Eight years ago, Sophie Scott arrived in Riesenbeck as an ambitious teenager eager to learn from some of the world's best horsemen. This weekend, she returns as a member of New Zealand's team for the FEI World Championships in Aachen.
Coming back to Riesenbeck International has been a special moment for the 25-year-old: "Wow, this place has changed so much. Everything is on such a big scale now. There are so many new arenas and stable buildings. It's already one of our favourite shows we've been to. The grounds look absolutely fantastic."
Back in 2018, Scott travelled from New Zealand to take part in the Longines World Equestrian Academy Summer Camp. Every year, young riders aged between 14 and 25 from around the world come to Riesenbeck to train with leading coaches while learning about every aspect of horse management and high-performance sport. Although the programme places a particular emphasis on Asia, it has also been very popular with riders from New Zealand, thanks in part to the opportunity to ride carefully selected academy horses.
"One of our friends in New Zealand had already been here and absolutely raved about it," Scott remembers. "They encouraged us to apply because they said it was an opportunity you simply couldn't miss."
At the time, Scott was only beginning to step into 1.40m competition after previously competing mainly on Grand Prix ponies. The week in Riesenbeck proved to be about far more than improving her riding.
"It wasn't only about jumping. We learned how to manage horses properly and understand everything that goes into producing them. At the end of the week we put everything into practice in a competition, and Ludger Beerbaum was there giving feedback. As a young rider from New Zealand, that was incredibly special."
Growing up, horses were always part of Scott's life. Her mother, Tania, enjoyed a successful career in eventing before passing her passion for horses on to her daughter. Now, at just 25 years of age, Scott has firmly established herself among New Zealand's brightest show jumping talents.
Her list of achievements has grown rapidly over the past two seasons. In 2024 she claimed the prestigious Olympic Cup at the New Zealand Horse of the Year Show aboard Waitangi Skynet, while also finishing runner-up with Benrose Stellar. Success continued throughout the 2025 FEI Jumping World Cup™ series before earning selection for New Zealand's team at the upcoming FEI World Championships.
A Horse for the Future
A key player in Scott's rise has been Normandy GHP, the talented ten-year-old gelding by Nabab de Rêve out of a Stolzenberg mare. Bred at Glen Haven Park in Queensland, Australia, Normandy GHP joined Scott's stable just over two years ago and has quickly developed into her championship partner. "He has so much character," Scott says with a smile. "I actually think that's what makes him so good. He loves his job, but he's also a real showman."
Despite competing at increasingly difficult levels, Scott believes his best years are still ahead. "He's getting better every time he goes in the ring. He's still young and relatively inexperienced, but he always gives everything. I think we're only just starting to see what he's really capable of."
Scott trains under Australian Olympian Jeff McVean, whose daughter Katie Laurie will also represent New Zealand at the World Championships alongside Luke Dee and Uma O'Neill. Of the four selected combinations, Scott and Normandy GHP are the least experienced, having only arrived in Europe earlier this year from their base in Palmerston North.
The transition has been seamless. Top-ten placings in 1.50m and 1.55m classes across France, Belgium and the Netherlands have confirmed that horse and rider are adapting quickly to European competition.
Competing in the CSI3* Tour at Riesenbeck International forms another important stepping stone towards Aachen, where Scott will make her five-star debut. Remarkably, the occasion is not one that makes her nervous. "I've never really been someone who gets nervous," she says. "I trust the process and the training we've done at home and then I let things happen. Whatever happens on the day, happens."
Reflecting on her journey, Scott is convinced that her experience at the Longines World Equestrian Academy helped shape the path she is on today. It is an opportunity she would recommend to any ambitious young rider, particularly those travelling from as far away as Asia or Oceania.
Asked what she would tell the 17-year-old Sophie who arrived in Riesenbeck eight years ago, she smiles. "Representing New Zealand was always the dream. I think I'd be shocked by how quickly everything has happened because reaching the top of the sport usually takes such a long time."
More than anything, however, one lesson stands above the rest: "I've been incredibly lucky with the horses I've had and the people around me. If there's one piece of advice I'd give any young rider, it's to surround yourself with a great team. The right people and the right horses make the whole journey possible."
