02.07.2025
CHIO Aachen 2025: The “Silver Horse” goes to Julia Scharf and Franziska Niebert
The “Silver Horse” goes to Julia Scharf and Franziska Nieber this year for their BR24Sport documentation “Jessica von Bredow-Werndl – Between Family and Olympic Gold”. Esme Higgs came second for her comprehensive social media concept, Christian Kröber and his team ranked third with their wehorse podcast. Karl-Heinz Streng was distinguished in the category Personality.
Beaming faces marked the award ceremony of the Silver Horse during the traditional OPENING CEREMONY presented by INNSiDE Hotels at the CHIO Aachen 2025. The renowned prize was conferred as an online award for the seventh time already this year – a statement that emphasises how much equestrian sport journalism has further developed in the digital era. Innovative formats and new channels make the equestrian sport even more vibrant, up-to-date and personal today.
The jury, comprising of Hubertus Schmidt (President of the German Riding & Driving Association, DRFV), Nadine Capellmann (dressage rider), Dr. Ute Countess Rothkirch (DRFV Board Member), Michael Mronz (General Manager, Aachener Reitturnier GmbH), Tobias Königs (Press Officer, CHIO Aachen) and last year’s winner, Christoph Hess (Olympic judge & trainer), assessed the submitted entries according to the criteria creativity, quality, user involvement, target group affinity and relevance. The spectrum of the approx. 40 applications ranged from blogs and social media platforms, through to classic media that have mastered the transformation into the digital world in a host of different ways.
Julia Scharf and Franziska Niebert were elected as the winners for their BR24Sport documentation “Jessica von Bredow-Werndl – Between Family and Olympic Gold“. A format that the jury honoured with the online award as an outstanding example of modern, digital equestrian sport journalism. Second place went to the influencer, Esme Higgs, for her comprehensive social media concept, Christian Kröber and his team ranked third with their wehorse podcast.
Karl-Heinz Streng was distinguished with the “Silver Horse” in the rubric “Personality”. As a true institution of the German equestrian sport, the 83-year-old has shaped the equestrian sport scene for decades with his passion, lifeblood and exceptional expertise – initially as a successful dressage rider and as a show jumper up to advanced level and subsequently as a dedicated trainer, judge, steward, national coach and chef d ’équipe.

The photo shows the winner of the media prize “Silver Horse”, Julia Scharf, together with the runner-up Esme Higgs and the third-placed Christian Kröber (Photo: CHIO Aachen/Jasmin Metzner).
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