Grand Prix Comeback by Olympic Silver Medalist Sabine Schut-Kery
U.S. Olympic rider Sabine Schut-Kery once again has a Grand Prix horse scoring over 70 percent
from Dominique Wehrmann 
Jersey with Kimberly Pap at the 2021 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden. Photo: Courtesy of sportfotos-lafrentz.de When Sabine Schut-Kery, who was born in Krefeld and now lives in California, caused a sensation at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she was riding a Hanoverian named Sanceo by San Remo. The pair thrilled the crowd with their harmonious performances, finishing third in the Grand Prix Special and thus playing a major role in the U.S. team’s silver medal in dressage. It was the stallion’s final competition. From a European perspective, he was a newcomer, as he had never competed in a Grand Prix tournament in the “Old World,” only ever in the U.S. Since then, everyone has been eagerly waiting to see if Sabine Schut-Kery would ever again be paired with a horse with whom she could form such a harmonious team.
A new Sanceo?
The road to the Olympics is a long one, but at least Sabine Schut-Kery now has a Grand Prix horse in her stable again, according to the Dutch breeding association KWPN. In 2023, she began riding the now 12-year-old licensed KWPN stallion Sonnenberg’s Jersey by Vivaldi-Ferro. Riding him, Schut-Kery competed at this level for the second time last season and scored 70.978% and 73.261% at a national competition in Somis, California.
To be eligible for the U.S. elite squad, pairs must have achieved scores of 74 percent or higher in Grand Prix and/or Special events in the United States. They have already qualified for the development squad, which requires scores of 71 percent or higher.
Sold, approved, World Championships, USA
The black stallion Jersey was bred by P. Wetzelaer in Herpen. As a three-year-old, he was sold at the KWPN Select Sale auction to Stoeterij Turfhorst for the top price of 160,000 euros, after which he received a positive licensing evaluation. He passed his performance test with a score of 82.5 points.
Jersey received his basic training under saddle from Kimberly Pap. With her, he qualified for the 2021 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses, where they won the small final and ultimately placed 14th out of 15 finalists.
Two years later, Jersey was shipped to the United States and began competing under the saddle of Sabine Schut-Kery. That same year, they were the most successful US pair at the Prix St. Georges level, averaging 73.6 percent. A year later, the pair became national Intermédiaire I champions, and the stallion was named “Horse of the Year” by the US Dressage Federation. In 2025, he competed in his first Intermédiaire II classes.
