Felicitas Hendricks First Came to Florida as Junior Returns Decade Later as European Under-25 Champion
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By KENNETH J, BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 10, 2024–Felicitas Hendricks first came to Florida as a junior rider with dreams of one day riding on a German team. She returned a decade later as European Under-25 Championships team and individual gold medalist.
The 23-year-old Felicitas is scheduled to compete Drombusch OLD, her 13-year-old championship mount, in this week’s opening Global Dressage Festival senior Grand Prix, a qualifier for the World Cup Final.
She is one of a large group of European riders to make Florida their winter home, among them her uncle and coach, Christoph Koschel, on Germany’s bronze medal team at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and silver at the 2011 European Championships, and his wife, Patricia; Frederic Wandres on Germany’ top squad in this Olympic year and on the team for bronze at the 2022 world championships and silver last year at the Europeans; Michael Klimke, three-time World Cup finalist including silver in 1990; Anna-Christian Abbelen, winner of six European team golds from ponies through Young Riders.
Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén, Sweden’s seven-time Olympian has featured in Florida since 2011. Lars Petersen, with 1996 Olympics, four World Games, three Europeans and five World Cup Finals including silver in 2002 while riding for Denmark, as did Mikala Münter at the 2014 WEG, 2014 and 2015 World Cup Finals and 2015 Europeans. Both longtime Wellington residents now compete for USA.
Felicitas first came to Florida as a junior rider on the Westfalen gelding Faible AS in 2015. She later took time out to complete college.
In Fall 2022, she took over competing Drombusch, with a barn name of “Drömmel,” from Christoph and three months later was in Florida.
Success came quickly. The pair posted top three finishes at Under-25 and was on the German team that won the Nations Cup for the third straight year.
At the European Under-25s in July, Felicitas and Drombusch led Germany to team gold, followed up with individual gold and silver in the freestyle. Two months later, the duo captured the prestigious final of the Piaff-Förderpreises series.
“I‘m trying to put as much love and work into my heart horse Drombusch as I possibly can and I think he really shows his appreciation for that,” she told Dressage-News.com. “His willingness to do his very best every time we enter the ring is something so so special. He truly is the best dance partner one could ever ask for.
“Florida has been extremely helpful!” she told DRESSAGE-NEWS.COM. “When it comes to competitions, it‘s just awesome conditions for both horses and riders. The way to the showground is short and very easy for the horses, there are top international judges in Wellington and then there’s plenty of great CDIs.
“Drombusch was so much happier over there than in the cold weather in Germany during the winter months.
“It‘s been great for me to get my first big tour experiences in Florida has been extremely helpful! I got a lot of great competition experience and got used to competing in hot weather which was very helpful here.
“For Drombusch, I find it very important that he stays mentally happy and balanced.”
Correction: An earlier version reported that Christoph Koschel was the owner of Drombusch. The horse is owned by Felicitas Henricks.
