Dressage rider Helen Langehanenberg announces retirement of top mare

German Olympic dressage rider Helen Langehanenberg has announced the retirement of top horse Annabelle 110. Here the pair are pictured at the 2021 European Dressage Championships, where they were part of the gold medal-winning team. — Langehanenberg and Annabelle 110 at the 2021 European Dressage Championships

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

German dressage rider Helen Langehanenberg has announced the retirement of her European team gold medal-winning partner Annabelle 110.

Helen said after almost 10 years together, “a wonderful chapter ends”, and “Mausi” will now return to her breeder and owner Günther Fielmann to become a broodmare at his Schierensee estate.

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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.

‘Tell your foals about our adventures’: gold medal-winning horse retires to stud

Mausi, by Conteur and out of a Linaro 3 mare, is currently 13th in the FEI dressage world rankings, and bows out from competition aged 15.

Helen said the Fielmann family wants Annabelle to have some foals and it was the right time.

“Of course I’m happy that she’s going into breeding in top shape. But letting go is not that easy,” she said.

Helen took on the ride of Mausi in 2013, and the pair made their grand prix debut in 2018. Their first international win was the CDI3* grand prix special at Vilhelmsborg, Denmark, in 2020, where they scored 75.66%.

Helen has previously said Mausi was not always straightforward or easy, and described her as “sensitive”, but said she “liked her from the start”.

In December the pair scored another personal best, 82.14%, at the London International Horse Show. Their final international competition was last month in Göteborg, Sweden, where they were fourth in the grand prix, and scored 80.54% for fourth in the freestyle.

“But it’s not just the sporting successes. Above all, it is the common path. It’s the mutual learning from each other. I will miss that so much. Thank you very much, dear Fielmann family, for the long and very trusting cooperation.

“And thank you, dear Mausi. Have a good time and tell your hopefully many foals about our adventures together… I will miss you very, very much”.

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