British dressage rider Annabella Pidgley has announced the sale of her exceptional mare, Espe, to 14-year-old Australian rider Abby Weel. This marks the end of a remarkable partnership that saw Pidgley and Espe achieve significant success, including six European Championship medals over two seasons. Espe, an 11-year-old Westphalian mare, was pivotal in Pidgley’s rise through the youth ranks, earning multiple medals at the Junior and Young Rider Europeans.
Espe’s impressive record includes team and individual medals, as well as being ranked world number one at the Young Rider level for several months. Their final competition together was at the Wellington Premier League in June 2024, concluding a career that featured 23 international class wins and two national titles. Espe is now recognized as British dressage’s second-most decorated youth horse in history.
As Espe embarks on a new journey in Australia, Annabella Pidgley shifts her focus towards Grand Prix ambitions with her other horses, Gio and Vamos Amigos. The sale signifies a new chapter for both the horse and rider, with Pidgley expressing pride in their shared achievements and confidence in Espe’s future with Weel.
