Aachen, Germany – July 20, 2018 – After impressive CDI performances in the fall and winter seasons, Olympian Helen Langehanenberg and Leatherdale Farms’ Damsey FRH were stealing the spotlight and moved into the ninth spot on the FEI Dressage World Ranking list. Though Langehanenberg’s maternity leave for her second daughter kept the talented pair on the sidelines since their dominating performance at the CDI-W Neumünster five months ago, they reunited to compete at the world renowned CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival. Langehanenberg and Damsey FRH, a 16-year-old Hanoverian stallion, returned better than ever to finish in the third position with a 77.034 percent in the prestigious CDIO5* Grand Prix on July 19.
“I am so very proud of all Helen has accomplished in the past two years with Damsey,” Louise Leatherdale said. “Together, they are really a team. The fact she just had her lovely baby girl, Finja, last month shows me the total commitment, competitive spirit and desire Helen has!”
Selected to represent Germany as a member of their Nations Cup team, they were the highest scoring German combination in the Grand Prix and contributed to Germany’s second place team finish after the opening day of competition. The Nations Cup will be awarded on Saturday, July 21, after the CDIO5* Grand Prix Special.
“It was absolutely amazing what happened in the Grand Prix at Aachen,” Langehanenberg said. “Today is today and I will enjoy it until Saturday, and then Saturday is a new day and we will see what happens. I have always believed in Damsey. He’s an absolutely special horse for me. I’m very thankful that Louise [Leatherdale] and Susanne [Meyer] have allowed me the opportunity to ride him.
“[Prior to Aachen], I had a really good feeling at home and in the training and it encouraged me to compete here,” she continued. “If the feeling in the training had not been good, I would not have competed at Aachen, but it was my dream to compete him here in the Nations Cup. I think Damsey did a super job. We have developed so well together over the last two and a half years. I only hope we can continue like that because he has a really strong character. I hope I can keep him on my side and he continues fighting for it, loving being in the arena and doing his job like he loves to.”
The duo made their CDI debut in 2016 and have developed a strong partnership over the last two years. At the 2017 World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, the pair topped the leaderboard to win the CDI4* Grand Prix and placed second in the CDI4* Grand Prix Special. Their placing secured them a position on the prestigious German team for the 2017 European Championships.
In addition, they earned top placings at the CDI-W in Stuttgart, Germany, and received scores up to 82.665 percent at the CDI5* in Stockholm, Sweden. To kick-off 2018, Langehanenberg and Damsey FRH swept the CDN Münster K+K Cup in Germany. They earned a 78.08 percent to win the Grand Prix, and they won the Grand Prix Special with an impressive score of 79.745 percent. At their last show before Langehanenberg left for maternity leave, they swept the CDI-W in Neumünster, Germany, winning both classes and receiving their highest score to date, an 83.880 percent in the Grand Prix Freestyle.
