Meet Team Germany For 2014 AjPHA Youth World Games
Logo courtesy of APHA
PHJ press release by: Megan Brincks
Team Germany has participated in every Youth World Games since its inception in 2004, and they won in 2008. Will they take home another title in 2014?
The team was selected based on performances at several shows in Germany as well as recommendations from trainers. A short list was invited to a selection assessment on unfamiliar horses.
The team members will be joined by first-time coach Susanne Flesch of Willich. She wants to form a team with spirit, focusing on having a positive experience and good sportsmanship.
With the help of Susanne and Birgit Bayer-Sassenhausen of Willich, Team Germany includes the following exhibitors:
Anna-Lena Osterrieder
Anna-Lena, 15 of Woringen, started riding at the age of 4 on a small farm, and she has been competing for eight years. She currently shows Leos Lucky Dixon with great success in Germany, and they earned a Gold European Championship in trail. She has been working hard to prepare for Youth World Games.
Felicitas Knauer
Eighteen-year-old Felicitas lives in Eggenthal. She and Hesa Classic Blue, a multiple-time European Champion, have found success in trail, hunt-seat equitation, showmanship and Western horsemanship. Felicitas hopes to do well at the Youth World Games, but her main goal is to have fun while in the United States.
Christina Einsiedler
Christina, 16, of Bad Groenbach won the trail class at the 2010 Youth World Games—her biggest showing success to date. She hopes to repeat the team spirit as well as her own showing success from 2010. At home, Christina rides four-time European Championship titleholder Missin Hot Chocolate and Hints Tracy Technique, and she wants to thank everyone who makes the Youth World Games possible.
Franziska Schaefer
Franziska, 18, of Linden has found success with Heza Dancing Wizard in trail, Western pleasure, horsemanship and hunter under saddle. They were named Gold European Champions in Youth trail and Western pleasure. She excited to participate for her first time in the Youth World Games and hopes to learn as much as possible.
Nadja Deniffel
Nadja lives in Kempten, where she’s grown up with horses. The 18-year-old has been riding Western for three years and started competing last year with the goal of joining Team Germany at the Youth World Games. Nadja is excited to meet that goal, and she wants to collect experience showing under pressure, meet other teams and see the competition from other countries.
Good luck to everyone on Team Germany and all of our Youth World Games participants. Check back every day this week to meet the teams from around the world.
