Just days before the start of the FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Fort Worth, the script is taking an unexpected turn for Raphael Netz. A leader for much of the season, the 26-year-old German has had to urgently revise his plans: his top horse, Great Escape Camelot, is out. A major setback… but not a withdrawal. Because in the background, DSP Dieudonne is ready to step in.

Camelot out, Dieudonne as luxury backup

It’s the kind of news that comes at the worst possible time. Very worst.
Just as everything seemed perfectly aligned for Fort Worth, Raphael Netz had to deal with a major unforeseen issue: the injury of Great Escape Camelot.

A heavy blow, plain and simple. Camelot was the horse for big occasions, the one that had carried the German throughout the indoor season with consistency and ambition.

But at the highest level, you always need a Plan B.
And for Netz, that Plan B has a name: DSP Dieudonne.

Fortunately for him, the horse was already qualified for the Final. No last-minute wildcard, no patchwork solution. Just a change of cast… with already solid references.

A season that changed dimension

At the start, Fort Worth wasn’t even on the roadmap.

Then the points started coming. Again and again.
And quietly, Netz found himself… leading the Western European League standings for a good half of the season.

« When I realized I was well placed, I told myself: let’s aim for Texas. »

That was the turning point, and with it, a new level of stature.

Because behind this rise, there’s also a major development:
for the first time, Netz competed the season with two competitive horses..

• Camelot: 2nd in Stuttgart, top 5 in Herning and Neumünster
• Dieudonne: 3rd in Basel, 4th in ’s-Hertogenbosch

Two options. Two dynamics. One ambition.

Fort Worth, a real test

This change of mount inevitably reshuffles the deck.

Camelot offered reliability. Dieudonne brings a different equation:
fewer certainties, but very real potential.

And above all, a proven ability to perform in indoor atmospheres.

Because Netz knows the World Cup. And he loves it.

« The venues are incredible, the crowds are amazing… that’s what sport is all about. »

A circuit where every freestyle is sold out, where pressure is constant, and where the slightest mistake comes at a high cost. That will also be the case in Texas.

An outsider who no longer really is one

This will be Netz’s second Final. But this time, his status has changed.

He’s no longer coming to learn. He’s coming to make his mark—and to show he represents the future of German dressage.

Even with a last-minute change. Even without his number-one horse.

Because ultimately, this season has already proven it: Raphael Netz is no longer a prospect. He’s a serious contender.

In Fort Worth, it all starts on Thursday. And for Netz, in a way, it all starts again too.

New horse. New sensations. Same goal. The only question is whether this setback will hold him back… or mark the beginning of a different story.

Find the full schedule of the Dressage World Cup Final here.

(Photo cover © FEI/www.sportfotos-lafrentz.de / Stefan Lafrentz