Zurich/Dielsdorf, 24. August 2025. – The ZURICH YOUTH MASTERS 2025 came to an end with thrilling final rounds and numerous highlights from Switzerland’s talented show jumpers. Over five days, Europe’s best young show jumpers gathered at Horse Park Zurich-Dielsdorf to compete in a total of 27 competitions. Around 160 competitors from 13 countries made the fourth edition of the ZURICH YOUTH MASTERS a celebration of show jumping and international friendship. The focus was not only on sporting ambition, but also on team spirit, fairness and the promotion of ethical equestrian sport.
The ZURICH YOUTH MASTERS 2025 once again underlined its importance in international junior sport. In addition to the team competitions, numerous individual competitions in the children’s, junior and U25 classes also thrilled the spectators. The sporting quality was characterised not least by the challenging but fairly designed courses by Reto Ruflin and his team, which ensured exciting decisions. Jury President Bruno Laubscher and his international jury team, together with the FEI stewards, ensured that the event was conducted correctly and fairly.
Top international field and strong Swiss performances
Tournament Director Dr Yves von Ballmoos drew a positive conclusion: „We are proud that the ZURICH YOUTH MASTERS once again attracted so many talented young riders from Switzerland and abroad. In addition to great show jumping, fair treatment of the horses and the promotion of young talent were our top priorities. A big thank you goes to all our partners, sponsors, helpers and the entire organising committee for their fantastic commitment.“
The young talents impressed with strong rides and great consistency right from the first four days. The Swiss delegation collected numerous daily victories – led by Leon Hänzi, Janick Widmer, Hedda Fluri and Alessia Amsler in the U25 category, as well as Johanna Beutel and other talented riders in the Children and Junior categories. The Grand Prix finals and the awarding of the coveted wild cards for the prestigious international indoor tournaments CHI Basel and CHI Geneva on Sunday rounded off the high-calibre programme.
Swiss teams in the spotlight
A special highlight on Friday were the two FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth competitions – the official Nations Cups for the Children (U14) and Juniors (U18) age groups. In these traditional team competitions, the Swiss teams were unfortunately unable to repeat their home victories from previous years, but secured places of honour in each case.
Malin Cavegn (Soko du Roton Z), Lydia Beutel (Muse de Bourguignon), Matilda Larsson (Flipper de Launay) and Philippa Bisang (Legodermus PP) competed for Switzerland in the junior class. After a confident first round, they were clearly in the lead, but after a difficult second round they had to admit defeat to France and finished second with a total of 31 penalty points, ahead of Italy.
The children’s team consisted of Johanna Beutel (Revenge), Hedda Fluri (Alkapone Lady), Anic Michel (Destin d’Euskadi) and Sacha de Senarclens (Detona). After a balanced first round, they were level with France, but in the end the Italian team remained flawless and also relegated Switzerland to second place with 20 points, with France in third.
Final day: Grand Prix and wild cards for international breakthrough
On Sunday, 24 August, it was time for the big final tests, including the Grand Prix in the Children, Junior and U25 categories – all important milestones on the road to the international elite. The Children’s Grand Prix kicked things off on Sunday. In a high-class jump-off, Italy’s Cecilia Speranza prevailed and won the Children’s GP ahead of her compatriots Lorenzo Spaggiari and Mya Teresa Bavuso – the podium was thus firmly in Italian hands. The most successful Swiss pair was Sacha de Senarclens with Detona in fourth place, followed by Johanna Beutel with Revenge and Jordan Scherbakov and Luka-Cara in the remaining places. Marine Segura (FRA) triumphed in the Junior Grand Prix that followed. After a thrilling jump-off, she secured victory and the wild card for CHI Basel ahead of Lydia Beutel (SUI) and Elia Migliaccio (ITA). Mya Quiquerez in fourth place and Lou Puch in sixth place also represented Switzerland in the jump-off.
Pure excitement in the U25 Grand Prix: Swiss triple victory
The final U25 Grand Prix over 145 cm developed into a high-calibre and exciting finale. Of the 33 international young riders, only three pairs remained faultless in the demanding course and advanced to the jump-off – all three from Switzerland. In an all-Swiss showdown for the coveted wild card for the CHI Geneva, Janick Widmer on Pepito de Laubry came out on top and secured the prestigious victory. Second place went to Célia Biasipandy with Floss E, and third place to Tiziana Baumann on SD Chamaco. The U25 Grand Prix at the Zurich Youth Masters 2025 thus ended with a much-celebrated triple victory for the Swiss junior elite.
Chef d’Equipe & Riders Meeting: Focus on the future of the sport and horse welfare
A special impetus for this year’s tournament came from the traditional Chef d’Equipe & Riders Meeting on Thursday evening, which was dominated by dialogue and future prospects. High-profile guest speakers, including FEI Jumping Director Todd Hinde and Peter Jegen from the Pro Pferd Foundation, set new accents for youth development and the ethical foundations of the sport.
In his statement, Todd Hinde emphasised how important it is for everyone involved to pull together: „In order to further develop and promote our sport, we should work together towards the same goals. The challenges facing equestrian sports are well known, and riders are aware of their role as ambassadors for horse welfare and horsemanship. Our goal is to ensure the highest standards – for the future and for the social acceptance of our sport.“
Horse Welfare Award goes to Linus Hanselmann (SUI)
A highlight on Saturday evening was the presentation of the Pro Pferd Horse Welfare Award. The award recognises young riders who demonstrate exemplary, respectful and ethically responsible treatment of their horses, both in daily training and in competition. The aim of the award is to focus on the partnership between humans and horses, combining pressure to perform and ambition with care, patience and empathy, thereby creating role models for the next generation.
In 2025, the Horse Welfare Award went to Linus Hanselmann (SUI). The jury praised his consistently fair, sensitive and patient handling of his horses, as well as his calm, respectful manner in the warm-up arena and on the course. Noteworthy: Since the beginning of his riding career, Linus has been accompanied by his mother Karin Hanselmann – herself an internationally successful show jumper – who has taught him not only riding skills but also values such as responsibility and respect for horses. The award exemplifies the ZYM’s belief that sporting success and partnership-based horsemanship should go hand in hand.
Team spirit and Swiss victory in the tug-of-war characterise the supporting programme
The focus was not only on sport, but also on community: the welcome aperitif, the legendary Riders Party on Friday and the open tug-of-war for everyone on Saturday generated enthusiasm and strengthened team spirit. Parallel to the traditional raclette evening, the big tug-of-war on Saturday evening created a lively atmosphere in the arena. Five mixed teams – from young riders and grooms to a women’s OK team – competed against each other after a short introduction by tug-of-war trainer and world champion Peter Wigger. The spectacle was humorously moderated by our tried-and-tested tournament announcer Beat von Ballmoos.
After thrilling duels in a „round robin“ format, the strongest teams emerged: the riders‘ team „Janicki und die starken Männer“ (Janicki and the strong men) consisting of Gilles Müller, Linus Hanselmann, Andri von Ballmoos, Léon Pieyre, Thierri Wagner and Melvil David Baviere secured victory – and earned loud applause and a great atmosphere among all participants.
Committed partners and sponsors
The Zurich Youth Masters 2025 is made possible by dedicated partners who are jointly committed to promoting young talent in sport, fairness and sustainability. The main sponsors include Tommy Hilfiger Equestrian, the international fashion partner with a strong presence in equestrian sports, Christian Cavegn AG, a long-standing regional sponsor, and Swisslos, the national funding institution for Swiss sport. Once again this year, the tried-and-tested logistics partner Rhenus Logistics will ensure that everything runs smoothly, providing professional support to all participants when crossing the border – especially with customs and veterinary formalities. Riders who opt for a national customs procedure will also benefit from a flat-rate refund via the tournament invoice.
