Sophia Aurelia George (MON) and Berlioz d’Henan - winners of the FEI Jumping Ponies’ Trophy Final 2025 - Mechelen (BEL) © FEI / Dirk Caremans 

Sophia Aurelia George (MON) wrote herself into the history books as she became the first athlete from Monaco to win the FEI Jumping Ponies’ Trophy™. Her consistency across three classes and five rounds of Jumping here at Mechelen (BEL) this week was rewarded with this prestigious victory aboard the 14-year-old gelding Berlioz d’Hennan.

The top 20 international athletes after three qualifying legs were invited to compete at the FEI Pony Jumping Trophy™ Final here in Mechelen. Following the first two competitions -a speed and handiness class and a jump-off class- their combined placings were converted into penalties. The top 15 athletes from this ranking qualified to start in round one of today’s final two- round competition, carrying forward their converted penalties. Following round one, only the top 10 combinations proceeded to the final round, another full course of 1.35m fences.

George came into today’s final in fourth position on a converted penalty score of five (5), having finished faultless in fifth place in both Saturday and Sunday’s qualifying classes. Charlie Flynn dominated both of these with the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare HK Zena. The electric combination won the opening speed class and day two’s jump-off class in convincing style to lead the standings on a score of zero going into today’s final two- round competition. An uncharacteristic 18 faults in today’s opening round and a fence down in round two however saw Flynn drop dramatically out of the podium positions to take an eventual sixth place. 

Flynn’s misfortune in the opening round gave Selma Hundborg Dresler (DEN), lying in second coming into today’s first round of competition, the opportunity to head the standings going into the final round and another polished performance from the Danish athlete saw her do just that. In a class where clear rounds were at a premium, Sophia Aurelia George’s openings four-fault round in round one was enough to see her rise up to second place ahead of the deciding final round.

Impressive clears in round one from Robin Vermeir (BEL) with the 15-year-old stallion Atomic du Bary and Victoire Chapalain (FRA) aboard the 10-year-old stallion Fantho de l’Etape, saw both athletes rocket up the order from equal 13th coming into today's competition, to hold equal third place with one round remaining. A couple of poles falling late on in the course put pay to Vermeir’s podium chances, but two strong performances today saw her finish in a very respectable fourth place. Chapalain followed and produced another flawless round and the only double clear of the day to put the pressure on the leaders and guarantee herself a podium position.

Fourteen-year-old Sophia Aurelia George then came forward to deliver a foot-perfect round with the wonderful gelding Berlioz d’ Hennan. With just a simple snaffle and no martingale, the combination looked an absolute picture of harmony and professionalism every step of the way around the 1.35m track to add no further penalty to their score of nine penalties. Last into the arena was 16-year-old Selma Hundborg Dresler and the nine-year-old KWPN mare Lady Crown. Carrying forward a total of seven penalties there was no margin for error, with only a clear round being good enough to seal victory for the Danish pair. 

They recovered from a slightly hairy moment midway around the course, where the young mare stood a way off a vertical, but regained composure to look as if victory was theirs coming into the final line. When the back bar of the oxer coming into the double at the penultimate fence hit the ground, their chances of glory were gone. They completed the round on four faults to give them a final score of 11 penalties and take second place overall, whilst victory belonged to young Sophia Aurelia George.

George at just 14-years-old and with two further years on ponies ahead of her, was delighted with the win and the performance of Berlioz d’Hennan, the impressive bay gelding who is also 14 years of age:

“I am super proud of my pony, he jumped great. I definitely did not expect to win here but I’m super happy I did! My dream would be to be able to ride at the Olympics, but maybe more realistic, the Europeans”

Sophia Aurelia George

(MON)

“I am super proud of my pony, he jumped great. I definitely did not expect to win here but I’m super happy I did!” she exclaimed. “My dream would be to be able to ride at the Olympics, but maybe more realistic, the Europeans”, she continued.

The experience gained here this week and over the 2025 FEI Pony Jumping Trophy™ series and with two more years left to contest it again, the young athlete from Monaco will undoubtedly have put herself in great stead for a successful youth and senior career, as former winners of this prestigious Final such as Irelands, Seamus Hughes Kennedy and Rhys Williams have gone on to achieve.

First staged in 2017, the FEI Pony Jumping Trophy™ Final was devised in light of the Olympic Movement’s aim to focus on the development of youth sport. With four qualifying legs held this year in Herning (DEN), Lyon (FRA) and Stuttgart (GER) the series gives aspiring athletes the opportunity to compete in the midst of their idols -jumping’s elite athletes, benefit from their help and to experience the electric atmosphere of a stadium full of fans. Mechelen has hosted the Final since it first began, although 2020 and 2021 editions fell victim to the Covid 19 epidemic making 2025 the seventh edition of the FEI Jumping Ponies Trophy.

Mechelen Sport Director Peter Bollen has been a huge supporter of the FEI Pony Jumping Trophy™ Final from the beginning and instrumental to the continual success of the concept. He has thoroughly enjoyed watching the series grow in popularity and status year upon year. The FEI Jumping Ponies’ Trophy will be back for 2026 with Mechelen set to play host to the final once more.

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