British international rider Annabella Pidgley has secured a half share in the world champion and breeding stallion Proud James (Jameson RS2 x Glock’s Johnson TN). The stallion is set to continue his stud duties in Denmark at Helgstrand Dressage, following a successful period with Helgstrand’s German partner, Isabell Werth.
“Proud James has already established himself as one of the world’s most used breeding stallions while also demonstrating exceptional qualities for the top sport,” said Helgstrand Dressage via a press release. “In 2025, Proud James won the World Championship for five-year-old horses with Helgstrand Dressage rider Mette Sejberg Jensen in the saddle.
“Annabella Pidgley is among the biggest young profiles in international dressage sport. Throughout her youth career, she has achieved great success with several championship medals, including the title of Young rider and U25 European Champion.
“Annabella was also shortlisted for the Paris 2024 Olympics at just 20 years old. Most recently, she won bronze at the 2025 U25 European Championships. In 2026, she has had many strong starts at international senior-level 5-star competitions, including at the World Cup qualifier in Neumünster.”
Annabella views Proud James as her future Grand Prix horse. “Proud James is still only six years old and extremely talented. We are taking it one day at a time, but the World Championships are of course an important goal for him. First, we need to bring him back to Denmark after the stallion show at Isabell Werth’s, before he competes in the World Championship selection trial in the Netherlands later in May,” the team behind the partnership stated.
Helgstrand Dressage has expressed excitement that the stallion will remain available to the station’s extensive broodmare band. At the same time, the new partnership with Annabella Pidgley is set to further elevate his sporting prospects, with a clear focus on progressing him toward Grand Prix level as a long-term objective.
“All parties are looking forward to the new partnership and the exciting future ahead for Proud James — both in the dressage arena and in breeding.”
