Maria Von Essen

Maria Von Essen is one of the leading figures in international dressage, a rider who combines talent, experience, and a deep vision of working with horses. Born and raised in the equestrian world, Maria has been riding since the age of five: she started with show jumping, a discipline she practiced until the age of fourteen, before dedicating herself entirely to dressage, where she found her true vocation.
Her competitive career has been marked by successes from a young age: Swedish Junior Champion and individual bronze medalist at the European Championships. Maria then went on to achieve a top-level career as a Senior, training and competing with multiple horses up to the international Grand Prix level.
Since 2001, together with her cousin Ebba Von Essen – also a Grand Prix rider – she has been running Dressyr Essen near Lund, Sweden: a well-established and recognized center, a reference point for the training and development of high-level dressage horses. Today, Maria trains over fifteen horses, a daily routine that reflects her absolute focus on quality, correct progression, and respect for the horse’s biomechanics.

With her top horse, Invoice, Maria has written some of the most important chapters of her recent career: from a winning debut at the international Grand Prix in 2023, to victories in the World Cup in Gothenburg, Tolbert, and Stockholm, including participation as an Olympic reserve in Paris, and notable placements at the European Championships and in Aachen. Her future goals are clear: the World Equestrian Games in Aachen and the Olympic dream of 2028.
Alongside Invoice, two young prospects, Don Lu and Rendez, both eight years old, are being developed with the aim of reaching Grand Prix level and building the future of the stable.
For years, Maria has chosen Equipe saddles, using iconic models such as Viktoria and Glamour, her daily partners reflecting her pursuit of balance, precision, and sensitivity in the saddle. These values perfectly reflect her philosophy: building performance through respect, consistency, and listening to the horse.