Debut and comeback at the same time:
Diana Porsche wins with runner-up World Champion Imhotep in Stadl-Paura after mum break

After a nine-month break from competitions, Salzburg Grand Prix rider Diana Porsche celebrated her much-noticed comeback in the dressage arena at the weekend - and with a very special debut. The new mother of a son presented the runner-up World Champion and European Championship bronze medallist Imhotep for the first time.

The newly formed pair impressed straight away in the Grand Prix of the national dressage tournament in Stadl-Paura (Upper Austria): with 72.133 per cent, Porsche and Imhotep, nicknamed "Pete" and trained by Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin, came out on top of the international field with a lead of almost three percentage points.

"Riding in the arena again after my maternity leave felt like a very special moment. It was all the more emotional because my son was there for the first time," said a visibly moved Diana Porsche after the ride. "The fact that I was able to combine my comeback with such a wonderful debut makes it all the more special. Pete and I still have to gain a lot of experience together as a pair - we learnt a lot again today. But I think we are already on the right track. Pete is a very special horse: he has everything a successful championship horse needs and I am infinitely grateful to be able to ride him. I'm really looking forward to what lies ahead."

Diana Porsche will decide what the coming season will look like - also with a view to the 2026 World Championships in Aachen (GER) - together with the association of her new sporting home country Hungary. She is deliberately putting concrete goals on the back burner: "I want to take things as they come, gain experience and ride some nice competitions. Then we'll see where the path leads. Aachen would of course be a dream, but I don't want to think that far ahead yet. Take it easy, without any pressure - and see what comes out in the end."