One of the four participants in the HeadFirst Group Prize – Best of Champions is European Champion Richard Vogel. The 28‑year‑old German won the individual gold medal at the European Championships in A Coruña (Spain) with his impressive Westphalian stallion United Touch S in 2025 and captured team gold with the German team at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. In 2023 he triumphed in the Rolex Grand Prix at CHI Geneva, making him the live contender at The Dutch Masters in 2024.
For Vogel this will be his first competition involving a horse rotation. “I find it very interesting to see who will perform best, who can handle the event most effectively. It’s a big challenge to build a bond with a horse in such a short time. Of course, all four of us have plenty of experience, we know each other and understand each other’s riding style. So you try to adapt a bit to their way of riding, but it’s also crucial that we adapt to the horse—not the other way around.”
Vogel prefers to ride sensitive horses. “You can ride them very efficiently with a lot of feel, which is why United Touch S suits me so well. He’s a spectacular horse, and I love to ride him above all the horses in the world,” Vogel says with a smile.
“I hope we give the audience a great ride and showcase our horsemanship.”
Don’t miss the horsemanship of European Champion Richard Vogel (GER), Dutch Champion Willem Greve, World Cup winner Julien Epaillard (FRA) and World Champion Henrik von Eckermann (SWE). Get your tickets here!
Photo: TDM/Sharon Vandeput
