebbe and Skala ST, who has, so to speak, a “medal subscription”: third in 2022, second in 2023, and first in Münster in 2025. In Zeiskam, they won the first qualifying round and placed second in the second—the title defense seemed within reach. But on the final day, a pole fell. That’s why they took bronze this time. But what a streak!

You can find all the results here.