Mares Rule the Roost at the Subli Competition in Varsseveld: McMary and Sophie Anne Maria Lead the Pack

October 5, 2026

At the fifth qualifying competition of the Subli Competition for Young Dressage Horses, held on Friday, October 2, in Varsseveld, the mares stole the show. Among the five-year-olds, it was McMary (by McLaren), ridden by Phoebe Peters, who was awarded a score of 81. Among the four-year-olds, Sophie Anne Maria (by For Romance I), ridden by Judith Ribbels, led the strong group of frontrunners with a score of 83.8.

Sophie Anne Maria Wins in the Four-Year-Old Division

The four-year-olds were judged by Ineke Jansen and Harro Goudsmid. They awarded the highest score to the For Romance daughter Sophie Anne Maria (83.8), presented by Judith Ribbels. With a score of 83, the mare Sarai Verdoni (by Kjento) placed second. Third (81.6) was the stallion Vuelta (by Vitalis), ridden by Dinja van Liere.

Mares Beat Stallions

“We’ve really seen some high-quality horses that are already well-balanced for four-year-olds,” says Ineke Jansen. “Sophie Anne Maria moves incredibly well, with a superb walk, a lifted trot, and a strong canter. Judith presented her very nicely—it was a real pleasure to watch. Sarai Verdoni is also a very fine mare with plenty of rhythm and cadence, and she was presented exceptionally well, too. The mares outshone the stallions; being a stallion sometimes gets in their way a bit. But Dinja guided Vuelta through the course very neatly; he’s a tough horse and definitely has potential. You could see a little bit of tension—there are mares around, after all—and with a four-year-old, how often they’ve been away from home also plays a role.”

Jury Enthusiastic About Strong Leading Group

In the four-year-old class, the judging duo evaluated a large group of 29 horses in the ring. The top four scored above 80, followed by several others that were close to that mark. “The leading group shows a remarkable level of quality. These are truly horses that live up to your expectations and inspire enthusiasm.”

Another Win for Phoebe Peters and the Five-Year-Old McMary

In the five-year-old division, McLaren’s daughter McMary repeated her success. Riding under Phoebe Peters, the mare won the four-year-old final at Jumping Amsterdam earlier this year and also won the tryout game in Heeswijk-Dinther. Two stallions were awarded the same score of 79.4: Secret USB (by Secret) and Dante’s Empire (by Dante Weltino). In the end, Secret USB, ridden by Marten Luiten, placed second, and Dante’s Empire, ridden by Moisés Jover Azuar, placed third.

High-Quality Field Among the Leading Group of Five-Year-Olds

The five-year-olds were judged by Adriaan Hamoen and Willemien Blanken.“”McMary is truly a horse with a great deal of quality and tremendous potential. She was a bit tense, but Phoebe handled it so well. She was presented very nicely and with charm; Phoebe rides very well, always responding to the rein,“ says Hamoen. ”Marten’s Secret USB is also a very high-quality horse with potential. He was a bit lively and fell slightly behind the vertical, but Marten handled it very correctly. Dante’s Empire has a lot of quality; he was a bit tense at times, but that was also partly due to the surroundings. As a judge, you sometimes have to look past that. The stallion has good gaits, and Moisés’s riding style is absolutely delightful. In that regard, we really enjoyed the performance. These are riders who know exactly what they’re doing.”

Building for the Future

In the five-year-old class, 23 horses took to the arena. “We saw some really fine horses, and kudos to the riders. The riders—especially those in the top half of the standings—are very mindful that the horses must be ridden beautifully under hand and not fall behind the vertical,” continues Hamoen, who also wants to point out the difference between the Subli Competition and the regular classes. “Still, many riders think it should be like a small M-level test. But the Subli Competition is a talent test and a different kind of competition than a regular dressage test. You’re allowed to make one mistake in a section, but we want to see how it’s corrected and how the horse picks up where it left off. We want to see the potential for the future.”

Flexible organization despite heavy traffic

The competition in Varsseveld was disrupted by significant traffic problems caused by an accident on the A12. “Kudos to the organizers. They stayed in touch with the riders who were on their way, and the judges stayed an hour and a half longer. The organizers gave everyone the chance to compete, despite all the traffic jams. That deserves praise.”

Subli Competition Results, Varsseveld, October 2, 2026

Results four-year-old dressage horses

1 Judith Ribbels, Sophie Anne Maria (by For Romance I) 83.8
2 Annemijn Boogaard, Sarai Verdoni (by Kjento) 83
3 Dinja van Liere, Vuelta (by Vitalis) 81.6

Results of five-year-old dressage horses

1 Phoebe Peters, McMary (by McLaren) 81
2 Marten Luiten, Secret USB (by Secret) 79.4
3 Moisés Jover Azuar, Dante’s Empire (by Dante Weltino) 79.4

Sign up for the final tryouts

The final qualifying competition of the Subli Competition for Young Dressage Horses will be held on Saturday, November 14, in Berkel Enschot. This is your last chance to improve your score and qualify for the semifinals at Stal Groenendaal in Bunschoten. For more information, visit the Subli Competition page.

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