The fourteen-year-old gelding Blues d’Aveline (by Baloussini) previously achieved great success under Nieberg, including a spectacular win at the 2023 Leipzig World Cup Grand Prix. The horse was later sent to Austrian rider Max Kühner. Following a few injury setbacks, Kühner successfully brought him back to the top level in early 2025, securing results like a seventh-place finish in Stuttgart. The pair made their final appearance together in March 2026.

The return to Nieberg’s stables came as a complete surprise to the rider:

"The owner called me out of the blue, asking if we would be open to welcoming Blues back to our stables. I was definitely surprised, but we accepted the offer with pleasure. For now, we are focusing on getting him back into top shape and taking it one show at a time."

The revived partnership paid off immediately. After finishing fourth in Balve, the duo went on to win a 1.45m class in Kronenberg.

Ping Pong van de Lentamel on the Comeback Trail

The good news doesn't stop there for the thirty-year-old German athlete. His eye-catching piebald gelding, Ping Pong van de Lentamel (by Emerald), is also close to making his return to the ring. The horse, who won the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Riesenbeck in 2025, had been sidelined since finishing third in Leipzig in January 2026.

"Ping Pong is jumping at home again, and I hope to enter him in some smaller classes in a few weeks," an enthusiastic Nieberg shared.