Raphael Netz: From young talent to the world rankings

Raphael Netz's career

Born in Wiesbaden, Raphael Netz showed an extraordinary enthusiasm for horses from the age of two. His family had no connection to equestrian sports, but that didn't stop him. He took his first riding lessons at the age of four and was soon inseparable from his first horse, the three-year-old Haflinger Aki. With Aki, he shared both serious dressage riding and exuberant jumping and playing. At the age of 13, the pair celebrated their first major success when they won their first ribbon in an advanced dressage competition.

Without any big trainer names in the background, Netz continued his self-taught development up to elementary class, supported by videos and his own observations. He made it into the national squad and was able to ride other owners' ponies. However, he lacked the financial means to compete at the very top.

The way to Aubenhausen

A decisive turning point in his career came when Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, the current world number one, became aware of riding videos from Netz on social media. She invited the then 17-year-old to an audition in Aubenhausen. Here he not only found a new sporting home, but also a family in his private life. Under the guidance of Jessica and Benjamin Werndl, Netz developed into a top rider and won six gold medals at the U25 European Championships.

The dressage rider told us what life was like for Raphael in Aubenhausen, why he enjoys working with the horses so much and what he was able to learn when we visited him in Aubenhausen:

Raphael Netz also successfully completed his first World Cup competitions and was able to take part in many tournaments during his time in Aubenhausen and continue to improve with his horses. His successes with the Johnson son Great Escape Camelot, with whom he made it to 20th place in the world rankings, are particularly noteworthy.

The step into self-employment

After eight years in Aubenhausen, Raphael Netz decided to take a new path together with his girlfriend, U25 rider Selina Söder. On May 1, 2024, the pair moved with their horses to Gut Weiglschwaig in Moosburg an der Isar, where they lease a stable yard. Among them are Netz's top horses such as Great Escape Camelot and Dieudonné, as well as In2ition and some young horses. In an interview, Raphael said that it was always clear to him that he wanted to stand on his own two feet at some point. Now the time seemed right to take the plunge and become self-employed. After learning that a stable wing was becoming available at Gut Weiglschwaig, he got in touch with the operator of Gut Weiglschwaig. The chemistry between Philipp Mücke and Raphael Netz was right and so he was able to move into the new stables with his girlfriend Selina Söder and his horses on May 1, 2024. Even though Aubenhausen will always be a home for Netz, he is already looking forward to what the future holds for him, his girlfriend Selina Söder and the horses. 

Current horses from Raphael Netz

Dieudonné (*2013)

Raphael Netz has worked with Dieudonné an outstanding horse in his stable that underlines his ambitions at the highest level of dressage sport. The eleven-year-old son of Dante Weltino has developed from a promising young horse into a successful Grand Prix horse under Netz's careful training.

Dieudonnéa Württemberger, came to Raphael Netz three and a half years ago, when he was still a stallion. Since then, Netz has systematically nurtured him and trained him through various levels of dressage up to Grand Prix level. This lengthy and intensive process has proven to be extremely successful, as the latest results show.

The pair reached a remarkable milestone at the end of May in Winterlingen. In their second Grand Prix, they took third place with an impressive 71.6 percent. Netz was particularly proud to have achieved this success without a whip, even though it was a national show. This not only shows his confidence in his abilities and those of his horse, but also the high standards he sets to prepare Dieudonné for the international stage.

Dieudonné is not only an exceptionally talented horse, but also a symbol of Raphael Netz's ability and dedication to dressage. The collaboration between Netz and Dieudonné shows how important careful and long-term training is in order to be successful in top-level sport. Looking ahead to future international competitions, the pair face exciting challenges that they are sure to master.

Great Escape Camelot (*2011)

Raphael Netz has created Great Escape Camelotan impressive twelve-year-old Dutch gelding and son of the famous Johnson, another outstanding partner in dressage sport. Together they have made impressive progress in a short space of time and established themselves among the world's best.

Great Escape Camelotaffectionately known as "Grady", began his career in spring 2014 as a three-year-old at the Lohnmoos riding stable in Switzerland. There he was carefully broken in and successfully took part in promotion tests for four and five-year-old horses. He achieved his first competition successes at elementary level under Charlotte Pfeiffer Blanc at the beginning of 2017.

In late spring 2017, Camelot moved to the Wettstein family, where he was trained up to Grand Prix level under Estelle Wettstein. In addition to his dressage training, Camelot also took part in several show jumping competitions under Hans-Peter Konle. From 2019, Wettstein focused exclusively on dressage and Camelot made his international debut at Small Tour level at the CDI Fot in September 2019. Within a short time, he was promoted to Medium Tour and reached Grand Prix level in 2021, impressing at the CDI Hagen and later in the U25 Tour in Compiègne.

In December 2022 came Great Escape Camelot came to Aubenhausen, Germany, for further training, where Raphael Netz started working with him. In just a few months, Netz and Camelot have built up an impressive partnership, which is already reflected in outstanding show results. Netz describes Camelot as a "little rascal" who looks cheekily out of his box and likes to be the center of attention. This character match between rider and horse seems to be a recipe for success.

Netz and Camelot made their show debut together in Stadl Paura, where they won their first Grand Prix with 71 percent and the Grand Prix Special the following day with 73.170 percent. These performances exceeded Netz' expectations and showed the great potential of the pair.
Netz and Camelot took part in the World Cup Finals in Riyadh in their very first year together, representing another big step in their career. Camelot, who initially enjoyed a break after this success, was then prepared for the German Championships (DM). Netz reports that Camelot is feeling fit and happy again and is ready to return to competition action.
Looking to the future, Raphael Netz plans to continue bringing Camelot to the international stage. He is convinced that Camelot has the potential to move up to the big squad and continue to compete at the highest level. Netz especially appreciates Camelot's positive energy and willingness to develop and learn. The anticipation of the challenges ahead and the close cooperation with Camelot give hope for many more successes.

We recently saw Raphael and the black horse dancing through the arena at the CHIO Aachen. Here they placed 6th in the Grand Prix and 5th in the Grand Prix Special.

Raphael Netz: Sporting successes

Raphael Netz, a talented dressage rider from Germany, has achieved numerous successes throughout his career. Here are some of his most important sporting milestones and successes:

Milestones and successes:

• 2013: Inclusion in the U16 national squad
• 2014: Bronze at the German Youth Championships in Zeiskam
• 2018: Golden riding badge
• 2019: Inclusion in the U21 and U25 national squads, U25 European team champion and finalist for the Piaff-Förderpreis (dressage series for young riders)
• 2020: Bronze at the U25 European Championships in the individual competition and runner-up in the U25 European Team Championships
• 2021: U25 European Champion individual and team in Hagen, Vice European Champion U25 freestyle, winner of the Piaff-Förderpreis in Mannheim, Vice German Champion U25 in Balve
• 2022: U25 European champion individual, team and freestyle
• 2024: 2nd reserve for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics with Great Escape Camelot

Tournament successes 2024

• 2024: 5th place, CDI4* Grand Prix Special, Aachen (73.000%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2024: 6th place, CDI4* Grand Prix, Aachen (72.587%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2024: 5th place, CDI-W Final Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, Riyadh (76.482%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2024: 5th place, CDI-W Final Grand Prix, Riyadh (72.003%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2024: 5th place, CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, Neumünster (78.040%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2024: 5th place, CDI-W Grand Prix, Neumünster (72.761%) with Great Escape Camelot

Tournament successes 2023

• 2023: 4th place, CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, Mechelen (80.215%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 2nd place, CDI-W Grand Prix, Mechelen (73.152%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 5th place, CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, Stuttgart (80.115%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 5th place, CDI-W Grand Prix, Stuttgart (72.587%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 4th place, CDI-W Grand Prix, Herning (72.652%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 2nd place, CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, Wierzbna Bialy Las (76.830%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 1st place, CDI-W Grand Prix, Wierzbna Bialy Las (73.065%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 3rd place, CDIO4*-NC Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, Rotterdam (77.380%) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 2nd place, CDIO4*-NC Team Classification, Rotterdam (8,000 points) with Great Escape Camelot
• 2023: 2nd place, CDI5* Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, Munich-Riem (75.830%) with Great Escape Camelot

5 facts about Raphael Netz and Camelot

1. Camelot's character is the same as a small pony, he is always motivated, a bit cheeky and always wants attention. He always gives his best, tries to listen to his rider and fight with him. They dance together in the dressage arena and enjoy their performance. This is how Raphael Netz describes his successful horse in an interview with us on the way to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2024 in Riyadh.
2. Camelot and Raphael's freestyle music for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2024 in Riyadh was from the movie "Taming Dragons Made Easy". When Raphael saw the movie and heard the music, he thought of himself and Camelot.
3. You can't go to a tournament without Camelot's cuddly toy.
4. Meditation is an important ritual for Raphael Netz.
5. It is very important to Raphael not only to establish a connection with the horse, but also to develop a close friendship with his horses.

In the following video, Raphael explains why friendship with horses is so important to him and how he defines it for himself. His girlfriend Selina Söder also tells us more about Raphael, his character and the connection he has with his horse Camelot:

FAQ about Raphael Netz

1. how old is Raphael Netz?

Raphael Netz is 25 years old.

2 Does Raphael Netz have a girlfriend?

Yes, Raphael Netz has a girlfriend. Her name is Selina Söder and she is also an U25 dressage rider. Together they are setting up their own business at Gut Weiglschwaig in Moosburg an der Isar, where they run their own stables.

3. who owns Camelot?

The owner of the two horses, Great Escape Camelot and Dieudonné, is Sonja Krall. She plays an important role in Raphael Netz's career by providing and supporting these talented horses. Sonja Krall has placed Great Escape Camelot and Dieudonné in Netz's care to encourage their further training and progression to Grand Prix level.