Charlie Sheen and Sophie Artup at the 2025 Australian Dressage Championships, where the stallion was named the FEI Pony Small Tour Champion. Image by Simon Scully.
Sophie Artup and stallion Charlie Sheen impressed at the 2025 Australian Dressage Championships in Sydney, claiming the FEI Pony Small Tour title for owner Jenny Stock, whose faith in the talented German Riding Pony continues to pay off.
Twelve-year-old stallion Charlie Sheen and 23-year-old Sophie won the Prix St Georges and Intermediate I to claim the FEI Pony Small Tour Championship title at the Australian Dressage Championships. The duo was not only strong in the pony division – where they scored 69.449% in the Prix St Georges – but also more than held their own in the open Intermediate I Freestyle against the horses, where they scored 68.250%.
Sophie has been riding the stallion, who is owned by Jenny Stock of Karizmah Performance Palominos, for the past three years. Together they have trained through the levels from Medium to Small Tour, and now Sophie is looking ahead to a future at Grand Prix.
Charlie and Sophie’s Pony Prix St Georges score of 69.449% at the 2025 Australian Dressage Championships was awarded by the same five judges as the Open Prix St Georges and a would have placed them second in that class – only narrowly behind the winning Open score of 69.471%. Image by Simon Scully.
RIDING FROM THE GET-GO
Based in the Southern Highlands of NSW, Sophie has ridden virtually her entire life. “I was first introduced to riding at about two years old being led around on ponies,” she explains, adding that it was her mother who piqued her interest in dressage.
“I was always surrounded by horses growing up as my Mum used to ride, and that led me to dressage. I grew up watching Mum have lessons with Sue Hearn, so I was really born into riding. From a young age I loved the challenge of dressage and how particular you have to be, as well as developing a partnership with your horse.”
Sophie says she’s been very fortunate to have had a few key horses that have developed her riding along the way. “My first dressage pony, Kirala Spotlight, was a super first pony for me to really learn to ride,” she says. While he was trained to Medium level, he was far from an easy ride. “He was hot and sensitive, so I had to be really mindful as to how I rode him – otherwise he would buck me off!”
More than just teaching Sophie about dressage, Kirala Spotlight taught her how to approach sensitive horses – a skill that she needed with her next partner. “I went straight from him to Deltry Sorrento, a gelding by Regardez Moi who was originally my Mum’s horse after she bought him as a five-year-old. I started with him when I was 12 and I was totally over-horsed,” reflects Sophie.
“He often got so nervous at competitions that he couldn’t really function, so that took a while for me to figure out, but I persevered, and we ended up developing a really good partnership. I trained him to Inter II/Grand Prix level myself with the coaching of Sue Hearn, and we competed extensively at Small Tour and Young Riders. I was very lucky to have that experience of producing my own horse from a young age.”
Once Sophie finished school, she began riding for clients, and at age 19 had the opportunity to ride Bluefields Dankeschoen – a talented young black stallion owned by Bluefields Stud in the Southern Highlands.
“That was a really great experience for me as it was my first introduction to training and competing a stallion, and it also gave me the opportunity to begin training with Peter Fischer, who I continue to train with now alongside Sue. I had a very good partnership with Dankeschoen over the three years that I rode him, and with the guidance of Peter I trained and competed him successfully up to Small Tour level.”
Now competing with Lisa Janke, the stallion has continued to be a successful Small Tour competitor and was reserve champion at this year’s Australian Dressage Championships.
GERMAN RIDING PONY
Bred in Germany by Madeleine Bendfeldt, Charlie Sheen is a Germany Riding Pony by Cold Play, a grandson of FS Champion de Luxe, and out of a mare by Jimmy, who is by the Holstein stallion Joost. Charlie was a four-year-old Landeschampionat (German state championship) winner in 2016 and five-year-old Bundeschampionat (German national championship) finalist in 2017 with rider Ken-Christian Horst.
Founding Karizmah Performance Palominos in 1997, Jenny Stock has bred six generations of palomino warmbloods. In 2016, she became fascinated by Germany Riding Ponies and imported one named Don’t Forget Me. Jenny fell in love with the breed and decided to import a stallion; when she saw a video of Charlie, she knew he was the one.
“It was the movement at first, and then after talking to Ken, the rider, he just waxed lyrical about his character,” recalls Jenny, who admits she was also smitten by Charlie’s colour. “The liver chestnut… it’s just such a beautiful colour. I breed Palominos and it’s just such a great colour to breed to palominos. He just was the whole package.”
Jenny purchased him from then-owner Beke Ko and imported him to Australia in 2018.
Charlie was named the Champion of Champions Young Dressage Pony at DJWTS as a six-year-old in 2019, where he was ridden by Danielle Wallis. Image by Roger Fitzhardinge.
The stallion’s success in Australia began almost immediately. He was crowned the five-year-old pony champion at Sydney CDI that year, and then went on to win Champion of Champions Young Dressage Pony at DJWTS as a six-year-old in 2019 and was also the six-year-old pony champion at the 2019 Sydney CDI. During that time, he was ridden by Danielle Wallis and for a short period, Alexandra Vodermair – who Jenny says both did a wonderful job establishing the basics.
INSTANT CONNECTION
Working as a freelance rider, Sophie travels around the Southern Highlands riding clients’ horses – and it was in 2022 that she began working for Jenny and subsequently met Charlie.
“Charlie was one of those horses that you instantly click with the moment you sit on them,” recalls Sophie. “I remember my first ride on him thinking ‘There is no way this is a pony!’ He has the most amazing engine and so much enthusiasm in his work, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face after that first ride. I feel very fortunate that we crossed paths and I’m very grateful to Jenny for giving me the opportunity to continue training him.”
Sophie took over the reins when Charlie was nine years old and training at Medium level, and has since developed him through to Small Tour.
Jenny is full of praise for Charlie’s young rider and says the stallion simply adores her. “They’re such an awesome team. I’m very lucky to have such a great rider that really understands him, and he just absolutely adores her. Stallions… they choose their people!
“Sophie is a really special girl and works really hard… she is just so passionate about her riding. I think she’ll end up at the Olympics because she’s really devoting her life to it.”
Sophie and Jenny both say Charlie has flourished at FEI level, and the results speak for themselves. Image by Simon Scully.
FULL OF ENTHUSIASM
“Charlie has been great to train through the levels,” says Sophie. “He is so enthusiastic in his work – albeit sometimes a little too much! He really fights for you. He is very clever and really likes the challenge of learning new things, so that makes my job really enjoyable.”
Sophie says she’s always felt the pony had FEI potential. “He not only had the physical talent for it, but also the right attitude, so it’s very exciting to now have him competing successfully at FEI level.”
Charlie’s power and expression – as well as his character – are his greatest strengths. “He is a very strong type of pony and has a lot of power in his movement, so his extended paces are always a highlight along with his trot half-passes and flying changes. His trainable and enthusiastic character is also one of his best qualities. He loves competing and being in front of a crowd, which I think gives him a lot of presence in the ring.”
Jenny agrees that her pony is shining at FEI level. “He’s just thriving. It’s like the harder the work, the happier he is,” she says, adding that he seems to also really enjoy the spotlight. “He enters the arena and goes, ‘I’m a showman and this is what I’m bred to do’. And it’s just such a delight. The more people clap and cheer, the fancier and more expressive he gets.”
Sophie says the stallion’s personality shines, describing him as an “engaging and funny character”.
“He loves being the centre of attention. He was taught to smile for treats a few years ago and now he does it all the time. He wouldn’t admit it, but he loves a cuddle too.”
SUCCESS AS A STALLION
“As a stallion he is really remarkable; he is so well behaved with other horses around and is very respectful of people on the ground,” says Sophie. “He can be tacked up with mares next to him in the cross-ties at home and he barely even looks sideways. He might have a little chat to say hi but that’s usually about it! He is really just a pleasure to deal with in every way.”
“He’s very trainable; I’ve just never met a stallion like him,” continues Jenny.” As a breeding stallion, my vet, Dr. Noelle Baxter, says hands down he is the best stallion to collect from.”
Charlie has quite a few offspring on the ground. Sophie has already ridden six of them and believes they have all inherited his character. “They are sensitive and very forward-thinking to ride, but they are also sensible and have a lot of self-confidence. They are all very clever and really love to work.
“I competed two of his progeny at the Sydney CDI earlier this year in the four-year-old classes, Karizmah Charleston and Karizmah Cookie, and they were unbelievable. They had only been to one show each prior to qualify, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they were both incredibly rideable and brave in the ring considering their inexperience. His offspring are very trainable, and all give a very similar feeling under saddle.”
Sophie is currently riding several other young horses and ponies, ranging from three-year-olds up to more educated horses such as Charlie. “I also have my own young horse, Karizmah Fonteyn (Fürst Jazz x Belissimo M), a rising five-year-old mare whom I was lucky enough to buy from Jenny. I started riding her as a three-year-old straight from the breakers, and from the first sit I knew she was my type of horse. She is hot and sensitive to ride and always wants to please, so I am really taking my time with her. Much like with Charlie, we clicked straight away and I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to produce her as my own.”
GRAND PRIX AHEAD
Jenny has recently relocated Karizmah Performance Palominos from the Southern Highlands to the Byron Bay Hinterland – a move she is thoroughly enjoying – however she decided it was best for Charlie to remain based with Sophie, and so the partnership continues.
With his success at Small Tour level, Charlie is now on track for a future Big Tour start.
“I definitely think that Grand Prix is on the horizon for Charlie,” says Sophie, who is excited by the possibility of making her own debut at the level. “Although we are a long way off, I think it looks very promising, and we have started playing around with some of the work already. He gets particularly excited about the one tempis and I think he really enjoys the challenge of learning the higher-level work.” EQ
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