October 11, 2025 
There’s a first time for everything, and Rene Dittmer (GER) was part of two big firsts at the Highlands Cup.
In its inaugural year, sporting a star-studded roster of Olympic athletes, the biggest question on everyone’s mind was who would go down as the very first winner of the CSI5* Highlands Cup Grand Prix.
Dittmer honorably answered that question, earning his first Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) Grand Prix title aboard Corsica X in the very first edition of the class.
The course for the occasion provided plenty of challenges, set by Gregory Bodo (FRA), who built for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. But ultimately 12 pairs navigated it fault free, and Dittmer was able to see a small glimpse of what he was up against before he went in.
For the rest of his plan, he had to rely on some teamwork.
“I only watched the first one in the jump-off and then made my own plan,” Dittmer reflected, aiming to beat a quick time posted by Gregory Wathelet (BEL). “My teammates from Team Helios, Richard Vogel (GER) and Michael Duffy (IRL), were watching for me and told me what to do. I tried to do that as best I could and it worked in the end.”
Turns out, when you listen to Richard Vogel and Michael Duffy, it pays off.
The time posted was just quick enough to take over the lead, and Dittmer held it through the end of the class. Wathelet finished second with Ace of Hearts, and Shane Sweetnam (IRL) was third aboard James Kann Cruz.
While Dittmer himself is tough to beat, he credits quite a bit of his success to Corsica X. This is their second five-star Grand Prix victory together.
“She doesn’t waste any time at the jump,” he said of the 12-year-old Holsteiner mare (Connor 48 x Corofino II) and her strengths. “I’ve had her for about three years and I’m super happy to be given the opportunity by her owner, Mark Miness. Today was a great day in our story.”
Dittmer has been traveling to, and dominating in, North America over the past few years aboard an impressive string of horses. But he decided for 2025 to take his talents to MLSJ, joining Team Helios and already putting in powerful results throughout the 2025 season.
“It’s really great being part of a team here,” he said of his choice to join the League. “I only watched it from afar before. Being on a team this year is really exciting and I think we have a really good team. We have good team spirit and the team classes are very exciting. I really enjoy it; it’s great sport.”
Dittmer proved at the Highlands Cup there is no “i” in “team” when it comes to show jumping, and his rookie season both individually and for Team Helios may just be getting started.
