Josephine Ruppert is crowned champion of the young riders in Munich

Josephine Ruppert is crowned champion of the young riders in Munich

Equestrian history is being written in Munich-Riem! Josephine Ruppert completely impressed in dressage at the German Youth Championships (DJM) and secured the championship title among young riders. With her mare Bella Donna, which she has been riding in the arena since 2020 and which was bred by her grandfather Karl Georg Ruppert, Josephine showed an impressive freestyle to “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel and an impressive trumpet version of “Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey”. With 74.87 percent in the final free skate, she proves her skills after initially being on course for silver before performing strongly in the final test and grabbing the first gold medal at a national championship. Bayern Pferde reports that she was able to accept the coveted championship sash as the winner.

But the competition was anything but weak. Marie Sohler, who was at the top of the rankings until the free skate, had difficulties in the final test and only scored 66.12 percent, which brought her eighth place. Nevertheless, she was able to secure the bronze medal in the overall ranking. There was certainly no shortage of medals as well as lots of jokes and good humor, as the event was a complete success.

Successes of the hosts

A look at the entire event shows that the host equestrian association shines in dressage. In addition to Josephine Ruppert, the hosts won two of three dressage championship titles. Lilly Marie Collin from Düsseldorf triumphed in pony dressage with Cosmo callidus NRW and won the gold medal in the U16 age group. She won all three special tests and shone in the freestyle with 85.125 percent. Julie Sophie Schmitz-Heinen also performed strongly and secured silver, while Mia Allegra Lohe took home the bronze medal. Pferd Aktuell emphasizes that the day was marked by remarkable achievements.

Josephine Ruppert is not only a name that is capitalized in Bavaria, but has also already won team gold at the European Championships in Kronberg. Your outstanding achievements in Munich are sure to leave a lasting impression on the equestrian community. With her strong performance, she has proven that she has great talent and a flair for high demands.

A look beyond the borders

There is a lot of horse riding not only in Bavaria but also in other regions of Germany. One example is 14-year-old Maria Finkler from Kakerbeck, who recently won the runner-up title in pony riding in Saxony-Anhalt. She has been active in equestrian sport since she was three years old and is looked after by her father and dressage rider Ralf Lahmann. Maria said she was proud of her success and plans to take part in the German and European Championships. Volksstimme reports on her impressive career.

The championships in Munich and other regions show that equestrian sport is in full bloom in Germany. The many talented young riders, like Josephine Ruppert and Maria Finkler, give reason to hope that the future of equestrian sport will be bright. In the best case scenario, we will see these talents again soon at international competitions!