Alexandra Vodermair and her young dressage star Exact caught everyone’s attention at Dressage & Jumping with the Stars this year. The six-year-old gelding was a stand-out in winning the coveted Young Dressage Horse Champion of Champions title – and now this combination has enjoyed success in Europe at their first international competition.
Competing at LONGINES PfingstTurnier Wiesbaden in Germany, Alex and Exact finished on the podium in the CDI Young Horse Six-Year-Old class. In the first round (FEI Preliminary Test for Six-Year-Old Horses) they placed fourth on 78.6%. In the final round (FEI Final Test for Six-Year-Old Horses) they received 77.8% for third place.
“I’m speechless!” said Alex via social media post-event. “Chewie, you’re making my dreams come true! Thank you for being the most incredible dancing partner… it is hard to put it in words. It is an honour to have represented Australia for the first time at our first international show and to come home in the final with a podium placing… it is a dream come true.”
Germany’s Ellen Richter and Found Gody PS (Foundation x Vivaldi) won the class on 82%, with Christian Alexander Kömpf second riding Springdance (Springbank II VH x IPS Krack C) on 81.8%.
From Germany to Australia and back again
Exact, by Escamillo out of a Hohenstein x Sandro Hit mare, was bred by Thorsten Hogref and Alex found the gelding at Gestuet Gerkenhof in Verden, Germany. She imported him to Australia, where they’ve competed with plenty of success in young horse classes.
As a four-year-old, Exact was Reserve Champion at Willinga Park’s Dressage by the Sea and also Reserve Champion at DJWTS. As a five-year-old he won at Willinga Park, was Reserve Champion at DJWTS, and won at the Sydney CDI. As a six-year-old at Willinga Park this year he was Reserve Champion, and then at DJWTS he was Champion and went on to claim the Champion of Champions title.
Alex and Exact relocated to Germany two months ago, and Wiesbaden marks Alex’s first international competition riding under the Australian flag after obtaining dual citizenship.
Alex was born in Germany and first came to Australia on a gap year in 2003 at the age of 18. She eventually returned home to Germany to live and work, but in 2015 visited Australia to catch up with friends and has ultimately spent most of the last decade here. You can read more about Alex’s journey in the April 2024 issue of Equestrian Life here.
Now back in Germany, Alex is hoping to qualify Exact for the 2025 FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Verden (4-10 August) – and their result at Wiesbaden is certainly promising!
Full results from LONGINES PfingstTurnier Wiesbaden can be found here.
