Alexandra Vodermair and Exact competing at the 2025 FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship For Young Horses in Verden, Germany. Image by Leanjo de Koster/DigiShots.
It’s been a whirlwind year for Australian dressage rider Alex Vodermair, whose six-year-old partner Exact, affectionately known as Chewie, has gone from strength to strength.
Exact (Escamillo x Hohenstein) claimed the prestigious Champion of Champions at PSI Dressage and Jumping with the Stars in March this year, and then went on to fly halfway across the world and finish fourth (in the small final) at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship For Young Horses in Verden, Germany, with two PB scores over 81%. Alex and Chewie have emerged as one of the most exciting combinations to watch, and their story is only just beginning.
Exact and Alexandra Vodermair, Young Dressage Horse Champion of Champions at 2025 Dressage & Jumping with the Stars. Image by Equisoul Photography.
When Chewie first arrived in Alex’s life, he was little more than a blank slate. Alex had been overseas at Gestüt Gerkenhof in Verden looking for her next partner. Whilst Chewie wasn’t the horse she had gone there to see, she was smitten by the sweet little dark brown horse who had just been broken in. From the first ride they just clicked, and he was imported in late August 2022.
“Even though he only had limited time under saddle, by November we were already doing our first four-year-old qualifier for the young horse classes. Nothing like a quick turnaround,” Alex recalls.
As many are aware when importing horses that, due to the different deciding date for birthdays, Chewie had to compete as a four-year-old despite still technically being three. “I remember his first ever test – he scored around 85 per cent! I was super thrilled,” Alex says with a smile.
“He’s smart but has
the right attitude…”
From the very beginning, Chewie showed himself to be a special horse: intelligent, quick to learn, and eager to please. “He’s been a pure pleasure and joy,” Alex explains. “You show him something once and he’s like, ‘yep, I’ve got it.’ He’s smart but has the right attitude. He really wants to do the right thing, and in the arena he glows. He loves the environment.”
That confidence didn’t come overnight. In his early outings, Chewie was a little shy, even insecure. But the young gelding quickly learned to lean on Alex’s steady presence. “He knew I was giving him the confidence, and we grew together,” she says. “Now, when we go down the centreline, he’s magnificent. He loves to show off. He’s a bit of a showman.”
THE DECISION TO RETURN TO GERMANY
Earlier this year, Alex made a major decision: to relocate to Germany, the country where she grew up, after more than a decade living and riding in Australia.
“I love Australia – it is my home,” she says. “But all my family is in Germany. My grandmother’s getting older, and my dad’s health isn’t great, and my niece is growing up. You start to feel like you’re missing out on a lot. I didn’t want to look back and regret not spending that time with them.”
The timing couldn’t have been more fitting. Chewie, now six, was at a stage of maturity where Alex felt he could handle the demands of Europe’s big arenas. “I thought, he’s ready to go on the plane again, ready to be brave enough for the big arenas on this side of the world. So I combined it all – the chance to be with my family, and the chance to give Chewie this opportunity.”
It turned out to be the right decision.
The trip itself was no small undertaking. Flying a young horse from Australia to Europe is a marathon of logistics, paperwork and patience. “Travelling is always stressful – not just for the horse, but for the rider too,” Alex says. “You’re constantly checking on them, making sure they’re drinking, eating, coping with the changes. I was with him every second of the way except for on the plane as we were only allowed to check on him every three hours – he didn’t even need sedation, he just took it all in his stride.”
From the moment he landed in Germany, Chewie seemed to embrace his new surrounds with calm determination. Alex had planned for a 48-hour stay at stables near the airport before making the 10-hour trip to her sister Andrea Petit’s property in the southwest of Munich.
“I thought we’d both need time to catch our breath and regroup, and whilst we did take the time Chewie was just his usual perfect self and hit the ground running.”
Exact handled the atmosphere like a pro at the 2025 FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship For Young Horses. Image by Leanjo de Koster/DigiShots.
THE DREAM CASTLE BACKDROP
Whilst the combination had secured the win at PSI Dressage and Jumping with the Stars in the six-year-old class they hadn’t met the full FEI criteria to be selected for the World Young Horse Championships.
“We still needed to compete at a CDI young horse class. Australia doesn’t host any CDI young horse classes, they’re all at national level,” Alex shares.
So, the pair set their eyes on Wiesbaden. Set against the backdrop of the magnificent Biebrich Palace, Wiesbaden is famed for its stunning setting – dressage tests unfolding in manicured parklands with the castle looming large.
Alex and Exact competing at PfingstTurnier Wiesbaden. Image by LL Foto.
“I wanted a picture with the castle backdrop,” Alex laughs. “It has always been a CDI that I wanted to attend and now we had the perfect reason. Friends back home thought I was crazy as the atmosphere is massive for a young horse, but if we wanted to do the Worlds that atmosphere was going to be big as well, so I thought let’s see if we’re capable of it.”
The pair certainly were. Regardless of the competition taking place less than eight weeks after they’d arrived in Germany, they went out to place third in the final with 77.800% – an extraordinary achievement!
“Riding there was incredible,” Alex says. “It’s not every day you trot down the centreline in front of a castle! The whole atmosphere, with the crowds sitting on the lawns and the history of the place, made it so special. It was a little overwhelming for Chewie and he was a bit tense, but he stayed with me and that’s all I can ask.”
Just as importantly, Alex now has her picture in front of the castle with her dancing partner Chewie.
ON THE WORLD STAGE
The FEI World Young Horse Championships in Verden were unlike anything Alex or Chewie had experienced before. “When we first arrived, I went to look at the stadium and thought, ‘oh my god,’” Alex admits. “It was windy, the tents and big stadiums were shaking, and I was standing there thinking, wow – I’m really about to ride down this centreline.”
Far from being overwhelmed, Chewie shone in the electric atmosphere, carrying himself with poise beyond his years. “He was just magnificent,” Alex says. “You could really feel he loves to present himself.”
Competing against the world’s best young horses is a daunting task, but for Alex the experience was nothing short of inspiring. “It was breathtaking,” she reflects. “You just try to stay calm and remind yourself how lucky you are to ride in such an arena.”
Alex was thrilled with their PB performances in Verden. Image by Leanjo de Koster – DigiShots.
Alex was lucky to have the support of the small Australian team, consisting of Tayla Desmet and her young horse Dark Diamond in the five-year-old class, chef d’équipe and world championship rider Maree Tomkinson, her sister Andrea and her coach and mentor, Ferdinand Csaki.
“It was a full circle moment, as I groomed for Ferdinand 10 years ago when he rode at the 2015 World Young Horse Championships, and then 10 years later he was here supporting me.”
The combination finished the competition with 81% and 15th in the preliminary round, then 81.8% and fourth in the second round. They were less than 2% shy from making the final. With two personal best scores though, there were certainly smiles all around!
A LESSON WITH THE QUEEN
As if competing on the world stage wasn’t enough, Alex also had the chance to ride in a masterclass with none other than Isabell Werth – widely regarded as the most successful dressage rider in history.
“It was incredible,” Alex says, her face lighting up. “She’d never seen us before the masterclass, but she immediately got a sense of where we’re at. All the combinations she started the same – a long-rein walk, from there she proceeded through the basics – walk-trot transitions, walk to canter, simple changes, laterals appropriate to the age, flying changes each way. She made sure every step of the journey was solid. Then she said, ‘okay, let’s try some tempis’. And Chewie just did it all! We even played with half steps as well and some more elevated trot heading towards passage, which I haven’t touched on much – but everything she asked he did.”
The most important part Alex took home from her lesson with Isabell was to take your time and do every exercise well. Alex shares, “Isabell was strict that you don’t just ride a half pass to ride a half pass. Set yourself up well, especially when you’re teaching a young horse; don’t just ride the line, think about how you turn and if it’s not good, start again. She let me ride a couple of circles before even starting the half pass as my corner wasn’t correct. Isabell wanted me to be aware of my outside rein and truly ride my horse around my inside leg with bend and flexion, if I did not set him up well, I wasn’t to continue to ride the movement.”
The legendary German rider was full of praise for the young pair. “She was thrilled with him, and I was thrilled with him. The whole experience was just amazing,” Alex says.
BUILDING TOWARDS GRAND PRIX
For Alex, the dream has always been to train a horse all the way through to Grand Prix. She has ridden up to FEI Small Tour and produced many young horses, but often those horses were sold before she could take them further.
“Chewie is the first one where I’ve said: he’s mine, no one will sell him. I can keep going,” she explains. “The end goal is definitely Grand Prix.”
For now, Chewie is enjoying a well-earned break after a hectic competition season. But rest doesn’t mean idle time – the next stage of training is already on Alex’s mind.
“We’re moving into S-level now, the young horse advanced level,” she says. “It’s a big step – introducing the double bridle for the first time, new movements. It’s great to be here in Germany where there are so many competitions, especially the indoor shows in winter. It gives us a lot of opportunities to build experience.”
Alex is careful, though, never to push Chewie too fast. “Every time I ask something new, I stop and think – am I asking too much? Am I overwhelming him? For the last three years I’ve always listened to him. That’s why he’s come along so well.”
The next few months will be a period of transition. Alex plans to find her own stable base in Germany, somewhere she can bring Chewie and establish herself as both a rider and a trainer. The move is still in the works, but she’s excited for the opportunities ahead.
“This year has already been incredible, but I feel like it’s only the beginning,” she says. “Chewie has so much potential. He’s already proven he can handle big stages, and now it’s about taking the time to develop him for the future.”
From a barely broken three-year-old to a world-class young horse in just three years, Chewie has already achieved more than we can dream of for most horses. But under Alex’s thoughtful guidance, it’s clear this is only chapter one of a much bigger story.
As Alex puts it, “The end goal is Grand Prix. That’s always been the dream. And with Chewie, I believe we can get there.” EQ
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