Dorothee Schneider

Dorothee Schneider has won team silver and gold at the past two Olympics, and is three-pronged for Tokyo – but competition is hot for a spot on the brilliant German team, says Alice Collins

- Alice Collins

WITH more than 400 results on the FEI database, Germany’s Dorothee Schneider is one hard-working lady. Add her national results to that, and she’s ridden a dizzying number of centre lines.

For someone who competes so much, the past year has been anything but normal for Dorothee. But she – and everyone else – is slowly emerging from the world’s weird Covid year and she has three irons in the fire for the postponed Tokyo Olympics.

At the time of going to press, Dorothee’s top horse Showtime FRH had just made a stellar return to competition with a plus-82% grand prix special at Munich CDI4*, albeit under unexpected circumstances: Dorothee broke her collarbone in a horror accident when grand prix horse Fohlenhof ’s Rock N Rose collapsed and died at a national show in April.

But her impressive comeback just three weeks later proved that Showtime ranked fourth in the world, is in the form of his life.

Her other two top horses at the level, DSP Sammy Davis Jr (ranked 19th) and Faustus 94 (36th) are also raring to go.

“Only once in my life will I have such an amazing horse as Showtime,” says Dorothee, who has been riding Gabriele Kippert’s 15-year-old by Sandro Hit since he was three. “I prepared ‘Showy’ over the past year and he is in great condition. He adores food – particularly bananas – so I have to be careful he doesn’t get too fat, but he is really ready for the Olympic qualification process now.

“With so many good horses and riders in Germany it is very difficult to be one of the best three combinations, but we will do our best.”