First victory at the CHIO Aachen and a new personal best – Semmieke Rothenberger won’t forget the Grand Prix Freestyle 2025 in the iWest-Prize in the Dressage Stadium at the Soers for the rest of her life.

“You have won in Aachen!!!” the national coach, Monica Theodorescu, rejoiced, kissing Semmieke Rothenberger on the cheek. Last year, the 25-year-old and her KWPN-bred gelding, Farrington, won the Final of the Piaffe-Prize, today they triumphed in the iWEST-Prize, the Grand Prix Freestyle of the CDI4*-Tour at the CHIO Aachen. What’s more, with a new personal best of 79.980 percent.

Kool & the Gang sang “It’s a celebration”. At the end of the Rothenberger and Farrington’s freestyle the crowd didn’t have to be asked twice. With rhythmic applause the spectators accompanied the pair through the last sequences of their fantastic choreography “That was a ride that I won’t forget as long as I live!” exclaimed Semmieke Rothenberger. “I noticed that the crowd started clapping very early on. But it was simply fantastic that they celebrated my horse. I mean, I celebrate him every day, but I find it absolutely wonderful that he impresses everyone else too!

Whereby she failed to mention that she too has contributed greatly to his success. She really has won everything that this sport has to offer, from Pony classes through to the U25 generation. She has also competed at the German Championships of the Seniors. But as the national coach said: Now she has also won in Aachen. A milestone in a career and one that other riders endeavour to achieve their whole life long. Her comment? “I am speechless.”

She left significantly more experienced trailing behind this evening. The Spanish rider, Borja Carrascosa finished second with Sir Hubert NRW on a score of 77.890 percent, followed by the 2014 Team World Champion, Fabienne Müller-Lütkemeier with Valencia AS, in third place.