Moritz Treffinger - Not a Classic Ascent

Who is Moritz Treffinger?

Moritz Treffinger is a young German dressage rider who has already made a name for himself on the dressage scene at a young age thanks to his outstanding performances. He achieved international fame when he became European pony rider champion on his pony Top Queen H in 2018. He then moved up to the junior class and achieved further successes. Treffinger rides at a high level, particularly in the young rider category (U25).

In 2023, he joined the equestrian team at the renowned Bonhomme Stud in Werder, Germany, where he continues to develop his skills and work with top-class Grand Prix horses. His previous successes and commitment show that he is a promising talent in dressage with a promising career ahead of him.

What is Moritz Treffinger like and what makes him special? We asked ourselves the same question and found someone who was willing to spill the beans. Saskia Conredel from Gestüt Bonhomme tells us more about Moritz Treffinger:

The riding career of Moritz Treffinger

News: The golden ribbon goes to Moritz Treffinger and his 9-year-old gelding Treffinger's Superstition OLD in the anniversary final of the 20th iWEST Dressage Cup at the German Masters 2022. With an overall score of 75.425 percent, he takes the victory.

Just 19 years old, Moritz Treffinger is far ahead of many others his age. Thanks to his mother Santina Treffinger, a horse enthusiast who used to be successful in dressage up to the advanced level, Moritz had his first contact with four-legged friends at an early age. Santina, who was still an active rider herself at the time, often took Moritz to her own small stable near the riding club in Oberderdingen, where the Treffinger family lived. No one would have thought at the time that the little boy would quickly become a star dressage rider.

Moritz got his first pony at the age of 3. In the following video, his mom, Santina Treffinger, tells you what that was like and how he went from pony to big sport:

The first breakthrough

The Oberderdingen rider became really well known through his participation in the 2018 European Pony Championships, at that time with his successful pony Top-Queen H. Only five times in the history of the European Pony Dressage Championships have boys been able to win an individual title, most recently Sönke Rothenberger, in the meantime Team Olympic Champion and European Champion. Now he has a successor: Moritz Treffinger. The rider, who was only 15 years old at the time, secured the best results in all tests, and even scored over 77.189% in the individual classification. The young rider ended the championship with the title of European Triple Pony Champion, three gold medals thus went to Oberderdingen. But the success did not stop there. Moritz is also very successful in the big horse saddle, with his horse Treffinger's Standing Ovation called short (Stanley), which is now sold to Japan, he continues to gain experience in the arena after his time in the pony saddle and thus creates the jump to the heavy class at the end of 2019. But the sale of Stanley does not change the many successes of the 18-year-old. With his new success horse Treffingers Superstition OLD, Moritz is chasing one victory after the other. So far, the two have already collected over 10 placings in the advanced class, including 5 victories, some with over 73.00%. In 2021, he was appointed by Isabell Werth and the CHIO Aachen Campus team to the Program of Excellence, a talent development program designed to pave the way for young up-and-coming riders to reach the top level of sport. After six visibly successful training sessions, Moritz can consider himself lucky to continue training with Isabell Werth. The Golden Riding Badge was presented to him in 2022. A look into the future also gave rise to great expectations: Moritz has two horses competing in the qualifications for the 2022 Nuremberg Burgpokal. For both horses it is the last year to participate in the series and so Moritz takes the chance to qualify his two horses Treffinger's Superstition and Treffinger's Franzis Royal for the final in the Frankfurt Festhalle. For the Treffinger family, success through their own efforts is a top priority. The family runs the stable in their home town themselves, feeding, mucking out and also training the horses is managed internally.  

Click here for the interview with Moritz Treffinger and Treffinger's Superstition OLD:

He spends every free minute at the stables with his horses or at the many international competitions that take place throughout the year. So it remains exciting when we think about Moritz Treffinger's future riding career. Click here for the video Moritz Treffinger - no classic ascent

Moritz Treffinger's move to Bonhomme

German young dressage rider Moritz Treffinger has taken significant steps in his professional career in 2023 by accepting a position in the equestrian team at Bonhomme Stud in Werder, Germany. At the time, shortly before his 20th birthday, he took up the position in June that had become vacant due to the departure of the previous head rider Simone Pearce. Pearce had left the stud in mid-June to take up a new position at Thomas Ritzinger's stables in Bavaria.

Treffinger explained at the time that he was not taking over Pearce's position directly, but had been hired as a young, motivated dressage rider with sporting prospects. His goal is to one day ride the horses just as well and successfully as Pearce, but first he sees himself in a phase of learning and further development. He is convinced that Gestüt Bonhomme is the right place to further his riding career with talented horses and a supportive team.

In the following video, Robert Conredel, Managing Director of Gestüt Bonhomme, explains what this further development looks like and how Treffinger is supported in dressage by Gestüt Bonhomme:

Moritz Treffinger's successful horses

Top Queen H (*2009)

Breed: German Riding Pony
Sex: Mare
Pedigree: by Top Anthony / Dark Rubin

Top Queen H is a German riding pony mare who helped Moritz Treffinger to international fame. He won the European Pony Riding Championships with her in 2018. Top Queen H was characterized by her high rideability, her balanced temperament and her excellent working attitude. She was known for her elegant movements and her ability to perform consistently under pressure. The success with Top Queen H laid the foundation for Treffinger's career and made him famous on the dressage scene.

Treffinger's Standing Ovation (*2011)

Breed: Hanoverian
Sex: Stallion
Pedigree: by Surprice / Arogno

Treffinger's Standing Ovation was the horse that accompanied Moritz Treffinger into the junior class. The Hanoverian stallion impressed with his power and expressive movement. His strength lay particularly in the trot tour, where he scored with his impulsion and rhythmic purity. Standing ovation helped Treffinger to master the demands of the higher dressage classes and gain important experience at junior level.

Treffinger's Superstition OLD (*2013)

Breed: Oldenburg
Sex: Stallion
Pedigree: by Surprice / Hotline

Superstition is an Oldenburg stallion who has been presented by Moritz Treffinger in the young rider category since 2021. The stallion impresses with his fine, elegant movements and his willingness to learn. Especially in the canter Superstition shows his quality, scoring points with good pirouettes and flowing changes. Moritz and Superstition form a harmonious team that is making steady progress and has been successful at various competitions.

Francis Royal (*2013)

Breed: Oldenburg
Sex: Mare
Pedigree: by Franziskus / Rubin Royal

Francis Royal is an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare who is successfully presented in dressage by Moritz Treffinger. Treffinger took eighth place with her in the 2023 Preis der Besten, which underlines the mare's high quality and potential. Francis Royal is known for her powerful, expressive movements and her ability to concentrate in the arena. She particularly shows her strengths in the lateral movements and canter tour. Francis Royal and Moritz Treffinger are constantly working on optimizing their performances and competing at the highest level.

More horses from Moritz Treffinger

Thanks to his work at Bonhomme Stud, Treffinger now has some top horses under the saddle. In the following video, Moritz tells us which ones they are and whether there are any favorites among them:

Moritz Treffinger's greatest successes

Here is a chronological list of Moritz Treffinger's greatest successes:

2018: European Pony Rider Champion
Pony: Top Queen H
Success: Gold medal at the European Pony Championships

2019: German Junior Champion
Horse: Standing ovation
Success: Gold medal at the German Junior Championships in the Junior category

2021: Entry into the young rider category
Horse: Superstition
Success: Successful participation in national and international competitions

2023: 8th place at the Preis der Besten
Horse: Francis Royal
‍Success: 8th place in the Young Riders category at the Preis der Besten, one of the most important junior competitions in Germany

2023: Successes in the Piaff-Förderpreis
Horses: Cadeau Noir and Fiderdance
‍Success: Victory and top placings in the qualifying tests and qualifiers for the Piaff-Förderpreis, a competition to promote young dressage riders in Germany

We are excited to see what the coming years have in store for Moritz Treffinger.

FAQ - Moritz Treffinger

1. Who is Moritz Treffinger?

Moritz Treffinger is a young German dressage rider who has become known on the dressage scene for his outstanding performances. He became European pony rider champion in 2018 and has since achieved numerous successes at junior and young rider level.

2. When was Moritz Treffinger born?

Moritz Treffinger was born in 2003.

3. What successes has Moritz Treffinger achieved so far?

Moritz Treffinger won the European Pony Championships in 2018 with Top Queen H. He has also achieved several significant placings at junior and U25 level, including eighth place in the 2023 Prize of the Best with Francis Royal.

4. Which stud farm does Moritz Treffinger ride for?

Moritz Treffinger is part of the equestrian team at Gestüt Bonhomme in Werder, Germany. He joined the stud in 2023.

5. Which horses did Moritz Treffinger ride?

Moritz Treffinger's well-known horses include:

• Top Queen H (German Riding Pony)
• Standing ovation (Hanoverian)
• Superstition (Oldenburger)
• Francis Royal (Oldenburg)

6. What are Moritz Treffinger's future goals?

Moritz Treffinger plans to further develop his career and qualify for higher competitions, including the European Championships. He strives to refine his skills and continuously develop his horses.

7. How did Moritz Treffinger start his career?

Treffinger began his career in pony riding and achieved success early on. His breakthrough came in 2018 when he became European pony rider champion.

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